Health Matters

Finally, I managed to get the widget countdown onto this blog.  The embarrassing thing is that it is so simple and the button I had to press is so big, that I have no idea how I missed it in the first place!  Anyway, I am thrilled with this little gadget.  No more manually counting days for me.

One of the major contributing factors to my growing awareness of health and fitness and my determination to take action was watching my own mother's descent into dementia.  The world of Alzheimer's/dementia is frightening and devastating; for the person with the disease as well as for those close to them.  Although there are no effective drugs to either prevent or arrest the development of the disease, there are indications that diet and exercise might help.  It has been shown that exercise can:

1. induce growth factors in the brain
2. help build new neurons into the circuits
3. build synapses
4. improve learning
5. improve vascular function

There are no drugs that can do all of this. 

It has also been shown that eating badly can severely damage the body, cause disease (diabetes, cancer heart/vascular disease) and death.  Look, I know that we all have to die but I just want to increase my chances of having a good quality of life right until the end.

Saturated fat can clog up arteries and reduce blood flow to the brain and the rest of the body.  There are no drugs that can fix bad eating habits.  Health really lies in the hands of the individual. 

Diana Elsmere