The Modern World’s Plague In today’s world, the spectre of Alzheimer’s looms large. Perhaps the disease is so frightening because, unlike other major conditions, there are no surgeries or drugs that can stop, cure or even arrest it significantly.
A Hopeful Nugget A recent article (1) devoted four pages to the more than 40 years of studies, tens of billions in funding and at least 146 failed drugs that have yet to produce an effective antidote. Finally, however, this hopeful nugget lay waiting on the fifth page of the article:
“For all the deep science that surrounds the war on Alzheimer’s one of the most important weapons against the disease remains the simplest: healthy living. In that way, Alzheimer’s resembles heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic conditions. There is a genetic component, yet so much of prevention is in our own hands.”
Unbelievable? Is that prescription hard to swallow? Surely this deadly disease requires more than just eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly and sleeping well, among other lifestyle factors.(2)
Of course it sounds odd in a medical world where surgeries and drugs are the tools that get all the attention, research dollars and insurance money. But there are doctors who are experimenting. After all, adopting a healthier lifestyle can’t hurt! Here is the result of one 2023 lifestyle study of 172 adults, aged 70 to 89 with two or more lifestyle risk factors for dementia.
“Those who worked on one or more risk factors for two years boosted their scores on tests of thinking and memory and lowered their dementia risk more than those who simply received educational materials.”
Two Years!! Wait, did it take two years to realize the benefits of lifestyle changes? That may sound entirely unreasonable in a population accustomed to quick fix it surgeries and drugs. Yet even the recently approved lecanemab, the only drug with at least moderate “success,” is an 18-month treatment, with side effects, costing $6,636 annually, and slowing mental decline by a mere five months,
Hmmm . . . . Maybe it doesn’t sound so outlandish to simply shift your regular food budget to health-giving foods, meanwhile enjoying lusciously wholesome meals with no side effects and reaping the potential for long-term relief? And while you’re at it, healthier eating also helps with heart conditions, obesity, diabetes and cancer prevention, among many other things.
Meal Making Transformation to the Rescue Now what about making wholesome meals with your health-giving foods? Our convenience culture would have us believe that this is also an outlandish prospect. Of course we can’t do that! We have to rely on processed foods to survive in today’s world, right?
This is where Meal Making Transformation comes in. As we become New in Kitchen, Cooking and Thinking, we’ll find that healthy, everyday meal making is entirely doable–and even a little fun. And how gratifying and empowering it is to make our own meals and take control of our own health. That’s the promise of transformation!
(1) Article based on: “Alzheimer’s: New Learnings, Rising Hope,” Sari Harrar, AARP Bulletin, March 2024, p. 10.
(2) Other lifestyle factors include: keeping blood pressure and blood sugar levels healthy, taking a multivitamin, caring for ears and eyes, and pampering mental health.