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When to start reducing dementia risk? Now!

March 8, 2019 5 Comments

 

Core to our Age-Well Project is understanding that the more we do to reduce our risk of age-related degenerative disease now, in our 50s, the better. Many diseases of old age take root in mid-life: for a healthy, happy old age we need to tackle our future wellbeing now.

So we were fascinated to read new research confirming this. Researchers in Sweden tracked 800 women for 44 years to see if their activities, both physical and mental, could impact their dementia risk. At the start of the project the average age was 47 (roughly where Annabel and I were when we started this Project) and the women were followed for the rest of their lives. They were ranked according to their level of creative activity, so visiting an art gallery or theatre in the last six months counted as moderate activity. High activity was defined as more frequent cultural visits, and painting or singing in a choir. They were also divided according to their levels of physical activity:  active (ranging from walking, gardening or biking to more intense exercise like running or swimming for at least four hours per week)  and inactive (less than four hours of light physical movement a week).

By the end of the study, almost a quarter of them had developed some form of dementia. Those categorised as having high mental activity were 34 percent less likely to develop dementia in any form (and 46 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s) than those with low mental activity. And those who were physically active were 56 percent less likely to develop any form of dementia.

GIVE UP GIVING UP!

So NOW is the time – whatever your age – to make a change, take up a new hobby or intensify your exercise plan. With Lent falling this week there’s been plenty of talk about ‘giving up’ things. But we prefer thinking of it as ‘taking up’ something. What activity can you add to your weekly routine to make a difference? This doesn’t mean committing to a huge new exercise programme. It might be a trip to a local gallery or dropping into a fitness class. If you add something you love, rather than take something away, it will be easier and more enjoyable.

So this weekend Annabel has booked into a laughter yoga class (she’ll blog about it soon but it sounds HUGE fun) and I’ll be heading to the National Portrait Gallery to catch the new Martin Parr exhibition.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

It’s International Women’s Day today so it seems a good time to share our new ‘author’ pic, taken for the jacket of our book. I’m so happy to have my bright, creative, supportive pal by my side on our Age-Well Project. Committing to staying healthy in middle age in hard and we all need an ‘accountability buddy’ to help us through. Women are so good at supporting one another, so let’s celebrate that today.

And don’t forget that Alzheimer’s is a women’s issue. Women account for two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases.  In the over-65 age group 1 in 6 women will develop Alzheimer’s by 2050, the figure is 1 in 11 for men. And the burden of caring falls disproportionally on women, too. You can read our blog post on this here.

GUARDIAN MASTERCLASS

We’re beyond thrilled to have been asked to give a Guardian Masterclass on June 11th. We’ll be sharing our top tips on how to live a longer, healthier and happier life: starting right now. And we’ll break down our four cornerstones of healthy ageing, explaining how to put them into practice and stay on track with your own Age-Well Project. You can book tickets here:

https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/2019/mar/04/the-age-well-project-preparing-for-a-longer-healthier-and-happier-life-annabel-streets-susan-saunders-health-wellbeing-course

 

Susan

Photo by Charlie Hopkinson ©

 

 

  • Conditions: Ageing, Alzheimer's, Brain and Dementia
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Comments

  1. Diana Studer says

    March 9, 2019 at 8:56 pm

    I’m vegetarian. How many of the recipes in your book will be meat-based? Will you offer vegetarian alternatives

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      March 14, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      Hi Diana. off the top of my head we only have one meat recipe that I can recall. We don’t eat much meat but we like to include the odd dish for those that do (and we have husbands who we’ve never managed to wean!).

      Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      March 24, 2019 at 4:25 pm

      Hi Diana, there are only a couple of meat-based recipes in the book. The book is more of a general guide to healthy ageing than a recipe book. I do hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  2. Gaynor says

    March 12, 2019 at 3:30 am

    Looking good you two! I think it is the first time I have seen you together in a photo. Of course it helps to have a close friend and confidant to support you and bounce ideas with. It will help you both to age well having that relationship.
    Sorry I can’t come to your presentation, but I am in a different country.
    I have ordered the book and although I am a coeliac, I am used to adjusting recipes.
    Congratulations and keep up the good work.

    Reply
    • Annabel Streets says

      March 14, 2019 at 1:23 pm

      That’s very kind, Gaynor. We’re sorry not to see you, of course. But perhaps we’ll make it to the other side of the world one day! Thanks for all your support over the years…

      Reply

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Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

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WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

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The Age-Well Project blog
Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive harvest at Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil @bidni_evoo in Malta in late September. Fresh from the press, the oil was pretty peppery! That’s the polyphenols at work.

Polyphenol levels in olive oil also play a vital role in its brain boosting properties. They help reduce neuroinflammation and slow cognitive decline.

A study presented at a conference this summer by Harvard School of Public Health looked at the cognition of more than 90,000 people over 30 years. It found that those who consumed half a tablespoon of olive oil each day, as opposed to mayonnaise or margarine, had a 28%  lower risk of dying from dementia. Interestingly, this research found that the brain benefits of olive oil held up, regardless of the quality of the rest of the participants’ diet. So even those who didn’t adhere to other guidelines of the Mediterranean diet still got the benefits from the oil.

There’s more on the blog - link in bio

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity #EVOO
Two new pieces of research you need to know about Two new pieces of research you need to know about if you want to age well: 

1️⃣ the kynurenine pathway. It’s complicated but high levels of it don’t bode well for ageing well. Several studies have found that older people, those who’ve had hip fractures, the frail, as well as the depressed have higher circulating levels of kynurenine.  Indeed the more kynurenine in your blood, the greater your chances of dying sooner rather than later. High levels of kynurenine also seem to be associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin – meaning both poorer sleep and a greater risk of depression.

New research has identified a very simple way of blocking the accumulation of kynurenine (and its toxic by-products) in our blood and tissues: regular, heart-beat-raising movement.

2️⃣ Platelet Factor 4 (PF4). This compound appears to keep our brains and memories sharp. And it too is released when we move. Discovered by a team from the University of Queensland Brain Institute, PF4 is a protein secreted by the tiny blood cells that prevent blood clotting (known as platelets). This protein rejuvenates brain cells (neurons) in ageing mice, and researchers now think it may be the reason that exercise  and movement amplify the production of new neurons in the brain.

Want more info? It’s on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity
In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for caring for ourselves and our parents. Take a multi vit for 50+, persevere with technology and/or try something new every day, walk daily, stay social, consume sufficient protein, supplement with vits D and B12… 

#agewell #healthyaging
Autumn giveaway! 🍂 We’ve got a bundle of two Autumn giveaway! 🍂

We’ve got a bundle of two books to give away here on Insta - one copy of The Age-Well Project and one of 52 Ways to Walk. 

To win, simply leave a comment below letting us know your favorite landscape for autumn and winter walks. Do you like hills, mountains, flatlands, canals, rivers, coastlines, cities, cemeteries, your local park, moorland...? Just a few words to tell us where you’d most like to be walking in the next few months to help you age well. 

The competition closes at midnight BST on 18 October and a winner will be selected at random.

And in case you’re wondering why Annabel’s interested in your favourite landscape, it’s because she’s writing a new book about the places we choose to walk in and how they affect us. So she’d love to get a rough idea of the best-loved locations… all in confidence, of course.

Good luck!

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #giveaway #womenwhohike #womenwhowalk
Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock access to a sauna. But Susan found one in a hotel she was staying at recently, there’s one in our local gym and Annabel found plenty on her summer holiday in Finland. 

A growing number of studies attest to the longevity-enhancing benefits of routine forays into a sauna. Much of the research has been instigated in Finland where sauna (pronounced to rhyme with downer) has existed forever.

So how does sauna help us age well? The extreme heat activates heat shock proteins which researchers think can maintain the healthy functioning of our cells.  As we get older, the proteins in some of our cells start to misfold and collapse. They then clump together forming plaques, including the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Heat shock proteins – triggered by a sauna stint and possibly by hot baths – appear to prevent the misfolding and collapsing of cellular proteins, as well as clearing out those that have already misfolded. Which is to say they keep our cells in good shape. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth #betterbrainhealth #brainfog  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell
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