Did you know that every three seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia? The average burden on families dealing with late-stage dementia of a loved one is $300,000. The statistics are staggering. This neurodegeneration that is occurring amongst our loved ones is not only a strain financially, but mentally and emotionally, especially for spouses. I can account for my own family’s feelings of despair due to my momma having Alzheimer’s.
Do your own research
When it comes to treating the disease, are we burying our heads in the sand while doctors prescribe every pill they believe our loved ones need? Are we tacking on new meds without questioning what is really needed? Is this new pill being given just to counteract a side effect of another medication? If these questions seem more familiar than you would like, please know you are not alone.
We all want the best for our family members, and we want to trust the professionals we are paying to care for them. But taking medications can be a slippery slope and is without a doubt a vicious cycle in terms of one pill leading to the prescription of another. This is part of America’s prescription drug epidemic. There are well over 100,000 Americans that die every year from FDA-approved prescription drugs. That’s twice as many who die in auto-related per year. It’s time for someone to step in.
The truth (and honestly the problem) is that these approved drugs are actually prescribed properly by licensed doctors. It creates a perception that they are safe to use and the best choice for our loved one’s current situation. It’s just not always the truth.
Times are changing
The bright spot in all of this is the medical world is catching on to the fact that brain disorders such as dementia, ADD, ADHD, autism, brain fog, anxiety, insomnia and early-onset Alzheimer’s can be reversed simply by changing our eating habits. Heavy research shows that there is a direct link between the brain and the gut. Healthy guts lead to healthy brains.
In an article from the Texas Medical Association, there was a statement made by Dr. D’Agostino, and he said “When I was in medical school, we had one two-hour course on nutrition, and essentially all it was about was what vitamins do for you, how bad salt is, and the proper ratio of protein to carbs. The food pyramid we had then doesn’t exist anymore. Now 20 years later, we have grown in our understanding of dietary and neutron science, and medical schools have identified that nutrition is critically important in medical education. It’s a thread that moves through a lot of diseases, so we are now integrating the information into the curriculum.”
All I can say is “It’s about time!” Are there doctors out there who truly care about your well-being, and who don’t prescribe the next pill to add to their bonuses at the end of the year from Big Pharma? Absolutely! Encourage family and friends to seek advice from a doctor who understands the benefits of nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes to create a healthy gut to optimize the brain. You want your relationship with your doctor to be a partnership. All decisions should be made together, always with the best interest of the patient in mind.
Easier isn’t always better
I hear it all the time that it’s easier to take a pill, but that doesn’t mean that it’s BEST for our bodies. We all want to have sharp minds and quality of life well into old age, so we can fully live out God’s will. I believe that regularly putting nutritious, clean food into our bodies is the best way to get us there. I am not a medical professional, but from my first hand experience loving someone with Alzheimer’s I am passionate about finding the latest research on brain health and sharing my findings with you. Let’s educate ourselves and those around us on this important topic. I believe we can start to make a difference one person at a time!
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