“You have belly fat? That’s brain damage” –

I always believed that Alzheimer's was just a fact of life.

That Alzheimer’s happens to everyone, at different ages, but that it was inevitable.

Either you die of something or you end up losing your memory gradually.

But no.

A few years ago, I discovered that Alzheimer's can be prevented in approximately 98% of cases. When I was researching degenerative and autoimmune diseases that I might have (but that's another story).

I'm not a doctor, and I haven't researched this enough... (I should!)

But here are the highlights I found:

1. Alzheimer’s begins in your 20s. Our bodies begin to gradually decline around the age of 20-25, and the brain can adapt for a very long time before it is visible. It adapts.

2. Nowadays, approximately 2% of cases are people who have a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s. So there is a good chance that you will never contract Alzheimer’s (by taking preventive actions).

3. Basically, Alzheimer's is the brain that lacks resources and has too much waste. So we can avoid it by making sure to give it enough resources and eliminate waste (makes sense, right?)

4. There are several ways to prevent, but there are 3 in particular, which are actually the tripod, the trinity of health in general, so it also helps a lot with your well-being in general, not just for the Alzheimer’s:

   1. Exercise: Moving every day (and doing intense/strength exercises too!) helps with many things, including increased blood flow to your brain.

   2. Eat Well: Hence the quote at the beginning: “Do you have a big belly? Your brain is affected.” Sugar is one of the worst things in our diet (especially added sugar). It is believed that people affected by Alzheimer's are increasingly inclined to eat more sugar, because it is a “cry for help” from their brain, which needs more energy, and it falls in a vicious circle.

   3. Sleep Well: Sleeping helps clear waste from the brain (among other things).

It can be scary to think that it starts in your twenties, but it also means that we can help early! And taking preventive actions against Alzheimer’s also helps with quality of life in general.