Could taking care of your grandchildren help you ward off dementia? A recent study from the Women’s Healthy Aging Project study in Australia, published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) says it may be true.
The 186 Australian women, ages 57 to 68, took three different tests of mental sharpness. Among the 120 grandmothers, those who spent one day a week taking care of grandchildren performed best on two of the three tests.
“We know that older women who are socially engaged have better cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia later…” said NAMS Executive Director Margery Gass, MD. (www.alzheimersweekly.com)
These findings aren’t surprising to me or our team here at Crossroads Chiropractic. Being a caretaker brings purpose to our lives. It gives us a reason to get up in the morning. Perhaps it even gives us incentive to take better care of our own health.
If you’re already a grandparent, or if you’re planning on being one someday, now is the time to make changes in your lifestyle that will allow you more vitality and longevity in those “golden years.” Many of you are already getting chiropractic adjustments regularly for overall wellness, better mobility and improved communication between your brain and body. Congratulations! If you’re using chiropractic care as your fountain of youth, you’re ahead of the curve!
Many of you, however, may not be aware that the food you consume daily could be hazardous to your long term outlook. Scientists are now admitting that well-established nutrition information from the past several decades could be wrong. Fats were deemed once evil, now they’re good; sugar, corn syrup and wheat have become the enemies.
Here is some unsolicited advice. Eat like a hunter-gatherer, check out the books The Paleo Solution or The Paleo Diet. Buy organic to avoid cancer causing pesticides and chemical residues. Supplement daily – poor soil quality and lack of nutrients in commercially farmed foods make it necessary. Avoid GMO’s. Genetically Modified Organisms should be banned, as they are in Europe, but here in the U.S. our state governments won’t pass laws merely to have them labeled. Really, there is so much to know. Not sure what choices to make? Join us for our most comprehensive nutrition workshop, Eat Innately, this August!
Here at Crossroads we’re committed to helping you become your most radiant, healthy self, no matter what stage of life. From babies to grandparents, chiropractic care and a healthy lifestyle is a winning combination. Please use us as a resource, attend workshops, ask questions and get involved in your care. We want you to be around to enjoy not just your grandkids, but your great-grandkids too!