Ward Off Alzheimers With Sunshine

I lost my Dad to Alzheimers in March of this year. Genetics would dictate that I will most likely suffer this disease as well.

I’ve always leaned toward a more natural approach to healing; and am not a pharmaceutical fan.. I truly believe that if we made an effort to preserve and protect the “garden of eden” and nourished our bodies as God intended.. (including lots of sunshine), we would not have diseases such as Alzheimers or Cancer to deal with.

Try as I might, I could not get my Dad (or my Mom) to pursue a hobby, regular exercise or a healthy diet, much less organics or sunshine.  Instead.. his last few years were sendentary and he wasted away before our very eyes.

My uncle on the other hand.. (Dad’s brother), who also suffers from Alzheimers is living in a assisted living facility.  He stays busy.. with social gatherings and daily activities provided at the center.  He enjoys regular outings with the family and he even has his beloved pet with him.

Granted.. he was diagnosed later than Dad was; but Alzheimers seems to be progressing much slower with him,  than it did with my dad.  The main difference has been his quality of life and activity level.  So.. I do not find this report hard to believe. It only convinces me further that we could have had Dad with us much longer if we could have just kept  him busier.. and gotten him out in the sun more.
He loved golf!  But when he started experiencing the confusion and it effected his game; he quit playing.  He blamed a sun allergy and a bad knee; but we all knew it was because he felt embarrassed and afraid that he would be lost or confused on the green.  He was very considerate of other players..

My son took this photo while golfing with Dad, when home on leave from Germany.. 2008.

I wish there was some way I could have forced Daddy to play or to take regular walks, something.. anything!  It’s all spilt milk now.  At least I know he is playing  his best game ever in heaven.

From:  NHD “Health Watch”

Cut Alzheimer’s Risk by 394 Percent

Anybody who has experienced Alzheimer’s will know the helplessness that comes with this devastating disease. Anybody who has seen it in a friend or family member will know the pain that comes from seeing your loved one deteriorate.

A powerful leader accustomed to driving multiple operations will gradually lose command. A dedicated grandmother may forget the names of the grandchildren she loves.

When I read one woman’s story about how she came to accept that she had Alzheimer’s, my heart broke a little. She says:

“I think there comes a point in everyone’s life when we pause to reflect on the past, realize the present and look to the future. That happened for me at the age of 46. I’d been married for over 20 years. Our son was in his freshman year of college. I was happy in my job and my husband was looking forward to retirement.

“In the fall of that year I started to become forgetful – which was not like me at all. I had an almost photographic memory. I had a stressful job and worked long hours, so I blamed that for my forgetfulness. I couldn’t remember things like my home phone number, my associates’ names, or on bad days, how to get home.

“I remember that many times I would stop at a gas station. After filling my tank [I wouldn’t] know whether I was going to work or coming home. I tried desperately to hide it and became pretty good at it! But one day in December, my husband and I were out shopping. He went to a different department in the store. The next thing I knew was that I couldn’t remember where I was or how I got there. It was time to fess up…”
Kris, from Georgia

Alzheimer’s can be a debilitating disease that can dramatically transform your life. It’s an insidious disease that can rock your confidence and rob you of your yesterdays. As one sufferer says, “I feel that I am robbed of any future because while I will live in it, I will be unlikely to remember it.”

It’s a brutal reality to have to accept. But scientists are offering hope in fighting the disease.  Over 4,000 scientists attended the recent International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease. And amidst a flurry of presentations, they reported that simple vitamin D may be your best defense against Alzheimer’s. “Sunshine” Vitamin Boosts Brain Function

Sounds too good to be true? Not according to a new study revealed at the conference. The study says that vitamin D deficiency raises your risk of mental decline by up to 394 percent.

The study is just the latest to show that the “sunshine vitamin” is essential to good brain health. It was conducted by the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, England. It reviewed participants as they completed a series of tests and exams.

Tests included memory, time and space orientation, and attention-focusing exercises. Vitamin D levels were measured from blood samples and compared with test performances.

“There are some fantastic findings this year,” said Professor William Thies, the chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. He said these findings “are some of the first reports of this type in Alzheimer’s” and “have the “potential to move the field forward.”

Study results showed that the risk of cognitive impairment was 42 percent higher in people deficient in vitamin D. Impairment was 394 percent higher in those who were severely deficient in it.

“The odds of cognitive impairment increase as vitamin D levels go down,” says study author David Llewellyn. “Given that both vitamin D deficiency and dementia are common throughout the world, this is a major public health concern.”

The Peninsula Medical School also worked on an earlier related study. It too offered evidence supporting this simple truth: seniors who get their daily dose of “sunshine” maintain stronger cognitive functioning.

Critical research, based on tests conducted on almost 2,000 U.K. senior citizens, showed a clear correlation between the presence of the “sunshine vitamin” and healthy mental function.

Sunshine is an important source of vitamin D. UVB rays initiate the production of the vitamin in human skin. Vitamin D also helps maintain strong bones (through the absorption of calcium and phosphorus) and a healthy immune system.

According to study author Dr. Iain Lang, the results indicate that individuals with the lowest levels of Vitamin D were 50 percent more likely to suffer impaired mental faculties. In other words, as vitamin D levels in seniors decreases, mental impairment increases.

“Getting enough vitamin D can be a real problem,” said Dr. Lang. “Particularly for older people, who absorb less vitamin D from sunlight. One way to address this might be to provide older adults with vitamin D supplements.”

Older people lose their capacity to absorb Vitamin D from sunlight as the body ages. That means they must seek other sources of the “sunshine vitamin.”

Sources of “Sunshine”

According to Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, Vitamin D can also be found in foods such as oily fish and eggs. She adds that these foods are key sources of vitamin B12, which studies have shown to also help in protecting the brain.

Maggie Ward – nutrition director at The UltraWellness Center in Lennox, MA – says the best animal source is liver, especially from cod, herring, and sardines.

“That’s why those living in dark climates have these fish as a staple in the diet,” she says. “Nature always knows best.”

But she believes the best source of vitamin D is simple, old-fashioned sunlight.

“This is one of the many reasons I love summer,” she says. “I get my vitamin D from the sun and have one less supplement to take.”

Supplement Your Sunshine

The Vitamin D Council offers several good tips to ensure you get just the right amount of “sunshine.”  Check out these four ideas:

1. Have your doctor check your vitamin D levels.  This will give you a good idea of how much vitamin D you need to supplement.
2. Make sure you’re getting vitamin D3 in your diet. Smart options are capsules or drops. To improve absorption, take it with food containing fat. Fat makes it more soluble.
3. Have your levels rechecked every three months.  Vitamin D is a hormone, so it fluctuates for everyone. Seasonal changes also affect it.
4. People with dark skin need at least 5 to 10 times more sunlight than light-skinned people.

“Vitamin D supplements have proven to be a safe, inexpensive, and effective way to treat deficiency,” says Llewellyn. “However, few foods contain vitamin D and levels of supplementation in the U.S. are currently inadequate.”  To find out how the “sunshine vitamin” offers a whole host of health benefits, check out Your Best Health Under the Sun.

To your health,

Ian Robinson,
Managing Editor
NHD “Health Watch”

_________________________________

As for me,  I intend to take Ian’s advice and ward off Alzheimers with Sunshine. I got my walk in; and I’m headed off to the  sunny side of the pool, with a good book and my eyes shaded under the brim of Daddy’s favorite golf hat. 

 March was a happy month for me.. getting to go to California and be with my new grandson… But my trip was interrupted with devastating news that EMS crews were at the home of my father; and he wasn’t breathing.  

In Loving Memory of My Dad..   1936 – March 26th, 2010

Those who knew dad during our teen years and even 20 – 15 years ago.. know that he was the “lion of his den”.  He ruled his kingdom with a loving, caring but firm hand.  In these last several years.. stricken with Alzheimers, he became more of a sweet and vulnerable kitten.    …  I loved them both.

He was a man who whistled while he worked; and sang when he showered and shaved. When I was a kid..  “You Are My Sunshine” would resonate from the bathroom mixed with the smell of his shaving cream and after shave cologne. You didn’t come or go; or even pass in the hallway without a quick kiss, a pat or a hug.  He didn’t reserve that affection for just us.. Throughout his life, he pretty much hugged and kissed anyone who would let him.  (As most of the women who attend their church will testify.)

He was a simple man.. and did things because it was the right thing to do. He always found a way to share his life’s wisdom with us growing up.  As a teen..  I probably referred to them as lectures. As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate those little talks as “golden nuggets”.

One of those golden nuggets was that when you get older.. if you can hold up more than 1 or 2 fingers to count your truly good friends… then you are a blessed person.

After 30 years with American Airlines; Dad enjoyed a few good years of retirement driving a school bus and golfing as much as he could, until the alzheimers got in the way.

I believe that if he could leave us with another golden nugget.. It would be to make absolutely sure that those you love_ know it, follow the instructions Jesus gave us and love your fellow man, help those you can; and do everything in your power to turn your “someday” into today.  

Daddy…  You are my still my sunshine..

Subscribers at RUMBLES from the Jungle are getting ready for the December 1 FTC crackdown. You can follow along..

The latest issue is up.. with links to any steps you have missed. HERE

Allow me to interrupt your weekend for this important message.

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Crazy!  Be there or be square!

Rhonda

Hangman THRILL the World.. Fort Worth, 2009

Ever been the right person at the right time?

I was involved in a fairly major fender bender just the other night.  Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.  From the looks of the damage.. you would have expected much more than the resulting soreness and stiffness.

Having approached a stop light, I was crashed into from behind.  The other driver was young, distracted.. and driving too fast to stop. 

“Typical”!  “Well, there you go..”  have been the responses to the story from others.  Is that the expectation level we want to set for our teens?

My youngest is approaching 16… fast.  She is a good girl, doing well in school and wants her freedom so bad she can taste it.  But, I’ve been reluctant to even let her take drivers ed;  much less get licensed and start driving a car.  She simply has not shown the maturity or ability to handle responsibility enough, to for me  to put her behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.  

Bear with me while I throw in my 2 cents here… I think it is wrong for schools to throw 9th graders in with 10th-12th graders; and I don’t think a license to drive should be dicated by age.

But back to my initial point..  Being in the right place at the right time.  The lady who stopped to render aid, was behind me when this little gal slammed into my car.  She saw the whole thing..  Had she not been there, I could not have even identified the car that hit me; except for all the passers by, who were pointing her out.  She dissappeared as quickly as she hit me; and continued to move away from the accident scene, until her car died down the road.

Seeing that girl reminded the lady who witnessed the accident,  of her own reckless behavior when she was 16.  Her parents had actually taken her car away from her, she said.  She had the opportunity to speak with the mother of that teen and there is no doubt in my mind; that God placed her there for that very reason. 

I didn’t hear the conversation, but I know the girl’s mother was frustrated, just from remarks made at the scene.  This witness had a heart for the girl; and words of truth and encouragement for her mom.  A divine appointment, indeed.

I love when I get to witness God’s divine plan in action.  I love the way he brings people into our lives at just the right moment, to deliver his message to us.  A message that administers hope and illuminates truth.

I hope someone is in the right place at the right time, with just the words you need to hear today.   And I hope God uses you and me in that same way,  today… everyday. 

What could be better?

It’s a sad thing to experience the progression of Alzheimers as it steals away your loved one. In my case: my Dad… now in stage 3.

This interactive tour does the best job I’ve seen, of explaining what is happening to his brain, and why even the simplest task becomes a challenge for him.  Take a few minutes to go through the tour.  It is interactive, and the slides light up as you mouse over the related text…  Very informative. 

Tour the Brain.. See How It is Affected by Alzheimers

 Especially if you are a caregiver.. or have a family member who has beginning dementia or Alzheimers.. Take the time to watch. It will help you understand, and know more about what to expect as the disease progresses.

 Meanwhile.. This is our last week to take donations for the MEMORY WALK O9, in Fort Worth…  Please visit http://love-remembers.com  to join our team, or make a donation for Alzheimers Research/ Family Assistance.

Statistics are coming in worse than originally thought..  Especially with such a large boomer population, they are predicting 1 out of 4 will suffer from Alzheimers, or care for someone who does.

Learn about it… Pray against it.

Sincerely,

Rhonda

Your Guide Thru the Jungle of Online Advertising

The governing body swoops in and in it’s zealous effort to protect, tends to over correct with new code enforcement and stringent limitations.  In this case the FTC.

Have you ever played with one of those desk top toys with the weighted balls? I think they are called gravity balls… When you set the balls in motion, they swing to and fro from one side to the other… making a terrible racket clashing with each other.  Then it takes a long while before the balls click clack and gradually ease back into a peaceful rested position, hanging quietly in the middle.

The pendulum of change I’m referring to, doesn’t respond to gravity, and rarely rests. There will always be someone pushing the limits of the system, and someone will always come charging in on the winds of change to save us all.

The FTC has been breathing heavily on Google; and Google seems to be responding by “slapping” folks, especially affiliate programs who have up to now enjoyed first and top page ranking.  But it is really just that pendulum swinging, perhaps overshooting it’s objective.  It is just an effort to correct weaknesses in the system that allow abuse..

I’m not sure I would call it abuse… but a few have discovered ways to manipulate or trick Google into giving them an unfair advantage.. the same advantage that we all seek. I don’t know about you; but I am guilty of buying
almost every course and video training series that hits the market; in an effort to duplicate the success of others.  I know I have personally dropped several hundred on such..  Typical, before I’ve even had time to learn and implement all the techniques.. the pendulum swings; rendering most of these materials considerably less valuable.  

You have to wonder if the “gurus” don’t sell their tell-all videos and pdfs, knowing full well they are destined to become obsolete in few short weeks.   I would convinced of that; if so many weren’t recently caught off guard by the latest changes at Google.

The “changes” we see happening at Google will domino, and begin to affect all or most areas of internet marketing… creating some havoc, and much frustration. 

As has happened in the mortgage industry; the players will thin out.  Those who are left will be the ones who are willing to shift with the change, and play by the rules. It may actually create a more level playing field for the small business, or part timer who doesn’t have all the tricks, or time to figure them out.

Gradually, weaknesses in the new systems will be exploited and new tactics will be discovered, practiced and sold. The pendulum will begin to relax.. A few will get rich and then … it’ll all happen again.

So as the pendulum swings; you and I will simply need to do as I heard someone say recently: “Put on our big boy pants and learn big boy marketing.”  I really can’t see how that can be a bad thing for anyone. Not as easy perhaps.. but not a bad thing.

You know what they say, “If you are going to do it, you may as well do it right.”   And be prepared for when the pendulum swings.

  Report: 35 million-plus worldwide have dementia
By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer – Mon Sep 21, 3:27 AM PDT
WASHINGTON – More than 35 million people around the world are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, says the most in-depth attempt yet to assess the brain-destroying illness — and it’s an ominous forecast as the population grays.

 
Populations in many developed countries are ageing. In Australia, a report prepared for the Alzheimer’s Australia lobby group by consulting firm Access Economics has warned that dementia rates in Australia will increase four-fold as the population ages, affecting than one million people by 2050.(AFP/File/Barbara Sax)

 The new count is about 10 percent higher than what scientists had predicted just a few years ago, because earlier research underestimated Alzheimer’s growing impact in developing countries.

Barring a medical breakthrough, the World Alzheimer Report projects dementia will nearly double every 20 years. By 2050, it will affect a staggering 115.4 million people, the report concludes.

“We are facing an emergency,” said Dr. Daisy Acosta, who heads Alzheimer’s Disease International, which released the report Monday.

The U.S. and other developed countries long have been bracing for Alzheimer’s to skyrocket. But the report aims to raise awareness of the threat in poorer countries, where finally people are living long enough to face what is mostly a disease of the 65-and-older population.

While age is the biggest driver of Alzheimer’s, some of the same factors that trigger heart disease — obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes — seem to increase the risk of dementia, too. Those are problems also on the rise in many developing countries.

In poorer countries, “dementia is a hidden issue,” Acosta said, and that’s complicating efforts to improve earlier diagnosis. “You’re not supposed to talk about it.”

For example, the report notes that in India, such terms such as “tired brain” or “weak brain” are used for Alzheimer’s symptoms amid widespread belief that dementia is a normal part of aging — when it’s not.

That mistake isn’t confined to the developing world. Even in Britain, the report found, just over half of the families caring for someone with dementia believed the same thing.

The new study updates global figures last reported in 2005, when British researchers estimated that more than 24 million people were living with dementia. Using that forecast, scientists had expected about 31 million people would be struggling with dementia by 2010.

But since 2005, a flurry of research on Alzheimer’s in developing countries has been published, leading Alzheimer’s Disease International — a nonprofit federation of more than 70 national groups — to ask those scientists to re-evaluate. After analyzing dozens of studies, the scientists projected 35.6 million cases of dementia worldwide by 2010.

That includes nearly 7 million people in Western Europe, nearly 7 million in South and Southeast Asia, about 5.5 million in China and East Asia and about 3 million in Latin America.

The report puts North America’s total at 4.4 million, although the Alzheimer’s Association of the U.S. uses a less conservative count to say more than 5 million people in this country alone are affected. The disease afflicts one in eight people 65 and older, and nearly one in two people over 85.

The report forecasts a more than doubling of dementia cases in parts of Asia and Latin America over the next 20 years, compared with a 40 percent to 60 percent jump in Europe and North America.

The report urges the World Health Organization to declare dementia a health priority and for national governments to follow suit. It recommends major new investments in research to uncover what causes dementia and how to slow, if not stop, the creeping brain disease that gradually robs sufferers of their memories and ability to care for themselves, eventually killing them.

There is no known cure; today’s drugs only temporarily alleviate symptoms. Scientists aren’t even sure what causes Alzheimer’s.

But major studies under way now should show within a few years if it’s possible to at least slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by targeting a gunky substance called beta-amyloid that builds up in patients’ brains, noted Dr. William Thies of the U.S. Alzheimer’s Association. His group is pushing for an increase in U.S. research spending, from just over $400 million to about $1 billion.

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On the Net: http://love-remembers.com