Take Care of Your Body Now; Your Brain Will Take Care of You Later

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~Henry de Bracton

I was talking with my dad yesterday over the phone, and he was commenting to me how he was so thankful that when he was younger he remained physically active.  He is now seventy years old, but he is in good physical and mental shape.

He told me a story of when he was re-roofing his home about a year and a half ago, and an elderly gentleman walked by with a cane as he worked.  The man told my dad that he wouldn’t find himself working on the roof like that.  My dad asked him how old he was, and the man said that he was sixty-five years old!  My dad was tickled that not only was he older than this other man, but that he was still able to ambulate to the point where he could get up on the roof to do a major project like that.  By the way, he didn’t tell the man how old he was.

My dad said that it was important to him to keep physically active at a young age, and he is reaping the rewards today.  He is in good shape — he has no health issues except for a slightly elevated blood pressure, so he only takes one medication for that.  He has a good memory, and he plays golf more days than not when the weather is favorable.

There is a link between remaining physically active and Type-II diabetes.  The more physically active you are, the more sensitive your body’s cells are to glucose.  The more sensitive your cells are to glucose, the better your cells will be at metabolizing the glucose within your body, which takes it out of the circulation and moderates the secretion of insulin.

Research is now showing how Type-II diabetes is connected to degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.  With decreased sensitivity to glucose, the hippocampus of the brain is less likely to get the nutrition it needs to make new brain cells, which will dramatically affect cognition and learning.  Research also is suggesting “Increased insulin concentrations also appear to boost levels of beta-amyloid—a protein involved in the formation of senile plaques that can lead to Alzheimer’s.”

The bottom line is this — take care of your body now, when you can.  Become physically active if you already aren’t.  Don’t consume simple sugars and junk food.  Be smart about your body and your diet.  Your brain depends on it.  If you take care of your body today, your brain will be around to take care of you later!

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