We’ve been shifting focus for the last few years as we mosey towards senior citizenship. We still don’t see ourselves as old, but it’s inevitable and in another 40 years or so, we’ll probably need a cane or a walker for our morning stroll. No matter how fast we move our feet on our walk, we’re not going to outrun old age.
“I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on without end.” ~ Simone de Beauvoir
So we embrace it, at least the concept of it. You know; the wisdom, respect and grace that’s supposed to come with growing old. But we also endeavor to stay youthful and fit, so walking has become an important part of our lives. We spend time in the gym too, attempting to stave off the decay of old age but the gym requires a workmanlike attitude. The results are incredibly satisfying but it’s hard, whereas walking creates a flow state. Connecting us with nature and bringing us closer to God, all while providing exceptional cardiovascular conditioning.
Cardio and So Much More
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the Great Wide World. So keeping our cardiovascular system in order is a top priority. Cancer follows cardiovascular disease and not far down the list, in seventh place is a disease that’s not well understood – Dementia. 1 in 3 Seniors die with Alzheimer’s or some other form of Dementia. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects older adults. The disease progresses slowly, and symptoms can include memory loss, confusion, and difficulty with everyday activities but it doesn’t stop there. Alzheimer’s kills people and statistically it’s killing twice as many people today as it did 20 years ago.
We have personal experience with Dementia in both our family lines as do most folks I suspect, since 1 in 3 Seniors deal with it before they head off to the promised land. Dementia not only effects the folks experiencing it. There’s a huge impact to the caregivers and families of those dealing with this mysterious disease. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, patients may experience mild memory loss and confusion. As the disease progresses, they have difficulty speaking, understanding and reading. Eventually, they become disoriented and lose the ability to care for themselves.
What causes Alzheimer’s?
There’s plenty of conjecture about what causes Alzheimer’s disease. Heavy metals, ultra-processed foods or as allopathic medicine suggests, some sort of genetic predisposition that can be solved with a pill or something. My theory though is that it’s connected to environmental factors associated with cultural changes, manifested by the Industrial Revolution. And since there’s no historical evidence suggesting there was a significant problem with Alzheimer’s before the invention of hydrogenated seed oils, fast food and other ultra-processed garbage they call food. I’m going to theorize they might be a big part of problem.
“By far the most significant consequence of “selfish capitalism” has been a startling increase in the incidence of mental illness in both children and adults since the 1970s.” ~ Oliver James
And it’s not just my theory, a study that was recently published is concluding the same thing. The study ran for over a decade and included over 15,000 Brazilians from 6 different cities and the conclusion was: A higher percentage of daily energy consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with cognitive decline among adults from an ethnically diverse sample. These findings support current public health recommendations on limiting ultraprocessed food consumption because of their potential harm to cognitive function. Here’s a link: Abstract
Preventive Medicine
There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but multiple studies suggests that there’s a preventive measure you can embrace that will provide significant protection against this mysterious disease – Walking. It’s an amazing medicine for everything else that ails you and now a major scientific study has powerful proof that if you want to stave off the crippling effects of Dementia – all you need to do is go for a walk!
Just 30 minutes of walking – five days a week can cut your risk of developing dementia by up to 40 per cent, one study suggests. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, are based on an analysis of 14 previous studies that looked at the link between physical activity and the brain health of more than 200,000 people aged over 60. While the research found that any form of exercise was beneficial, walking had the most significant impact. In fact, walking at a moderate pace for just six kilometres a week was found to be as effective as jogging or going to the gym.
“But the beauty is in the walking – we are betrayed by destinations.” ~ Gwyn Thomas
Back in the day, before Dementia, Cell Phones, TeeVee’s, Fast Food and Hydrogenated Seed Oils, people moved around – a lot. They played outside; climbed the apple tree, rode bikes, played kick the can and they walked. There are thousands of studies and white papers with tons of evidence showing the numerous benefits walking can make to your health. While the underlying mechanisms are unknown, they could include improving vascular function and reducing inflammation and brain cell damage.
Magic Pill
If you’re looking for the magic pill for ultimate health both physically and cognitively, walking may just be it. A recent cohort study of nearly 80 thousand folks in the U.K. which took place over nearly a decade, shows conclusively that a higher number of steps per day was associated with lower risk of all-cause dementia. The findings suggest that a dose of just under 10,000 steps per day may be optimally associated with a lower risk of dementia. Steps performed at higher intensity resulted in stronger associations. Here’s is a brief report of the study if you’re interested: Brief Report
It seems so simple to me after perusing a number of these studies. Drop the deep-fried, ultra-processed, shit-food. Get your daily dose of ten thousand steps. And your cognition will clear; like the morning fog being vaporized under a fierce rising sun.