>>> THIS MORNING ON TODAY WELLNESS, REDUCING YOUR CHANCES
OF DEVELOPING ALZHEIMERS
DISEASE.
DISEASE.
>> SOMETHING GOING ON BACK HERE.
MORE THAN 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE
SUFFER FROM DEMENTIA IN THIS COUNTRY.ROM DEMENTIA IN THIS
COUNTRY.
WHILE THERE IS NO CURE YET, THERE IS HOPE. NO CURE YET,
THERE IS HOPE. MARIA SHRIVER IS HERE WITH
IMPORTANT TIPS FOR US.
>> MOVEMENT.
>> MOVEMENT.
GOOD MORNING.
ALSO, JUNE IS BRAIN AWARENESS
MONTH. MOST PEOPLE THINK OF ALZHEIMERS
AS AN OLD PERSONS DISEASE.
DOCTORS SAY IT CAN START
FORMULATING IN YOUR BRAIN AS
EARLY AS YOUR 30s.
NOW, WE HAVE A LIST OF LIFESTYLE
CHANGES THAT YOU CAN MAKE TODAY THAT EXPERTS SAY COULD CUT YOUR
RISK FOR THIS DISEASE.
>> Reporter: EVERY 65 SECONDS IN
THIS COUNTRY, SOMEONE IS
DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMERS.
A DISEASE THAT ROBS YOU OF YOUR
MEMORY AND IDENTITY AND KILLS
MORE PEOPLE THAN PROSTATE AND
BREAST CANCERS COMBINED.
WHILE THERE IS NO CURE, EXPERTS
SAY THERE ARE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
RIGHT NOW THAT MAY REDUCE YOUR
RISK.
>> ONE OUT OF THREE CASES OF
ALZHEIMERS MAY BE PREVENTABLE IF THAT PERSON DOES EVERYTHING
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
>> Reporter: NEUROLOGIST RICHARD ISAACSON RUNS THE COUNTRYSICHARD
ISAACSON RUNS THE COUNTRYS FIRST ALZHEIMERS PREVENTION
CLINIC, TREATING YOUNGER PEOPLE
AT RISK FOR THE DISEASE DECADES
BEFORE SYMPTOMS OCCUR.
IN THE PAST, PEOPLE WERE FOCUSED ON ALZHEIMERS AT THE END OFCUSED
ON ALZHEIMERS AT THE END OF LIFE.
LIFE.
YOURE SAYING, MILLENIALS, FOCUS ON ALZHEIMERS.MILLENIALS, FOCUS
ON ALZHEIMERS. >> YUP.
>> YUP. >> Reporter: NOW.
>> WE HAVE AN AMAZING WINDOW TO
INTERVENE.
20 TO 30 YEARS IS AMBLE TIME TO MAKE BRAIN-HEALTHY CHOICES, TOO
MAKE BRAIN-HEALTHY CHOICES, TO DO SOMETHING PROACTIVELY TO
PROTECT THE BRAIN.
>> Reporter: PROTECTIVE STEP
NUMBER ONE, DO REGULAR,
INTENSIVE EXERCISE.
INTENSIVE EXERCISE. >> EXERCISE CAN PROTECT AGAINST
ALZHEIMERS BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY
INCREASES BLOOD FLOW TO THE
BRAIN, BUT IT LOOSENS UP THE
PLAQUE THAT IS STUCK IN THE
BRAIN OF SOMEONE WITH
ALZHEIMERS
ALZHEIMERS ALZHEIMERS.
ALZHEIMERS. >> Reporter: THE BEST EXERCISE
IS AT LEAST THREE HOURS OF
RIGOROUS ACTIVITY A WEEK.
IDEALLY, 2/3 CARDIO, 1/3
STRENGTH TRAINING, DEPENDING ON
YOUR BODY TYPE.
>> EXERCISE ABSOLUTELY IS THE
NUMBER ONE THING A PERSON CAN DO
ON A REGULAR BASIS TO REDUCE
THEIR RISK FOR ALZHEIMERS
DISEASE.
DISEASE.
>> Reporter: STEP NUMBER TWO, GET AT LEAST 7 1/2 HOURS OFO,
GET AT LEAST 7 1/2 HOURS OF QUALITY SLEEP A NIGHT.
THATS WHEN THE BRAIN CAN CLEAN
OUT THOSE DAMAGING PLAQUES.
>> JUST LIKE WORK, LIKE LIFE,
YOU HAVE TO APPROACH SLEEP WITH
A PLAN.
A PLAN.
TURN OFF THE ELECTRONICS. NO BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM THE
SCREENS.
SCREENS.
NO TEXTING. NO E-MAILS.
NO E-MAILS. HAVE A QUIET, DARK ROOM.
CLEAR YOUR MIND.
>> Reporter: STEP THREE, EAT
RIGHT AND EAT LESS.
EXPERTS SAY THE BEST BRAIN DIET
IS HIGH IN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
RESTORATIVE FOODS, LIKE LEAFY
GREENS, WHOLE FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES, AND GOOD FATS LIKE
OLIVE OIL AND SALMONS.
>> WHEN PEOPLE ARE EATING
PROCESSED FOODS AND SUGAR, ITLL
BE PRESSING THE FAST FORWARD
BUTTON ON THE PLAQUE DEVELOPMENT
IN THE BRAIN.
>> Reporter: LESS FOOD IS MORE. CONSUME UNDER 2,100 CALORIES A.
CONSUME UNDER 2,100 CALORIES A DAY.
DAY.
AFTER DINNER, TRY WAITING AT LEAST 14 HOURS BEFORE YOU EAT
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
THAT LEADS TO STEP NUMBER FOUR.
GET YOUR BLOOD LEVELS CHECKED
EVERY YEAR.
>> HAVING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE,
HIGH CHOLESTEROL, AND DIABETES
IS A WAY TOWARD ALZHEIMERS
DISEASE.
WE DONT WANT TO DO THAT.
WE WANT TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES. KNOW YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE.AKES.
KNOW YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE. KNOW YOUR FASTING BLOOD SUGAR.
KNOW WHAT YOUR CHOLESTEROL IS.
>> Reporter: ACUPUNCTURE, DAILY
MEDITATION, EVEN SOCIALIZING AND
LAUGHTER CAN BOOST YOUR BRAIN.
MAKE SURE WORK DOESNT RUN YOU
RAGGED.
RAGGED. >> EVERY 4 1/2 YEARS OF WORK
STRESS ADDS AN EXTRA YEAR OF
BRAIN AGING.
BRAIN AGING. WORK IS STRESSFUL.
MAYBE I NEED TO DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENTLY.
DIFFERENTLY. OTHERWISE, ILL HAVE BAD
OUTCOMES ON THE BRAIN.
>> MARIA, WELL PUT OUR MONEY
WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
YOU HAVE AN EFFORT CALLED MOVE
FOR MINDS.
FOR MINDS.
>> WE STARTED MOVE FOR MINDS WITH EQUINOX SPORTS CLUBS.DS
WITH EQUINOX SPORTS CLUBS. ITLL GO THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF
JUNE.
JUNE. THIS IS EXERCISING NOT JUST YOUR
BODY BUT AMSLSO YOUR BRAIN.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT
THEYRE DOING.
THEYRE DOING.
>> WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE? THIS IS MORE MY SPEED.ERE?
THIS IS MORE MY SPEED. >> THE KEY, THIS IS SOCIAL AND
EXERCISING YOUR BRAIN.
CHESS, CARD GAMES.
VERY IMPORTANT.
VERY IMPORTANT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOCIALIZATION
ISOLATION INCREASES CHANCES OF
GETTING ALZHEIMERS.
GETTING ALZHEIMERS. THIS PUTS YOU IN COMMUNITY AND
MAKES YOU REMEMBER THINGS.
WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO THINK OF OUR
BRAIN MUCH LIKE OUR TRICEPS. THEYRE THINGS WE CAN DO.EPS.
THEYRE THINGS WE CAN DO. >> WORK IT OUT.
>> YOU HAVE TO CHALLENGE IT,
WHETHER YOURE USING COMPUTER
GAMES THAT ALSO EXERCISE IT.
WE HAVE A GAME FOR THAT.
WHETHER YOURE DOING THIS
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE.
>> MY DAD DID A CROSSWORD PUZZLE EVERY DAY.DID A CROSSWORD PUZZLE
EVERY DAY.
>> THE OTHER THING THAT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT IS SOME PEOPLE
THINK, THIS IS HARD.
I WANT TO GIVE UP.
WHEN YOURE CHALLENGING YOUR
BRAIN, WHEN IT IS HARD, THATS WHEN YOUR BRAIN IS GEPTTTING IN
SHAPE.
SHAPE.
>> THIS EFFORT IS GOING GLOBAL. >> THROUGHOUT THE MONTH, YOU CAN
JOIN US AT FOUR LOCATIONS.
YOU CAN RAISE MONEY FOR BRAIN
RESEARCH.
RESEARCH.
PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN.
WOMEN ARE 2/3 OF THE CASES. WERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY
THAT IS.
THAT IS.
WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE MOVING.
>> EXCELLENT WORK.
MARIA SHRIVER, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
HEAD TO TODAY.COM/WELLNESS.
>>> WERE BACK IN A MOMENT.
THANK YOU, FOLKS.
THANK YOU, CHESS AND CARD
PLAYERS.
WERE BACK IN A MOMENT.
THIS IS "TODAY" ON NBC.
>> THEYRE GOING MORE.
GET THE KNEES UP.