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Knowing and recognizing the signs of stress in yourself or someone you care about is the first step toward taking action.
Symptoms of chronic stress may include the following:
Emotional: depression, tension, anxiety, anger, worry, fear
Physical: headache, fatigue, insomnia, sweating
Mental: poor concentration, memory loss, indecisiveness, confusion
Behavioural: fidgeting, overeating, alcohol and drug abuse
If symptoms of stress persist, contact your doctor.
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Stress is your response to a stressor such as an environmental condition or a stimulus. It is your body's method of reacting to a challenge.
Here we have occupational therapist, Gina Shimoda, in a conversation with host, Liana Shannon. Gina will help you understand stress, how it affects your body and some strategies for dealing with it.
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For reflection...
After you've watched the video, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
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Completing a personal action plan can greatly enhance your motivation and keep you focused on what you can confidently achieve. It's important that you succeed!
Take some time to think about what you will do to continue to maintain or improve your brain health.
Download and print a copy of the activity sheet My Personal Action Plan below. Reflect on and answer the statements in both columns. Then circle the number between 0 and 10 that represents your confidence level.
You may have printed this activity sheet after completing another session. Feel free to use the one sheet to track all of your actions in one place as you move through this program.
If you rate your confidence below a 7, you might want to look at the barriers and consider reworking your action plan so that it's something you are confident that you can accomplish.
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your heart health - and your brain health.
A healthy eating plan means eating when you're hungry and stopping when you've had enough. It includes creating healthy meals from the Four Food groups as outlined in Canada's Food Guide:
Portion control is also important.
Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
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Session 6 of this Brain Health program focuses on Making Healthy Food Choices: It will help you to:
Also, to learn more about healthy food choices and healthy weight, go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's website. There they have a dedicated section on HEALTH INFORMATION. All the content is Canadian, current and has been developed and approved by Heart and Stroke Foundation medical and other experts.
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/get-healthy/healthy-weight
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There are 2 types of cholesterol - good and bad. It's so important to keep it at healthy levels because high blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. And we know "what's good for your heart is good for your brain."
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that you ask your healthcare provider to check your cholesterol if:
Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
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To learn more about how to get your cholesterol in check, go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's website. There they have a dedicated section on HEALTH INFORMATION. All the content is Canadian, current and has been developed and approved by Heart and Stroke Foundation medical and other experts.
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/
Are you at risk? Take the Heart & Stroke Risk AssessmentTM and get a personalized risk profile and a customized action plan for healthy living that includes tips, tools, recipes and much more to help you reduce your risk.
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that you get your blood pressure checked at least once every year by a healthcare provider.
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (or other related conditions), your doctor may recommend that you get it checked more often. Be sure to ask your doctor how often you should have your blood pressure checked.
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Use the Blood Pressure Tracking Record (Wallet Card) to track your blood pressure. It's a handy, wallet-sized card made available by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
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Go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's website. There they have a dedicated section on HEALTH INFORMATION. All the content is Canadian, current and has been developed and approved by Heart and Stroke Foundation medical and other experts.
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/
Are you at risk? Take the Heart & Stroke Risk AssessmentTM and get a personalized risk profile and a customized action plan for healthy living that includes tips, tools, recipes and much more to help you reduce your risk.
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
The risk of developing dementia appears to increase as a result of conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels, particularly when these occur at mid-life.
These conditions include:
Source: 5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer's Australia.
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Research indicates that having diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and not treating them effectively, can damage the blood vessels in the brain, affecting brain function and thinking skills. Obesity is associated with increased risk for dementia, and other conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and vascular disease.
Untreated high blood pressure, specifically in mid-life has been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Promisingly, treatment of mid-life high blood pressure has been found to reduce dementia risk. High blood pressure in old age is not seen to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease but is undesirable at any age.
Treatment of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity is necessary for good heart health and is likely also to protect brain health.
They are all conditions that are easily identified and treatable. It's important to have regular health checks and follow the advice of your health professional.
Source: 5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer's Australia.
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Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other diseases.
Studies have shown that current smokers have a greater chance of developing dementia than people who don't smoke.
There is no safe level of smoking. If you do smoke, seek medical advice on ways to help you quit.
Source: 5 Simple Steps to Maximize Your Brain Health, Alzheimer's Australia.
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Taking care of your general health and paying attention to your "health numbers" are practical actions you can take to improve your brain health.
By making healthy lifestyle choices, you may be able to reduce your risk and improve your brain's ability to sustain long-term health.
Will healthy lifestyle choices prevent Alzheimer's disease? There are no guarantees, but evidence suggests that healthy lifestyles help the brain maintain connections and even build new ones. That means that a healthy brain can withstand illness better. So take action today.
Sessions 5 to 8 of this program touch on the following four important lifestyle choices:
Watch this video and listen to host Liana Shannon, as she provides a brief overview of these four topics. When you complete this session, take some time to work through session 8 and if you haven't already done so, return to sessions 5 and 6.
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Completing a personal action plan can greatly enhance your motivation and keep you focused on what you can confidently achieve. It's important that you succeed!
Take some time to think about what you will do to continue to maintain or improve your brain health.
Download and print a copy of the activity sheet My Personal Action Plan below. Reflect on and answer the statements in both columns. Then circle the number between 0 and 10 that represents your confidence level.
You may have printed this activity sheet after completing another session. Feel free to use the one sheet to track all of your actions in one place as you move through this program.
If you rate your confidence below a 7, you might want to look at the barriers and consider reworking your action plan so that it's something you are confident that you can accomplish.
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Keeping a journal of your daily food choices can be a good way to keep you motivated!
Click on the image below to download and print a copy or copies of the My Food Journal.
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Write down your food choices each day for a week, using copies of the My Food Journal.
Note that the My Food Journal does not have a section to add foods that do not fall into one of the four food groups. This is to reinforce the promotion of choosing foods based on Canada's Food Guide recommendations.
To address foods that do not fall into one of the four food groups, limit foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt (sodium).
Source: Health Canada
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After you've used the My Food Journal for a few days, think about these questions:
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https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
