Is Dementia Avoidable?

Dementia is losing your mind, that is, your mind slipping away. Dementia is not part of growing old: only about 7-8 percent of older people experience severe intellectual impairment and memory loss.

However, dementia does occur in certain individuals, especially as they continue to grow old. So, what are the causes of dementia?

(1) Genetic factor may play a pivotal part in the development of dementia. If you do have a family history of dementia, then you should take extra care of your brain.

(2) Dysfunctional thyroid may cause dementia. Fortunately, this type of dementia is treatable and reversible.

(3) Stroke may cause dementia. In fact, vascular dementia is the 2nd most common type of dementia. Hardening of the arteries may result in poor circulation, depriving the brain of oxygen and nutrients, leading to brain damage. Eat a healthy diet is the way to go; what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

(4) Depression, especially among the elderly, may lead to memory loss, confusion, and impaired mental function and coordination. However, scientists cannot determine whether depression causes dementia, or it is the result of dementia, because their symptoms may be quite similar.

(5) Other factors that may affect brain health include: excess alcohol consumption; brain damage due to injury or dehydration; sensory deprivation (the cause of sundowning, which is acute confusion occurring late in the day or at night); drug abuse, especially those anesthetic agents, narcotic analgesics, and benzodiazepines.

The good news is that numerous conditions associated with dementia or memory loss are treatable, if the conditions causing the delirium are adequately addressed, such as deficiency of vitamin B12, depression, and autoimmune diseases. However, when these conditions remain untreated for more than six months to a year, clinical studies have shown that the prognosis for recovery may become slim, as the damage to the brain may have become permanent.

Therefore, it is important to maintain brain health at all times. After all, the brain is one of the most important body organs, since it controls what you think as well as what you do. For more information on brain health, visit my blog: Increase Mind Power.

The human brain is made up trillions of brain cells. Only 10 percent of these brains cells have been utilized over one's lifetime, and there is still a great deal that one can tap into. Yes, you can even train your brain to become smarter at any age.

Total Recall: Keep your mind razor sharp well into old age. Re-grow your dead brain cells, and rejuvenate your failing health from inside out. It has everything you need to deal with dementia and aging.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

How To Save Your Skin

Why do people want cosmetic surgeries or even the less-invasive procedures, such as Botox™?

• The most obvious reason why people resort to an appearance makeover is that they want to look better, and therefore feel better about themselves. In our society, self-image plays a pivotal role, and self-image is based on your appearance, your status, and your monetary worth. Unfortunately, they are not the core values in life.

• Another reason why people would go under the knife to get the appearance they crave is the association of youth with productiveness. Many people go for a Botox™ treatment before a job interview for that simple reason to enhance their work ethics. Unfortunately, work ethics have little to do with looks..

• Psychologically, having a cosmetic surgery is tantamount to getting a new lease on life. An individual seems to be getting a "second spring." Unfortunately, the physical appearance does not change the physiological aspects of the individual.

• Finally, some individuals may use cosmetic surgeries to solve their personal problems. A case in point is the movie "Ash Wednesday" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Henry Fonda. The movie was about an aging woman who underwent plastic surgery in the vain hope of winning back her husband. Unfortunately, a more youthful appearance will not solve marital or relationship problems.

Despite the advancement in science and technology, cosmetic surgeries still carry a certain amount of risk. Don't look for a quick-fix to your life's problems!

If you think you really need a facelift, consider Botox®.

Botox® is a fairly ideal procedure to save your face, given that the level of botulimum toxin in Botox® is extremely low and there is hardly any buildup in the body to pose any significant health hazard.

Here are some of the pluses and minuses of Botox™.

• The pluses are many: it is minimally invasive--which is much better compared with other types of plastic surgery; it is an almost “instant” fix, and you will see the results almost right away; it is relatively less expensive, compared with other similar procedures; it is more "natural", except around the mouth--that explains why Botox™ is generally not applied around the smile folds, otherwise it would give your smile an "unnatural" look.

• The main drawback of Botox™ is that it is not a permanent solution to save your face, and each procedure lasts but a few months. Another valid concern, in spite of the FDA approval,is that Botox™ is still a drug and you are injecting chemical into your body continually. Although the drug manufacturer guarantees its safety by saying that the toxic chemical is in a very small amount and is almost immediately eliminated from the body, the simple fact that Botox™ is a billion-dollar drug may call the veracity of its research studies into question.

If you wish to save your face, Botox™ seems an ideal first choice. Of course, the choice is all yours; after all, it is your face.

However, Botox® is not the only way to save your skin.

When you are around 40, your collagen level declines, leading to slower cellular rejuvenation and loosening of your skin fiber. This is how wrinkles and crow's feet lines are formed.

To iron out the lines around the eyes and the creases between the eyebrows, collagen injection may do the magic. Collagen is a protein substance in the dermis layer of your skin, and collagen is responsible for the elasticity and youthfulness of your skin.

The collagen used by dermatologists comes from cows.

Are collagen injections save?

Well, the bovine collagen is supposed to have come from cows, which have been isolated and therefore are free from any infection.

With collagen injection, the lines become less distinct, much smoother; but they are not completely obliterated.

Unfortunately, bovine collagen injection is not for everyone, especially if you are allergic to cows.

Fat injection is another cosmetic procedure to save your face. This is an option to iron out lines and creases on your face using fat from your own body. Fat injection is especially ideal for smile folds - an area where Botox® does not do a good job.

Fat injection from the fat in your own body is in fact a living graft in a different part of your body. Fat injection is saver, and much cheaper than other procedures to save your face.

Try anti-aging skin recipes to save your face with ... facial recipes ... facial mask recipes ... facial scrub recipes ... facial toner recipes ... facial steam recipes ... anti-aging facial wraps. They are all simple but natural ways to enhance your skin and keep you looking forever young.

Aging has also to do with the mind, which controls your life choices. Living a life of wisdom to maintain a stress-free life is as important as applying skin lotion to maintain a youthful look. For more information on wisdom in living, read my book: The Book of Life and Living.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau