by YKHC Diabetes Prevention and Control Department
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. This month is a great time to learn about healthy lifestyle choices that can help keep your brain or your loved one’s brain healthy.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simple tasks. Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease—but not the only one. While some brain changes are common as we age, we also know that adopting a healthy lifestyle may help our brains age healthier.
The Alzheimer’s Association offers these six tips to promote better brain health:
1. Move your body. Movement helps increase blood flow to the body and brain, and regular physical activity is linked to better memory and thinking.
2. Maintain a heart-healthy diet. Meals which contain whole grains, green leafy vegetables, fish, and berries, are linked to better cognitive functioning, and help reduce risk of heart disease as well. Alaska is full of healthy fish and wild foods that you can include in your brain-healthy meals!
3. Get proper sleep. Maintaining a regular sleep pattern is good for your physical and mental health. We should aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night and try to keep a routine bedtime.
4. Stay socially and mentally active. Being connected with your community and friends may support brain health. Exercising your brain is as important as exercising your body. Try completing a jigsaw puzzle or learn and teach someone one new word in your native language every day.
5. Keep your whole-self healthy. Other medical conditions can also impact your brain health. If you have a condition like high blood pressure or diabetes, make sure you take care of yourself. Work with your healthcare provider and your family to find the right care plan to help you be at your best health.
6. Limit smoking, drinking and tobacco. Some things like smoking, tobacco and alcohol can make our brain health worse. Quitting or minimizing use of these things can help our brains stay healthy.
These are great steps to take at any age. Following all six tips will have the greatest benefit, but even if you begin with one or two you’re moving in the right direction! If you or your loved ones start to notice changes in your memory, it’s important to bring them up with your healthcare provider.
An easy and delicious way to start using these tips is to try this rice crusted salmon recipe. How many of the six tips can you incorporate from catching, preparing and eating this dish?
Rice Crusted Salmon
Ingredients:
•2 pounds salmon fillet, cut into 6 pieces
•½ cup whole wheat flour
•2 eggs
•3 tablespoons fat free milk
•Salt & Pepper (to taste, optional)
•2 cups wild rice, cooked
•½ cup breadcrumbs
•6 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation:
1. Coat salmon pieces in flour and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
3. In a wide bowl, mix together rice, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
4. Dip salmon in egg wash and then rice mixture. Press rice into salmon.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat and sear two pieces of salmon at a time, cooking equally on both sides until salmon is fully cooked. (Depending on the thickness of the salmon, this could be 2 minutes per side or 5 or more minutes per side.)
6. Set cooked salmon aside on a plate and repeat earlier steps until all salmon is cooked.
Notes:
•Whole wheat flour is recommended. Other types of flour will work in this recipe.
•Fat free milk is recommended. Milk that contains fat will work in this recipe.
•Wild rice is recommended. Other firm rice will work in this recipe.
•Olive oil is one of the healthier oil choices, but other oils/fats may be substituted.
•To make this recipe healthier, see if you can reduce the amount of oil used.
Adapted from – https://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/wild-rice-crusted-salmon
