• About dementia
• Dementias
  • What is dementia?
    • Facts about dementia
    • Reversible dementias
    • Mixed dementia
    • Seven A's of dementia
    • Mild Cognitive Impairment
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Vascular dementia
  • Lewy body Dementia
  • Frontotemporal dementia
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Huntington's disease
  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
  • Down syndrome
• Alzheimer's disease
  • What is Alzheimer's disease
    • Global Deterioration Scale
    • Changes in the brain
    • Common Questions
  • Warning signs & symptoms
    • 10 warning signs
    • Depression
  • Risk factors
  • Myth and reality about Alzheimer's disease
    • Aluminum
  • Stigma
  • Stages of Alzheimer's disease (what happens)
    • Early stage
    • Middle Stage
    • Late Stage
      • Medical intervention decisions
    • End of Life
      • Making decisions about end of life care
  • Impact of the disease
    • Impact on married couples
    • Impact on family and friends
• Diagnosis
  • Memory Screening
  • Getting a diagnosis
    • Assessments
    • Doctor's visits
  • Communicating the diagnosis
  • Life after diagnosis
    • First steps for families
• About the brain
  • Normal aging vs dementia
  • Brain health
    • Reduce your risk
    • Challenge yourself
    • Be socially active
    • Make healthy food choices
    • Be physically active
    • Reduce stress
    • Protect your head
    • Choose wisely
• Understanding behaviour
  • Delusions and hallucinations
  • Sundowning
  • Intimacy and sexuality
  • Apathy
• For health-care professionals
  • Person-centred care in long-term care homes
    • Culture change towards person-centred care
      • Person-centred language guidelines
  • Screening and diagnosis
    • Summary of cognitive screening tests
  • Driving
  • Training and e-learning
  • Research
  • Tough issues

Brain health

The human brain, sometimes called the "3-pound universe within," is one of your most vital organs. It plays a role in every action and every thought, and just like the rest of your body, it needs to be looked after. By making healthy lifestyle choices now, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and improve your brain's ability to sustain long-term health.

This section provides practical action steps, based on current research, which you can take to improve your brain health. Will it prevent Alzheimer's disease? There are no guarantees, but healthy lifestyle choices will help keep your brain as healthy as possible as you age. And since a healthier brain can withstand illness better, it's important to take action on the things you can control -- lifestyle choices.

• Reduce your risk
• Challenge yourself
• Be socially active
• Make healthy food choices
• Be physically active
• Reduce stress
• Protect your head
• Choose wisely

Take action for a healthier brain. Learn what you can do to maintain or improve your brain health (pdf).

Heads up for healthier living brochure for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families (pdf).