Outsmarting Alzheimer's ─ What You Can Do to Reduce Your Risk

An easy-to-follow, research-based guide to the simple, low-cost choices that give the reader the power to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia; slow the progression of the disease; and mitigate symptoms and improve well-being.

Did you know that getting on the treadmill can help keep your brain sharp? Or that eating grilled meat could increase your risk of being struck down by dementia? The dozens of choices you make over the course of any average day—ordering the curry vs. the burger with fries, reading the newspaper vs. watching the news—all add up. Together with your family history, they establish your risk of getting Alzheimer's years from now. No drugs or procedures can cure or even effectively treat Alzheimer's yet. Butyou have the power to outsmart this terrifying disease.

Based on the latest scientific research, Outsmarting Alzheimer's gives you 80 simple lifestyle prescriptions in the six key areas with the most scientific evidence for protecting your brain health.

Six Key Brain Smarts:

S=Social Smarts
M=Meal Smarts
A=Aerobic Smarts
R=Resilience to Stress Smarts
T=Train Your Brain Smarts
S=Sleep Smarts

Plus, the book features:
- a personalized 3-week plan to help you put these prescriptions into action
- almost 40 easy and delicious brain-boosting recipes
- 50 interactive brain-training games
- a simple and effective 7-minute workout
- special sections for caregivers to help them help their loved ones put the plan into effect

If you have a family history of Alzheimer's disease, Outsmarting Alzheimer's can help you delay and even stop this debilitating disease years before it develops. If you've noticed a few symptoms,Outsmarting Alzheimer's can help you determine whether they are related to normal aging or whether you should mention them to your doctor. If you have mild cognitive impairment,Outsmarting Alzheimer's offers scores of simple strategies to slow its progression as much as possible. If you or a family member already have a dementia diagnosis,Outsmarting Alzheimer's offers effective strategies for managing symptoms, improving your quality of life, and maintaining your current lifestyle for as long as you can. No matter where you are on the Alzheimer's spectrum,Outsmarting Alzheimer's can help you protect the health of your brain, and indeed, your total body.

Since 2004, Kenneth S. Kosik, MD, has been the Harriman Professor of Neuroscience Research and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Previously, he was a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, and a senior neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he was one of the founding physicians of the Memory Disorders Clinic. His lifelong work is research into the cause and treatment of neurodegeneration, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. His study of a group of interrelated families in a rural mountain town in Colombia who suffer from early onset Alzheimer’s has been the subject of several documentaries. Dr. Kosik also founded and served as Medical Director of the non-profit Cognitive Fitness and Innovative Therapies (CFIT), a model “brain shop” that helped clients maintain and improve their cognitive function. Dr. Kosik, who received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and served as chief resident at Tufts New England Medical Center, has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and on CNN as an expert on brain health. He lives and works in Santa Barbara, California.