Happy Women’s Month to all the women out there; we appreciate all of you and this blogspot is dedicated to all things women! Hair, nails, beauty, weight-loss, hormones and so much more.

We have linked the best buys directly to our website so you can simply add to cart!

Beauty:  

A good hair and skin day means more time to focus on everything else!

Lamberts Florisene, contains significant levels of amino acid, biotin and selenium which all contribute to the maintenance of normal hair.

Color of Soin is great if you want to colour your hair. Made with plant exracts, it has been formulated with ingredients that respect the essential health of your hair. Amonia and paraben free, Color of Soin also works as a hair treatment.

Coconut & Castor Oil is great for dry, damaged hair. Coconut oil should be used regularly to condition all hair types as well as to maintain healthy hair.

Applied Nutrition Liquid Collagen boosts naturally aged skin by getting rid of wrinkles and lines with its high collagen content and antioxidant blend of the right nutrients.

Avalon Organics skin care, hair care and bath and body products are created with a profound respect for the earth; where products are created to embrace a holistic lifestyle of health, wellness and sustainability. Their lovely products leave you feeling rejuvenated and fresh.

Hormonal Balancing

Agnus Castus is a great supplement for relieving pre-menstrual symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, breast tenderness, bloating and menstrual cramps.

Kyolic Candida Cleanse & Digestion helps manage yeast production by cleaning out the gastrointestinal tract. Great to use if you are prone to yeast infections.

Maintain normal Estrogen levels with Kyolic Estro Logic and optimize your urinary tract and intestinal function with Kyo-Dophilus plus Cranberry, especially good to use if you are prone to UTIs.

Sage Leaf Tablets are known to provide relief from hot flushes and excessive sweating associated with the menopause. The tables are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Source Naturals Menopause Multiple is also great in easing the symptoms of menopause and hormonal changes.

Pre and Post Pregnancy

If you’re ready to start trying for a baby start taking Natures Plus Procreation as it supports uterine and ovarian function. It also contains reproductive-optimizing vitamin A, C and E, and contains DHA to support healthy early-stage embryonic development and uterine implantation.

Fenugreek Tablets and Neuners Nursing Tea are both great for boosting milk supply for breast-feeding mums. The tea contains aniseed, fennel, verbena, caraway and fenugreek seeds, with no added flavouring, sugar or caffeine.

StrongStart or Natures Plus Source of Life Prenatal multivitamins are ideal for women who are trying to conceive, already pregnant or breast-feeding.

Weight Loss:

If you’re keen to shed some pounds, we encourage you to do it the right way and not by depriving yourself from essential nutrients. Come in and talk to one of our nutritionists or Metabolic Balance Coach for your personalized nutrition plan based on your BMI and your target weight. You can also begin your weightloss journey with Nutrex Lipo6 Extreme Potency Hers, available instore. The formula is created specially for women and helps with metabolism, promotes energy, alertness, helps balance food intake and controls appetite.

We love seeing all our customers in our stores but we also encourage you to try out the convenience of our online shopping platform. Most of our products are available online and they get delivered straight to your door.

We wish you all a happy and healthy March!
Live Life Well!
Team Healthy U.

Endo warriors worldwide are sharing stories on their journey. No one journey is the same; all as different as a fingerprint. The excruciating pain, the worry, the stress, fear, and anxiety, all very real. To create awareness for us and generations to come, these stories are vital in pivoting this agenda.

But what is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue similar to the lining of the uterus, grows outside of the uterus. Some of these cells may end up continuing their cycle elsewhere in the body (ovaries, fallopian tubes, tissues that hold the uterus in place, vagina, cervix, vulva, bowel, bladder, and pelvic region).

But why should I know about endometriosis?

Symptoms associated with endometriosis are normally confused or brushed off as normal period problems/PMS symptoms. Endometriosis can happen to anyone. Early diagnosis is very vital in ensuring that we keep the symptoms under control.

How can we differentiate then?

Some of the symptoms include incapacitating pain in the uterus, painful menses, chronic pain in the lower back and pelvis, pain during intercourse, intestinal pain, painful bowel movements, bleeding or spotting between periods, infertility, digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, boating and nausea and iron deficiency anemia.

We at Healthy U are committed in this journey to help alleviate symptoms and ensure that our warriors are living their best lives regardless of the huge hurdles they cross in their journey.

Our nutritional and holistic tips that may help relieve symptoms of endometriosis include:

Vitamin E

A combination of Vitamin E and Vitamin C with bioflavonoids are powerful antioxidants that may improve dyspareunia and dysmenorrhea. Vitamin E also aids in hormonal balance. Our Food grown Vitamins are organically grown to ensure you get the right nutrients that are easily absorbable in the body. https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/wild-nutrition-gl-vitamin-c-bioflavonoids-60s/

Vitamin K

Vitamin K helps in production of prothrombin which is an important substance for blood clotting. Women with endometriosis were found to have heavier than normal bleeding during menstruation which can lead to anemia. Vitamin K is high in green leafy vegetable sources such as spinach and broccoli.

Essential fatty acids

Essential fatty acids found in evening primrose (Gamma linoleic acids, GLA) aid in regulating hormonal and prostaglandin balance. This also has strong anti-inflammatory effects that are beneficial for PMS symptoms and improving skin health. https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/country-life-evening-primrose-oil-60s/

Iron

Iron deficiency anemia is common endometriosis. Iron supplementation is very important in cases of anemia. Iron is only used if anemia is diagnosed. https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/floradix-floravital-yeast-gluten-free-iron-formula-500ml/

Vitamin B complex

Stress and fatigue tend to weigh someone down especially during ovulation and menses. Vitamin Bs are essential in promoting blood cell productivity, proper hormone balance and energy uptake, relieves stress, and needed for proper adrenal function. https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/wild-nutrition-gl-b-complex-plus-60s/

Beta 1,3 glucans

Beta glucans help to stimulate activity of macrophages which help to remove cellular debris. They can be found our oats products https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/moma-jumbo-oat-porridge-golden-syrup-70g/

Multivitamin and Multimineral complex

To provide all nutrients required for repair and healing and maintenance including Calcium and Magnesium. Magnesium is essential for muscle relaxation and relieving of pain. https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/trace-minerals-fast-absorbing-liquid-vit-d3-125-mcg-5000iu-tropical-cherry-16fl473ml/ or https://www.healthyu.co.ke/product/natures-secret-womens-73-nutrient-soft-gel-multi-60ct/

Diet

• Eating a diet consisting of 50 %raw vegetables and grain products, nuts and seeds including green drinks made from dark leafy vegetables.
• Avoiding alcohol, caffeine and refined foods and food products, junk and excessive sugar consumption.
• Detox: To reduce oxidative stress through metabolizing estrogen in the liver and promoting the body’s organs to function optimally.

Holistic

• Use heating pad to relieve pain, relaxes muscle and relieves pain.
• Diffusing Lavender oil to relieve stress and promote a restful night.
• Daily moderate exercises such as walking or stretching is beneficial in modulating hormonal imbalance. Moderate exercise also increases the body’s production of endorphins which are natural pain relievers and maintaining an ideal weight.
• Reducing xenoestrogen (external estrogen from the environment) load through less exposure to pesticides, herbicides, cosmetics with toxic ingredients and instead use organic based cosmetics and personal care.

VITAMIN C

By Samuel Muigai, Nutritionist & Branch Manager, Healthy U Yaya

Vitamin C has become one of the best-selling supplements in the last 2 or so years. Why is this so? It has been known to show immune boosting properties during an infection, and especially the most recent rise of respiratory diseases. Some studies have shown that taking more than 200mg of vitamin C per day helps reduce severity and duration of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, and taking more than 500mg per day helps to reduce the frequency of the infections.

Vitamin C also has many other benefits in the body like enhancing iron absorption, reducing tiredness and fatigue and supporting lots of metabolic functions in the body. It also said to possess anti-oxidative effects in the body, protecting the cells from harmful effects of pollution and it combines toxic substances such as heavy metals, rendering them harmless so that they can be safely eliminated from the body. It supports collagen production, which is a key component for skin, hair, nails and joint health.

Talking of beauty, it is also used in skin care products in that it helps to even out skin tone (hyperpigmentation, blemishes and skin discoloration), as an anti-aging, helping in skin formation, improving skin texture and also in skin hydration. It also helps prevent skin damage caused by sun exposure and harmful skin radicals.

The body does not make or store its own vitamin C, so it must be obtained from the diet or in form of supplementation. Foods that are high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, berries, green vegetables, asparagus, avocados, beet greens, black currants, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, grape fruits, papaya, green peas, tomatoes and rosehips. Some herbs that are high in vitamin C include alfalfa, burdock root, cayenne, fennel, fenugreek, peppermint, nettle, raspberry leaf, yarrow and paprika.

Vitamin C takes a number of forms in supplements; ascorbic acid, buffered vitamin C, ester C and liposomal vitamin C. Liposomal vitamin C is the best form in the market at the moment. It has a scientifically proven transportation method that encapsulates the nutrient in a phospholipid bubble, transporting it directly to the cells within minutes protecting it from the destructive elements of the digestive system. The upper limit of vitamin C is 2000mg per day. Taking more than this can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heart burn, stomach cramps and headache.

Some factors hinder its absorption. Such factors include alcoholism, using analgesics, anti-depressants, anti-coagulants, oral contraceptives, steroids and smoking. Some diabetes medication such as chlorpropamide and sulfa drugs may not be as effective if taken with vitamin C.

It is the desire of almost every mother to shed off baby fat as soon as they deliver their bundle of joy. However to get back to the pre-pregnancy shape is not a walk-in-the-park as most people would want to imagine! It takes time and therefore patience is primary. Trying to lose the weight within a very short time would be termed as selfishness, for lack of a better term. Reason being, that bundle of joy requires love as well and breastfeeding is vital. Hence the need for more calories to meet the need. A six week break is good before the idea of embarking on losing some weight especially in terms of reducing the calorie intake.

Preconception is the first phase in which every nutritional aspect needs sorting. This begins with attaining a suitable body weight. For instance, underweight, overweight and obese women should get in shape before considering pregnancy. This helps to avoid medical complications during pregnancy and bearing children with birth defects. All this can be achieved with a proper diet like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts and brazilian nuts. Nutritional supplements come in handy here. Get folic acid, vitamin b12, pre-natal multi-vitamins and evening primrose oil to balance hormones.

It is normal to have extra weight during and after pregnancy. One would wonder where the weight came from and the answer is simple! There is usually breast tissue, fetus, increased blood supply, fat storage and enlargement of the uterus, the placenta and amniotic fluid. Part of this is immediately lost during delivery and is usually about an average of 5kgs which is an incredible start. The remaining is gradually lost as the uterus shrinks back to around its pre-pregnancy size.

One should set a realistic goal and consult a nutritionist if possible. A goal to lose 1kg per week is reasonable. This means a deficit of between 450 and 650 calories per day from the recommended daily intake. Most mothers can shed a bulk of pregnancy weight by the sixth month, however every mother should shed the weight at their own pace.

It is primary to eat foods that are packed with the proper nutrients. Increase your fibre intake; this includes oats, muesli, cereals and whole grain bread. Reduce your sugar intake and cut down on refined foods. Take plenty of legumes for example lentils, kidney beans, black eye beans and pinto beans. Also take enough omega 3 in your diet. You can incorporate flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts. Choose healthy satisfying meals as these help reduce cravings and lots of snacking between meals. Incorporate fruits in your daily diet. Moringa is one of the superfoods that is beneficial as a detox and for milk production and provides calcium for nursing mothers. Get enough rest whenever possible as this helps reduce stress levels.

There are many factors that can affect a weight loss program. The first is age as metabolism tends to slow down by two percent every decade after one attains 25 years. Another factor is diet. Eating more protein than carbs improves metabolism and you burn more calories. Activity level counts as the other factor because being more active in terms of physical exercise burns more calories. All these factors determine the period one will take to bounce back to their pre-pregnancy weight.

Breastfeeding by itself helps lose weight. The activity helps melt off weight by stimulating release of hormones that are responsible for shrinking the uterus and thus shedding some weight. As you start weaning, your appetite tends to decrease and so is your metabolism, therefore incorporating physical exercises to lose weight is necessary e.g. gym sessions, swimming, walking, skipping rope and yoga just to mention a few.

As soon as you start on a weight loss diet make sure you are still eating enough calories depending on your activity level which is an average of 2000 calories. Eating less calories can make your body think you’re starving which ends up slowing metabolism. This makes it challenging to lose the extra kilograms eventually.

Losing weight after breastfeeding, can be done in numerous ways since the considerations for breastmilk formation stops. One of the primary ways is by avoiding diet with a lot of calories. Several supplements can be used. This includes and not limited to apple cider vinegar, green tea and other suitable fat burners. There is also meal replacements and plant proteins, e.g. available at Healthy U, Sunwarrior, Pulsin among others.

The ultimate goal of attaining a desired body weight and shape will somewhat be achieved in due time. This means the lifestyle and diet has to change in order to maintain the desired weight, else one can lose more weight than expected. To maintain the weight, light exercises sessions should be a routine. The light exercises includes; yoga, aerobics, walking, swimming, cycling etcetera. A constant caloric intake as per the RDI is key. Remember to incorporate things like green teas, plant based milks, fruits and vegetable and whole grain flours for your baking recipes.

By Jackson Keter, a nutritionist at Healthy U (KNDI certified)

Eating health is colourful, not complicated.

Taste the Rainbow! EAT THE RAINBOW!

The rainbow diet is probably one of the ‘more fun’ diets out there. This is a holistic approach to radiant health, and has rules that are as simple as possible:

1. Eat whole foods
2. Eat as many colours as possible

This means that you are simply adding more fruits and vegetables of different colours onto your plate.

This is a very simple diet and health hack, but how exactly does it benefit you?

In having different colours on your plate, you are getting different properties that are unique to that colour. In summary;

• The natural colours found in fruits and vegetables are the result of pigmented compounds called flavonoids.
• Each unique flavonoid provides its own anti-oxidative and immune-supporting actions. People who eat at least six servings of high-antioxidant vegetables daily have decreased oxidative damage to their cells.
• By eating a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, you are consuming a full spectrum of anti-oxidative flavonoids.
• This is also a great and effective way to boost your immunity this cold season!

In addition to flavonoids, fruits and vegetables contain important immune-enhancing vitamins and minerals. These include zinc, vitamin E, vitamin D, sterols, and carotene’s such as vitamin A and lycopene.

Therefore, just by simple eating more colours; red, green, purple, yellow and blue, your body will be healthier too!

We are getting to what’s at the Heart of Healthy U with our CEO Mr. Rach.
Finding out about the orgins of the Healthy U brand, our mission, partners, decision-making processes and our relationship with customers.

Get comfortable, set aside a couple of minutes, and join us as we get to the heart of Healthy U.

When did Healthy U start?

The Healthy U journey started in 1985. It was possibly a little ahead of its time, as the health and wellness industry was fairly new, and there was limited awareness about supplements and similar products around the world and more-so in Kenya.

As a result, it was a difficult start for the family and we defaulted to selling a broader range of products outside of health and wellness stemming from Heinz baked beans to Kelllogs Frosties in our only store at the time being at the Sarit Centre in Westlands.

However, the real journey began in 1998 with the relaunch of the brand following a challenging period for the business and family. With this, came an opportunity to re-strategize.

Now, with over 30 stores across both Kenya and Uganda, we continue to grow, innovate and improve our offering and service.

What is Healthy U’s mission?

We started with a new mission to cultivate a culture of healthy eating and conscious living. Healthy U was created from a desire to raise awareness about living a healthier life, and has grown to become the number one health food and supplement provider in Kenya.

We wake up every morning to inspire our customers to live happier, healthier lives by providing access to premium brands and quality products through an exceptionally engaging and personalised service.

What is Healthy U’s relationship with suppliers?

Our relationships with suppliers are a lot more than buyer and supplier, they are friendships that continue to be built over time.

How does Healthy U select brand partners?

We look at market trends and buyer behaviour and look to partner with brands that fulfil customer needs and interests. We are diligent and considerate in our approach and look for the highest quality brands across all product ranges.

Beyond this, and closer to the heart of Healthy U, we look at each brand’s ethos and values, and look to partner with brands that align with our vision. Every conversation with a new brand starts with a discussion about how that brand started and what they feel their purpose is. There are so many incredible stories and journeys that entrepreneurs have been through, and I am personally always blown away by the sacrifice, hard work and passion that they have. It’s brands like these that inspire us to want to be part of their cause for change in the health and wellness industry.

How has the decision-making process changed over time?

Initially, there we only a couple of decision makers, however, as we have grown we now have a fully fledged R&D and procurement team. They play a major role in identifying local and international partners.

However, we have a collaborative culture and I welcome opinions from all my team. I love getting to hear about new products and brands from them, which they identify with and think our customers would enjoy.

Can you tell us more about your partners?

We have partnered with so many wonderful brands, but one example is Bragg, with who we have a cherished and long-standing relationship. We knew we wanted Bragg in our stores, based on the quality of their products and their amazing brand story. Bringing them on board was no small feat though, and it took about 5 years of dedicated effort, including a meeting with Patricia Bragg at a trade fair. Fast forward to today, Bragg is a Healthy U customer favourite and a brand that shares our commitment to making healthy living simpler and more accessible.

Another one of our partners is Lulu Life and their powerful story and cause is what drew us to them. Made up of women working in cooperative groups in South Sudan, Lulu Life empowers women who have suffered from war and famine to rebuild their lives and communities. Built on the philosophy of fairer trade they ensure maximum returns for their members, never forgetting the core driver behind their business. We love supporting this brand and are proud to bring Lulu Life products to our customers.

What is Healthy U’s relationship with customers?

We believe in changing people’s lives, by sharing knowledge and then connecting them to great products and services so that they understand how to live healthier lives.

We want to ensure everyone has an unforgettable experience in our stores and that means taking the time to understand their needs, ensuring we explain which products to take and what benefits these bring. We try to put science behind our conversations and invest in the latest technology at our service desks and our qualified nutritionists are always available in each store.

We want to make sure every customer that visits our stores will leave with the knowledge and the confidence to pursue the healthy, happy lives they deserve.

Protein is a staple in anyone’s diet, and the quickest and easiest way to get them is through protein powders and sports supplements.

You do not need to be a fitness enthusiast or an athlete to use sports supplements. Everyone from the elderly to those who require enough protein such as vegetarians can get incredible benefits from utilizing such products.

These products can help athletes as a way to increase performance, recovery, endurance or growth, or it can be used by particular individuals to make sure that they are getting enough protein in their day.

With such a wide variety of uses, with so many different products in the market, it can sometimes get confusing. There is one simple rule , however; “MAKE SURE YOU GET AUTHENTIC”

So what exactly is an authentic sports supplement and bodybuilding product? These are products that are made from reputable companies with certifications on their products. These should not be tampered with, imitated, or altered at any point from the source.

One can also trace their product directly back to the manufacturer, to make sure that it is authentic.

Although counterfeit products may look or taste the same, it may not mean that it holds the same benefits, and may sometimes counteract your long term health goals. This is because some counterfeit products may not have the right ingredients, are lower in quality, and may even have some potentially damaging ingredients in them.

With making sure that you are purchasing authentic products, you are minimizing the risk of being exposed to products such products, and you make sure that you are getting exactly what you asked for!

At Healthy U, you know that you are getting the best products, at some of the best prices!

We are certified distributors of;

• Optimum Nutrition
• Muscle Tech
• Sun Warrior
• Evlution
• Dymatize
• Sci-Mx
• Olimp
• Garden of Life
• Cellucor
• Neocell
• MusclePharm
• Nutrex
• Quest
• Grenade
• Fulfil
• Pulsin
• And so many more!

Be the Best! Get the Best!

Self-Care is the first step in Self-Love.

Why is self-care important? One of the biggest reasons is to reduce burnout. This applies to all areas of life; home, work, interpersonal relationships, improving happiness and increasing energy levels. Here are some of the ways we recommend incorporating some TLC into your life:

Personal self-care: Life gets overwhelming sometimes and it’s hard to tick off all the things on your to-do list! Here are some questions to ask when checking in with yourself:

• Are you taking time to reflect on your day? Journalling is a great way to get in touch with your thoughts and feelings and makes processing negative or stressful events much easier.
• Are you getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity in daily? This doesn’t always have to be rigorous exercise, a walk in your local neighourhood or green space is a great place to start!
• Are you incorporating healthy and nutritious foods or supplements into your diet? Getting a few fruits and vegetables into your day really makes a difference in fuelling energy levels and productivity.

Emotional self-care is the act of tending to your inner world and emotions. In this day and age, tending to our emotional wellbeing is more important than ever… and spoiler alert: it’s not all bubble baths and massages. Here are a few ways to take care of your emotional gardening:

1. Take a few minutes each morning or evening to write a stream of consciousness – it doesn’t have to make sense, just write out exactly what your are thinking as the thoughts arise. You’d be surprised how telling stream of consciousness writing can be when you read it back at a later date.
2. Take some time out in nature. Few things are better to clear your mind and fill your soul than some fresh air and the beautiful greenery Kenya has to offer.
3. Setting boundaries. This is a tough one. Boundaries are not dependant on how people react to you; they are rather how you react to those who don’t respect them. Think of yourself as an exclusive club, you get to upgrade, downgrade or cancel the memberships, accordingly, of the people who have access to you.

Social self-care: Humans are social creatures; we are not made to be isolated. As the world begins to recalibrate, make sure you’re taking time to connect with loved ones, friends and those around you. Is there something you’ve wanted to try or a hobby you’ve neglected? Take this as your sign to pick it back up!

Physical self-care: If you’ve been looking for a sign to get your body moving, here it is! Did you know that by incorporating exercise into your daily routine, your quality of sleep, mood and memory will improve? Make sure to take care of your body; it’s the only place you have to live. Live life well.

Spiritual self-care: A spiritual self-care practice is any ritual that connects you to your true self. There is an immense power in feeling spiritual alignment; when your soul is nurtured, you’ll know.

1. This doesn’t have to be a grand event, just taking some time in the morning or evening to sit in silence and take deep breaths, slowing down the world around you.
2. Clear your space. Have you ever been in a cluttered room and felt yourself get overwhelmed? Clearing your physical space helps in clearing mental clutter.
3. Unplug from technology. This one is difficult in the age of constant online communication. Take some time to put your devices on airplane mode or leave them in a separate room for designated periods of time throughout the day.

Our bodies and our minds are the only places we have to live. Make sure you are treating yours with love and care.

Save Your Brain with 5 Easy Steps

By Patrick Holford

Think about it. Your ability to think clearly, make good decisions, adapt to inevitable challenges and not go into confusion is probably the one function that’s going to make the biggest difference in your life right now. Then, later in life, you will have seen relatives going down the slippery slope of cognitive decline curtailing their ability to function and causing increasing suffering and leading to a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Statistically one in three born this century will develop dementia, and the process of neuronal decline starts in the 50’s although is barely visible without advanced scans and experienced only as a slight slippage in memory and loss of mental acuity.

So, whatever age you are now is the time to take on board my ABCDE Action Plan for keeping your brain sharp. Here’s the essence of how it works so we have a context for looking at the evidence.

Your brain is made of neurons (brain cells) which send and receive electrical signals and glial cells which support neurons. You’ve got in the region of 80 billion of each in your brain. Then need fuel – either glucose or ketones; antioxidants to clean up their ‘oxidant’ exhaust fumes; and a healthy intelligent lipid(fat) membrane which is made of essential omega-3 fats (DHA) binding to phospholipids (mainly choline) the binding of which is done by methylation, dependent on B vitamins. Both neurons and glial cells have vitamin D receptors, the sun-made hormone that both helps control gene expression and inflammation in the brain.

A – is for antioxidants

B – is for B vitamins that are essential for healthy methylation

C – is both for choline, the main phospholipid in your brain; and low carb diets

D – is both for vitamin D and DHA, the brain critical omega-3 fat

E – is for exercise – both physical and mental exercise are linked to less dementia risk

Tick these five boxes and the odds of your memory and cognition getting worse are very small, possibly non-existent. We will go through these in order

TEST YOUR MEMORY

Given that cognitive decline starts, for many in their 50’s but without any clear symptoms, it’s good to establish your memory status with a free 15 minute Cognitive Function Test. This is offered by www.foodforthebrain.org and both gives you a score arranged across a green, orange, red scale and a free report highlighting which of the above are likely to be most important for you. It’s especially worth doing if you’re over 50.

Many people have told me they didn’t do it because ‘they’d rather not know’ but that’s unwise because, unlike other diseases such as diabetes, that are reversible, dementia and especially Alzheimer’s which accounts for 2/3rds of dementia diagnoses, is not reversible but is preventable so the sooner you know where you’re at and what to do about it the better. Especially since, in the early stages of cognitive decline people pursue this kind of strategy to regain mental acuity and memory.

Here’s the actions to take:

A for Antioxidants

The older you get the more antioxidants you need. Many ‘polyphenol’ rich foods from blueberries to broccoli are potent antioxidants. The best way to optimise these is to eat a multi-coloured diet with lots of greens, berries, beetroot, turmeric, mustard, cinnamon and other spices and herbs.

But just eating these foods, especially later in life, doesn’t give your brain full protection from oxidative damage. That is why I both recommend, and take myself, a daily AGE Antioxidant formula containing all the nutrients mentioned above. Glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid are especially important, as is vitamin C. You won’t get enough vitamin C is an all-round antioxidant formula as optimal levels of 1-2g a day is a whole pill or two in its own right so this is worth taking separately.

B for B vitamins

One of the best predictors of cognitive decline is a blood test for homocysteine. Homocysteine levels in the blood increase if your methylation ability is under par. Methylation is absolutely critical for keeping neurons healthy, building neuronal membranes. Almost a quarter (22%) of the risk for Alzheimer’s is attributed to raised homocysteine and/or lack of B vitamins, according to research at the US National Institutes of Health.

B vitamins, especially B6, folate and B12, are vital for methylation. Vitamin B2 and B3(niacin) have a lesser role to play. Zinc and TMG (tri-methyl glycine) also lower homocysteine. All these would be included in a homocysteine lowering formula. Do you need this? Not necessarily. Younger and healthy people are probably protected sufficiently with the level of B vitamins in a good ‘optimum nutrition’ multivitamin but if you’re homocysteine level is above 11 you need much higher doses. That’s why homocysteine lowering formulas contain 500mcg of B12 while a good multi would provide 10mcg which is already four times higher than the RDA of 2.5mcg.

If you are experiencing any cognitive issues or concerns or don’t score as well as you’d like on the Cognitive Function Test I strongly recommend you get your blood homocysteine level measured.

C for Choline and a Low Carb Diet

Almost two thirds of the dry weight of the brain is made out of fats. These include omega-3 fats, cholesterol and phospholipids. Phospholipids are the major player with strange sounding names all beginning with phosphatidyl…choline, serine, inositol, dimethylaminoethanol etc. They are a family and can be made from each other. The most important one is phosphatidyl choline, followed by phosphatidyl serine. They are very rich in eggs and fish. I make a point to eat six eggs a week and have three servings of fish, but I also supplement extra phospholipids in a Brain Food supplement (this also has added ‘methylation’ B vitamins).

Neurons can run on either a stable supply of glucose or ketones, which are made in the liver from fat, for example when you’re fasting or burning off body fat. Eating too many carbs disturbs blood sugar balance and that’s why dementia has been called ‘type-3 diabetes’.

Eating a low GL diet is so important. But there’s another kind of low GL diet which effectively switches out carbs for fat – often called a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet. That works too. The interesting discovery is neurons actually prefer ketones to glucose as fuel if given the choice and ketones are most directly made from a type of fat called C8 oil. A study in Canada gave two tablespoons a day to people with cognitive decline and showed that, not only did their cognition improve, but that brain cells effectively came back to life, making more energy from ketones.

D for Vitamin D and DHA

One of the hottest new frontiers in the brain is the role of vitamin D, which both seems to control inflammation and also switch genes into healthy settings. The state of knowledge is such that having a low vitamin D level, e.g. below 50nmol/l, is clearly associated with increased dementia risk but does having a higher level, or supplementation, actually improve cognition?

A study in 2017 answered this question. The researchers took people with a vitamin D level below 100nmol/l, averaging about 60nmol/l which is, quite frankly, higher than you’d find in the average person in the UK. They were then given either a low dose (400iu) or a high dose (4,000iu) vitamin D supplement in this randomised placebo controlled trial.(2) The blood levels of those in the low dose vitamin D group went up to a healthy 86nmol/l while the level of those in the high dose group went up to 131nmol/l. The authors conclude: “Nonverbal (visual) memory seems to benefit from higher doses of vitamin D supplementation, particularly among those who are insufficient (<75nmol/L) at baseline, while verbal memory and other cognitive domains do not.” Verbal memory is much more subject to learning and less relevant when looking at biological effects. Multivitamins, for example, raise non-verbal IQ but not verbal IQ.

The study suggests that a) you want to have a blood level of vitamin D above 75nmol/l and that 400iu (10mcg) is not enough. The optimal intake is probably between 1,000iu(25mcg) and 4,000iu(100mcg) although I suspect 4,000iu is unnecessarily high on a long-term basis unless you are experiencing cognitive decline.

D is also for the omega-3 fat DHA which has ever-increasing evidence to be protective of declining cognition. One of the most impressive studies gave sixty five healthy 50-75 year olds 2.2g a day of omega 3 fish oils for 26 weeks.(3) Not only was there was a significant increase in executive functions but also scans revealed beneficial structural changes in white matter integrity and grey matter volume. Improvements in executive function correlated with red cell omega 3 status. While other studies have shown improvements in those with cognitive decline this study shows a beneficial effect is healthy older people.

E is for Exercise for both mind and body

The level of physical fitness, education standard and intellectual activity are three well established risk factors for cognitive decline. Fitter people have better minds. So building in daily exercise into your lifestyle is very important especially as you get older. So too is learning new things. One of the best mind protectors is learning a new language or skill. So, it is good to keep giving yourself mental challenges to keep learning and protect your brain from decay.

If you put all these factors together the chances are you’ll prevent any significant decline in cognitive abilities and take a big step towards dementia-proofing yourself. My mentors, such as the late Dr Linus Pauling and Abram Hoffer, lived well into their 90’s and were mentally as sharper as a razor right up to the last weeks of their life. I intend the same for myself and wish this for you too.

Patrick Holford, BSc, DipION, FBANT, NTCRP, is a pioneer in new approaches to health and nutrition. He is a leading spokesman on nutrition in the media, specialising in the field of mental health. He is the author of 37 books, translated into over 30 languages and selling millions of copies worldwide, including The Optimum Nutrition Bible, The Low GL-Diet Bible, Optimum Nutrition for the Mind and The 10 Secrets of 100% Healthy People, 10 Secrets of Healthy Ageing and Good Medicine.