Joyce was recommended by her family doctor to attend REJUV+ classes at the Academy of Aging, after telling her doctor that her family was concerned about her memory loss since her husband’s passing.

The Academy of Aging is a Canadian non-profit society with affiliation at The Manor Villages. It is this group that is determined to have non-genetic memory loss with aging recognized as being preventable; provided it is treated early.

Joyce learned that as her body ages, so does her brain. Since our brain controls most of our bodily functions, some decline can be expected, however, when it progresses beyond forgetting where we placed our keys, our daily living becomes significantly disrupted.

Just like cardiovascular diseases such as dementia, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes anxiety & depression, some auto-immune diseases, and even some cancers; our brain responds to our lifestyle.

Step #3 was to understand why smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can cause alcohol related dementia.

Step #4 consisted of a class understanding what foods her body could effectively metabolize, and the importance of a lighter calorie meal before bedtime. Joyce learned that she does not digest red meats effectively, so her diet is now focused on the Mediterranean Diet with foods rich in anti-oxidants.

Step #5 resulted in her moving to The Manor Village Life Center, so she could interact with others who enjoyed fun activities, games, and becoming more socially inclined for her personal life. Her children have told Joyce that she is now so involved, that they feel they should call first to schedule an appointment to visit!

Step #6 has shown Joyce the art of de-stressing. Learning new skills and challenging her mind with different activities such as daily Mindfulness & Meditation has helped her de-stress both day and night. Those who have not learned the advantages of de-stressing will often suffer from memory loss.