Mark Hatzer had already lost his father and thought that he had lost his mother too when her dementia became so bad that she had to be hospitalized.
It had gotten to where Sylvia was no longer safe on her own.
At this point, Sylvia couldnโt even recognize Mark. She even called the police and told them that she was kidnapped by the nurses who were caring for her.
But, thankfully, that has all changed and his mother has pretty much made a full recovery thanks to one specific thing.
It wasnโt a new medication, but a new diet.
Sylvia was placed on a Mediterranean-style diet and now Mark says sheโs back to being her old self. Sylvia started having trouble with her memory about three years ago.
At first, she would forget birthdays or arrangments she made with friends. She was officially diagnosed with Alzheimerโs in December 2016.
It went downhill from there pretty quickly.
The 82-year-old was hospitalized after a seizure and fall, which side effect of her condition, in March 2017. Mark, 50, told Manchester Evening News that he โreached the lowest point of his lifeโ when his mother didnโt recognize him.
โWhen my mum was in [the] hospital she thought it was a hotel โ but the worst one she had ever been in. She didnโt recognize me and phoned the police as she thought sheโd been kidnapped,โ Mark said.
โSince my dad and brother died we have always been a very close little family unit, just me and my mum, so for her to not know who I was was devastating. We were a double act that went everywhere together. I despaired and never felt so alone as I had no other family to turn to. Overnight we went from a happy family to one in crisis.โ
But now Sylvia is back at home thanks to her diet. She remembers birthdays, goes to tea dances and is able to care for herself.
Mark learned that dementia rates are far lower in Mediterranean countries.
So, he created a diet for her that mimicked their eating habits which contained, fish, chicken and lots of nuts and berries, like walnuts and blueberries, as well as other brain-boosting food.
โWhen she left hospital I thought instead of prescribed medication we thought weโd perhaps try alternative treatment. In certain countries, Alzheimerโs is virtually unheard of because of their diet,โ Mark said.
โEveryone knows about fish but there is also blueberries, strawberries, Brazil nuts and walnuts โ these are apparently shaped like a brain to give us a sign that they are good for the brain.โ
In addition to eating things like broccoli, sunflower seeds, green tea, oats and sweet potatoes, she also does cognitive exercises like jigsaw and crossword puzzles.
She also makes sure to have social interaction and gets a little exercise.
โIt wasnโt an overnight miracle but after a couple of months she began remembering things like birthdays and was becoming her old self again, more alert, more engaged,โ said Mark. โPeople think that once you get a diagnosis your life is at an end. You will have good and bad days but it doesnโt have to be the end. โ
Mark says his mother also looks 10 years younger. The Alzheimerโs Society has endorsed and even assisted Mark and Sylvia in their approach.
They were even invited to the Queenโs Garden Party to applaud Sylvia for her efforts and to give hope to others.
โA 2017 study by US scientists found that a Mediterranean-style diet gave participants a 30 to 35 percent lower risk of cognitive impairment,โ the Alzheimerโs Society said, according to Daily Mail . โThe diet is high in fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts, combined with a moderate amount of oily fish and dairy, but low in meat and saturated fat which can help with both memory and heart problems.โ
You can find more information about Mark and Sylviaโs journey, as well as the Mediterranean diet here.
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