Keep Sharp (by Sanjay Gupta Keep Sharp)(9781501166730) Hardcover – January 1, 2021

I bought this book because I am already old, do want to keep my mind sharp, and I have always admired the author. The real content -- get exercise, get sleep, avoid sugar and carbs, eat the Mediterranean diet, keep a healthy weight, stay engaged and active, meditate, etc. -- could have been summed up in a magazine article and has been in many. It's one of those books that goes on for the first fifty pages or so telling you what it's going to tell you, and has a good deal of it is "Do as I do." I'm writing this review only because many people my age really ARE concerned about their mental sharpness and have limited funds.

You don't need to read this book because I am going to sum it up for you in a few words. I admit that I am neither a brain surgeon, or a "journalist," but my hobby is reading and my profession involves explaining things to people.The first part of the book: Some interesting research on how the brain works This part was pretty good.The second part of the book: to prevent or alleviate symptoms of dementia you should exercise more, eat better food, reduce stress (preferably by mediation), get a good night's sleep, and make more social connections. You have probably heard this all before, so nothing new hereThe third part of the book: our virtuous author tells you how great he is and gives you recipes for your healthy eating.All through the book: Shameless name-dropping. As I said to Oprah. When I learned to meditate with the Dalai Lama. As I was chatting with Bill Gates. As Stephen Hawking told me.... You get the picture.So now you know what is in the book. I have saved you so much time!

The 24 Question Self Assessment at the beginning of this book was probably the scariest thing I've experienced in a long while. I answered YES to almost every question.  Thankfully, the remainder of the book explains that most of these issues can be corrected. Improvements can be seen in just 12 weeks. There is hope. I have not been to a doctor for this (yet) but I believe I may have mild cognitive decline. My mother has Alzheimer's and I am her caregiver. I have a multitude of health problems of my own. I recently started following the NEURO Plan as outlined in the Alzheimer's Solution by Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai. I have already noticed a difference and hope to follow this program for life. Dr Gupta's book, Keep Sharp, adds another depth of self-treatment and prevention which I truly believe will make a difference. Keep Sharp also offers more in depth explanation of how the brain works and how simple changes truly can make a difference. This book offers an action plan that can be implemented today.Keep Sharp explains how the brain works and how our lifestyle impacts cognition. Dr Gupta has written it in a style that is easy to read and interesting. Some parts are quite technical but easy to follow. Please don't be afraid to read this book. It's comforting because it's real. It's not just hope, it's attainable.Of special interest to me were the 12 myths and 5 pillars. Myths dispelled include being doomed to forget things as we age, only using 10% of our brains, the ability of crosswords to help keep us sharp, and many more.The 5 Pillars are: - Move - Discover - Relax - Nourish - ConnectEach of these are included in the NEURO Plan (Nutrition, Exercise, Unwind, Restore, Optimize) but are approached from different angles. Keep Sharp offers even more tools and inspiration.One of the last chapters offers hope for caregivers. I found it of particular interest since I take care of Mom. Financial and emotional concerns are covered. But it also tells the story of a Dutch village for the elderly that I wish we could duplicate here. Our system isn't always set up for a smooth final chapter of our lives. We tried placing Mom in a very high end assisted living facility for Alzheimer's patients. The result was a broken hip that left her immobile and no longer a candidate for their care. We refused to put her in a nursing home where she would be strapped to a bed and have her depends changed every two hours. So we brought her home.I don't want to leave my children with the responsibility of taking care of me if I develop dementia. I don't want to do that to myself, either. I'm willing to take the necessary steps to control every factor that is within my reach.  Keep Sharp will be an important tool in my box.Gupta says that it takes just 12 weeks of diving in with each of the 5 pillars to make a real difference. I'll be back in 12 weeks to update my review.

I have been following Sanjay Gupta for some time, but during the pandemic, his presence in our lives has taken on new importance. With the wealth of conflicting information out there and the sources we would normally turn to during a time of crisis compromised, in our family we came to rely on three sources for accurate pandemic information: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and our family physician. Dr. Gupta's accessibility, common sense approach, and down-to-earth way of speaking about complex matters made him a rare voice in the pandemic wilderness.It is with this background that I eagerly bought Dr. Gupta's latest book. I've been waiting for weeks for its release. I am of an age where brain health has become a significant issue for me. I know many of us worry about how to beat back the dementia demon. This book will help.An accessible read with a wealth of information, this friendly book will help you (and me!) to keep your brain sharp with easy-to-implement everyday steps we can all take to keep our brains healthy and strong. As always, well written by the good doctor!

A very useful book which considers recent science on the causes and potential treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The 12 week programme and pillars are useful advise for keeping these dreadful diseases at bay and are useful for everyone regardless of age.A mild criticism is that the book is very USA centric and so less useful for other countries. Still, there are plenty of resources on Alzheimer’s and the various forms of dementia and available support available online.The book ends on an optimistic note. With appropriate activities and diet it should be possible to mitigate the impact of dementia and Alzheimer’s even if you have the misfortune to be diagnosed with these illnesses. The book also considers the impact on caregivers and the families of sufferers. It makes strong recommendations for sufferers to provide instructions for their care and end of life.Certainly worth a read.

A long winded way to tell you nothing new, disappointed

This book is for every one who wants to try and stay well and healthy through out their life,covers all aspects and will reward those who take onboard the excellent advice given by the author Dr Sanjay Gupta.

Accessible and clear. Encouraging regarding modifying behaviour for medium and long term gain.

Stuffed with great advice for all of us.