The Wall Street Journal - 31.10.2019

A12| Thursday, October 31, 2019 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

LIFE & ARTS

BRYAN ANSELM FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

HALLOWEENtrick-or-treating has
many parents bracing for an on-
slaught of fun-size treats Thursday
night and wondering how to pre-
vent a bender on Laffy Taffy, candy
corn and Skittles. Just 20% of
moms and dads said they don’t set
limits on their children’s Halloween
candy, according to a survey of
more than 2,000 parents conducted
last week by Pittsburgh consumer-
research firm CivicScience.
In some households, sorting the
candy is a chance to teach young-
sters about organizing and shar-
ing. Lee Chepenik, of Orlando,
Fla., asks his three children—Ja-
mie, 14, Brooke, 13, and Olivia,
10—to set aside Whoppers for him
as they sort their trick-or-treating
haul on the kitchen table. The
children are happy to oblige, said
Mr. Chepenik, a national sales ad-
viser for a direct-mail company.
Many parents restrict how
much Halloween candy their chil-
dren can eat—or exchange it alto-
gether for other items. We asked
parents to share their strategies.
Here are four:

The Negotiation
Halloween is “a universal stres-
spoint,” said Jessica Braider, chief
executive of the Scramble, an on-
line family-meal-planning service
in Silver Spring, Md. She lets her
sons Manu, 11, and Ilan, 9, have
their candy but also sets limits.
While they are trick-or-treating,
“all bets are off,” Ms. Braider said,
and her boys eat all the candy they
want. The day after Halloween,
when they are sorting, trading and
negotiating candy, they are still al-
lowed to eat as much of it as they

Stephen Chambers eats more

strawberries and blueberries,

does high-intensity interval training,

and takes supplements and vitamins.

IN HIS 40Sand a self-described
fitness nut, Stephen Chambers
doesn’t seem like someone
who would be worrying about
Alzheimer’s.
But when his father was diag-
nosed with the disease about five
years ago, he went to the Alzhei-
mer’s Prevention Clinic in New
York to see what he could do.
Though he had no noticeable
memory issues, cognitive testing
showed less than ideal levels in cer-
tain areas. His neurologist told him
there were a number of lifestyle
changes that might help his cogni-
tion and possibly reduce the risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr. Chambers, a 48-year-old
physical therapist in Jersey City,
N.J., modified his sleep, diet and
exercise routines. Eighteen months
later, his performance on a battery
of cognitive tests improved, partic-
ularly in areas like processing
speed and executive function, such
as decision-making and planning.
“I feel a certain sense of com-
fort in knowing that there are fac-
tors that I can control that can
contribute to the decreased risk of
me getting Alzheimer’s,” says Mr.
Chambers.
Mr. Chambers is among 154 pa-
tients in a study, published online
Wednesday in Alzheimer’s & De-
mentia: The Journal of the Alzhei-
mer’s Association, that doctors
say shows encouraging results.
Among healthy patients, people
who made changes in nutrition
and exercise showed cognitive im-
provements on average. People
who were already experiencing
some memory problems also
showed cognitive improvement—if
they followed at least 60% of the
recommended changes.
It’s unclear whether the lifestyle
changes can actually help prevent
the development of Alzheimer’s dis-
ease, or simply improve cognition.
“This is a therapeutic approach
that was shown to not only main-
tain, but improve cognition in
people with the earliest stages of
Alzheimer’s,” says Richard Isaac-
son, a neurologist and first author
on the study.
While researchers struggle to
develop a drug to treat or cure
Alzheimer’s, some doctors are rec-
ommending lifestyle changes. Dr.
Isaacson began developing person-
alized prevention plans for pa-
tients of all ages in 2013 when he
started the Alzheimer’s Prevention
Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine
and NewYork-Presbyterian, of
which he is now director.
Alzheimer’s disease starts in the
brain some 20 to 30 years before
symptoms emerge, so intervening
early through personalized medi-
cine and lifestyle changes can make
a difference, says Dr. Isaacson.
For the study, Dr. Isaacson and
co-researchers enrolled 154 pa-
tients, who ranged in age from 25
to 86, in two groups. There was a
small group of 35 patients with
mild cognitive impairment (MCI),
often a precursor to dementia, and

when compared with their base-

line, as well as compared with his-

torical control groups.

Most surprising, says Dr. Isaac-

son, is that the MCI patients who

followed at least 60% of their rec-

ommendations showed cognitive

improvement. However, MCI pa-

tients who followed less than 60%

of the recommendations experi-

enced cognitive declines similar to

the control groups, he notes.

In the larger group of patients,

everyone—including those who

didn’t follow a large percentage of

recommendations—performed bet-

ter on the cognitive tests com-

pared with their baseline and con-

trol groups 18 months later. On

average, younger people showed

more improvement on the cogni-

says Dr. Sabbagh of the study. “That

is where the trend is going.”

Ronald Petersen, director of the

Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease

Research Center in Rochester,

Minn., called the study encourag-

ing but cautioned that lifestyle

changes aren’t a magic bullet.

“Does that mean we’re going to

prevent Alzheimer’s disease?” he

says. “No.” But measures that

might help delay the onset are sig-

nificant. “If we can postpone the

onset or slow the progression of

cognitive impairment and Alzhei-

mer’s disease, that’s very impor-

tant,” he says.

Mr. Chambers says he now eats

blueberries or strawberries, which

are high in antioxidants, at least

two to three times a week. He eats

more of certain kinds of fish to get

more Omega-3 fatty acids, which

can decrease inflammation and im-

prove cardiovascular and brain

health. And he adds powdered co-

coa flavonols to his morning coffee

because studies show they can

combat insulin resistance and pro-

mote cognitive function.

He also listens to more music,

particularly classical music, and

tweaked his workouts to include

more high-intensity interval train-

ing. The biggest change, he says,

was a concerted effort to get

more and better sleep by meditat-

ing and cutting back on screens

before bedtime. “I took a lot of

steps to really try to be consistent

and to prioritize sleeping more

and improve the quality of my

sleep,” he says. “Once that

changed, we really started to see

improvements in all areas.” He is

no longer prediabetic and his

blood pressure and cholesterol

levels have improved.

Diana Gabriel, a 74-year-old art-

ist and fashionista in Manhattan,

says five years ago she couldn’t re-

member what restaurant she went

to the night before. After hearing

Dr. Isaacson speak, she went to see

him at his clinic.

Within a year she says she no-

ticed major improvements in

her memory—improvements which

were validated through cognitive

tests.

Changes she has made, she says,

include intermittent fasting—or

not eating for 12 hours overnight,

which is linked to lower insulin re-

sistance. She cut out most carbo-

hydrates from her diet and also

eats wild fish. She started taking

about eight different types of vita-

mins and supplements and she

does weight lifting twice a week

with a personal trainer to gain

muscle mass. “It’s working,” she

says. “I’m getting biceps.”

“I can tell you yesterday I went

for training and then I went to a

jewelry workshop and I went for

wine with my friend and we met an

interesting guy at the bar with the

Newport Jazz Festival,” she says. “I

remember yesterday. For a year or

almost two, I could not. My mem-

ory is not perfect. But this has re-

ally given me a new lease on life.”

tive tests compared with people

over 60, says Dr. Isaacson. Patients

in both groups had a family his-

tory of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers monitored choles-

terol, blood pressure and blood

sugar levels because they are

linked to an increased risk of Alz-

heimer’s disease. And the study

tracked patients’ body fat and

muscle mass; studies show the

memory center of the brain, called

the hippocampus, gets smaller as

belly size gets larger, says Dr.

Isaacson. Patients were assigned

exercises based on their body met-

rics. Other recommendations in-

cluded targeting stress reduction

through activities like meditation,

and encouraging brain stimulation

by learning a new instrument or

foreign language.

Marwan Sabbagh, director of the

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center

for Brain Health in Las Vegas, says

the results are promising. “The peo-

ple who had the targeted interven-

tion and who were high in their ad-

herence did very, very well over the

span of 18 months, showing that

these strategies work, and I think

that’s a very encouraging result,”

a larger group of 119 patients who

had no symptoms of memory loss,

though some had less-than-ideal

performance on cognitive tests.

Based on a battery of blood, ge-

netic and cognitive tests, as well

as measurements of their body fat

and muscle mass, patients received

a couple of dozen personalized

recommendations ranging from

eating specific types of fish and

berries, to taking certain vitamins,

and tailored exercise plans.

Eighteen months later, they

took a series of very sensitive cog-

nitive tests which may detect cog-

nitive decline before memory

problems outwardly appear, says

Dr. Isaacson. The majority of both

groups of patients showed statisti-

cally significant improvements

Some changes that Dr. Isaacson

says might help improve cognition,

depending on body type and medical

profile. Consult a doctor first.

nEat a half-cup of blueberries and

strawberries two to three times a

week.

nEat two to three servings per

week of wild fish, which are high in

Omega-3 fatty acids.

nAdd powdered cocoa flavonols to

coffee, smoothies or skim milk.

nPractice good sleep hygiene: Sleep

at least 7.5 hours a day, avoid caffein-

ated drinks after 1 p.m., go to bed

and wake up at the same time every

day, and avoid electronics, texting and

email 30-45 minutes before bed.

nExercise at least three times a

week with a mix of aerobic and re-

sistance/weight training.

nHave one tablespoon of extra-vir-

gin olive oil daily.

nCut back on sugar and carbohy-

drates and look for whole grains and

foods with high amounts of fiber.

nPlay a musical instrument.

nLearn something new, such as a

foreign language.

Brain Boosters

BYANNEMARIECHAKER want. After those two days,
however, their candy is
available only as an
option for their
daily “treat.” That
means that they
can have two or
three pieces of
candy for their
treat—or a differ-
ent snack from the
kitchen—anytime
during the day.
“Sometimes the
treat of the day is
with breakfast, and
that kills me a lit-
tle bit, but that is
the deal,” Ms.
Braider said, “and
they know their
treat for the day is
done.” The system
gives the boys a sense
of control while still set-
ting limits, she added. By Thanks-
giving, interest in the candy has
dwindled—along with the supply.

The Vanishing Act

Some parents lend a hand in

making candy disappear. Renee

Panic, a recruiter in Bethesda, Md.,

puts aside a few pieces of the trick-

or-treat hoard for her 3-year-old

daughter, Aleksa, and 20-month-old

son, Niko. Over time, she eats the

rest, an effort she dubs “operation

get-rid-of-the-Halloween candy.” “I

will be eating the majority of the

candy,” Ms. Panic said, “and I won’t

feel bad about it.”

Jennifer Gilligan said her chil-

dren, Addison and Everett, who

are 8 and 10, typically gorge on

candy for two days, after which it

starts to lose its luster. That is

when Ms. Gilligan, a real estate

agent in Boulder, Colo., steps in.

“I steal at least two pieces a

day,” she said, particularly from

Everett, because he tends to hold

on to chocolate, which she likes. “I

take the Kit Kats, the Snickers, the

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups,” she

said.

In recent years, late-night tele-

vision shows aired videos parents

posted online of candy-stealing

confessions. The children’s reac-

tions—usually tears and tan-

trums—gave audiences a laugh.

Some child psychologists said that

may not be the best approach and

pointed out that Halloween is an

opportunity for lessons about

sharing, balance and even sorting

different types of candy.

The Switch Witch

Some parents rely on the Switch

Witch, a bartering technique that

takes a page from the tooth fairy.

After trick-or-treating is over, the

Switch Witch drops by and ex-

changes the candy stash for other

surprises. It’s a win for both sides:

The parent makes the candy disap-

pear and the child is satisfied with

bigger-ticket trinkets.

Two years ago, Holly Salmons,

chief executive of the Better Busi-

ness Bureau of Central Florida, be-

gan enlisting this approach with

her son, Grayson, now 6. “He was

more interested in the concept of

trick-or-treating than the candy

anyway,” Ms. Salmons said. After

bedtime, she leaves a note and a

bucket of toys in Grayson’s room.

Last year he received pool toys, a

yo-yo and some snack-size bags

of Doritos. “He’s more of a salty

kid anyhow,” his mother said. For

this year’s visit from the Switch

Witch, she has a deck of Uno

cards, a game of checkers, some

Pirate’s Booty salty snacks and a

gift certificate to a local pizza

place.

The Office Potluck

Parents who aren’t up to eat-

ing—or throwing away—a pile of

Halloween candy have another op-

tion: bringing it in to work. Ms.

Salmons does that as a follow-up

to her Switch Witch duties. She

puts her son’s Halloween candy

into plastic bags and takes it to

the office, where her colleagues

welcome it.

Kim Hooker, a regional vice

president of a physical therapy

company in Melbourne, Fla., delib-

erately buys non-chocolate can-

dies, such as Skittles and Star-

burst, so she won’t eat it all. The

day after Halloween, she brings

leftover candy to the skilled-nurs-

ing facilities where she works, so

colleagues and resident senior citi-

zens can have some. “They love

it,” she says, and her daughters

Kaylee and Mikenna, ages 14 and

12, “don’t even know.”

The bottom line is that parents

should give kids some candy be-

cause that’s “what makes Hallow-

een special,” said Kathy Hirsh-

Pasek, a psychology professor

specializing in child development

at Temple University. “However

you negotiate and find balance is

fine, as long as you give the kids

candy. It’s the ones giving kids

pencils that I don’t understand.”

Eat, Barter or Steal: Tackling the Halloween Candy Haul

YOUR HEALTH| SUMATHI REDDY

Linking Diet, Exercise and Alzheimer’s

JEAN TUTTLE