It turns out that Chloe is a mastermind at key-finding. After searching high and low for the car keys this morning, I turned to her in exasperation and asked where they were.

She promptly toddled over to the bookshelf and pointed them out to me. Of course sometimes, she's the one that finds them because she's also the one that hid them – I'm just glad she can remember where as I'm not sure I would have thought to look in the shape sorter or the fire engine.

In fact, this made me wonder exactly how long Chloe has been hiding the keys for. There have been several mornings recently when I have honestly thought I was losing my mind, having put the keys down in one place and found them in another. It's no secret that my memory is fairly bad, but this was getting beyond a joke.

Fortunately then it seems that I'm not entering into the early stages of Alzheimer's. A good job too, because along with giving birth, this is one thing that has scared the hell out of me. And whilst I've come to be at peace with the labour process (although I still think there's something profoundly unfair about it) losing my mind is still top of my fear-factor list.

However, fortunately, whilst giving birth is hard to prevent, we do have an element of control over our health. And I'm sure you've heard it over and over again, that many incidences of heart disease or cancer are preventable, but did you know there's a lot you can do to protect your mental health too?

It's true that heart disease, cancer and diabetes are some of the most prevalent diseases experienced by westernised cultures such as ours – and as such, they deserve our serious attention.

However, diseases of the mind are becoming increasingly common too and of these, it's perhaps Alzheimer's that is one of the most distressing. So this week, let's focus on preserving not just your body, but your mind too.

Firstly, it's important to make sure that we know what it is we're dealing with. Whilst this is an age-associated illness, Alzheimer's disease can actually manifest itself early on in life, sometimes by the mid-30s. (This is one of the reasons why my car-key episodes were so unsettling!) In these instances, the disease usually progresses rapidly. More often however, Alzheimer's disease develops more slowly, beginning between the ages of 65 and 70.

In very basic terms, Alzheimer's disease occurs where distinctive degeneration takes place in the brain. Cellular damage leads to the formation of plaque and tangles of fibres, which ultimately lead to an enormous loss of brain cells.

This results in severe damage, particularly to the parts of the brain that control memory, thought and language.

Early indicators include forgetfulness regarding recent events and poor impulse control. During the moderate stage an Alzheimer's sufferer may have difficulty choosing clothing, lose their usual sexual inhibitions or fail to recognise family members. At its worst and most cruel stage, this disease can lead to a complete loss of memory, speech and muscle function, and also extreme hostility.

As a rule, the medical profession generally only recognises age and family history as risk factors for developing Alzheimer's disease; otherwise the causes are largely 'unknown' and are currently being researched. However, there are several ideas being discussed and addressed within the complementary healthcare field – three of which warrant particular attention here:

¦ Chronic aluminium exposure

Aluminium is often highly concentrated in the tangles of fibres in the brains of those with Alzheimer's. Aluminium levels are significantly higher than those of either healthy people, or those who have other forms of dementia e.g. from a stroke. In addition, it seems that aluminium removal significantly slows the rate of decline for those whose case is not yet well established.

¦ Free radical damage

This is otherwise known as "oxidative damage". Environmental, lifestyle and dietary factors such as pollution, smoking and eating fried or burnt foods can all cause inflammation of, and damage to, the delicate nerve pathways in the brain. The "antioxidants" such as vitamins A, C and E and the minerals Zinc and Selenium are important for protection against this free radical damage. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains are all rich in antioxidants so a diet low in these foods may well pose an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.

¦ High homocysteine

Homocysteine is a type of protein, made in the body from the amino acid methionine which in turn is found in normal dietary protein. Now normally, homocysteine is used within one of two pathways. It is either used to make SAMe (crucial for more than 40 biochemical reactions in the body) or it is used to make glutathione (a powerful antioxidant.)

However, these pathways require enough folic acid, B12, B2, B6 and zinc in order to function, and if you don't have enough then excess homocysteine may accumulate in the blood. In addition, a recent study identified that one in ten people are genetically predisposed to higher levels of homocysteine. But what does this all mean? Well, an excess of homocysteine implies a lack of conversion to the beneficial and protective SAMe and glutathione, and it can also actively lead to damage of brain cells.

For example, a recent study at Tohoku University in Japan measured the homocysteine levels of 153 elderly patients against their brain scans. The higher the homocysteine, the greater the level of damage to the brain.

So whilst there's nothing we can do about certain risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, such as aging and genetics, the onset of this disease is by no means inevitable. In actual fact, the factors mentioned above can all be considered when it comes to prevention. With these factors in mind, the following steps will help to minimize your risks and maximize your mental health as you meander into old age!

1. Avoid all sources of aluminium

Avoid cooking in aluminium pans or storing food in aluminium foil. Instead use stainless steel pots and try using baking parchment to wrap food instead. Some brands of table salt and baking powder contain aluminium so be sure to read labels carefully. In addition avoid antiperspirants that contain aluminium. The Jason brand and Tom's of Maine are both aluminium free and available at Down to Earth, Rock On, Lindo's Devonshire and Harrington Hundreds.

2. Eat magnesium rich foods

Magnesium competes with aluminum for absorption and so prevents excess uptake. Green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrains are all rich in magnesium.

3. Avoid environmental, lifestyle and dietary factors that generate Free Radicals

This includes smoking, excess alcohol, fried food, burnt food (careful when you barbeque!), pollution (e.g. try to exercise away from busy roads) and exposure to chemicals.

4. Have five servings of fruit and vegetables daily

Aim for at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily. Fruit and vegetables are rich in the antioxidants that help to prevent free radical damage. Generally, the darker the pigment, the higher the antioxidant content so blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, yellow/red/orange peppers, spinach and broccoli are all particularly good.

5. Reduce tea, coffee and cola

These are high in caffeine which actually depletes the body of the B vitamins essential for the conversion of homocysteine. Restrict your intake to one cup of coffee a day, or two cups of tea. Try herbal teas instead – I love Rooibosch tea (tastes similar to ordinary tea but has no caffeine and a very high antioxidant content), Peppermint and the Stash Wild Raspberry tea.

6. Eat less meat, more fish and vegetable proteins

Try replacing fatty meat especially with salmon, tilapia, tofu, nuts, beans and lentils. These sources of protein can help to reduce homocysteine levels as they are rich in the nutrients that help concert homocysteine to glutathione or SAMe.

7. Avoid bad fat and concentrate on good fat!

Good essential fats (omega's 3, 6 and 9) are anti-inflammatory and actually help to form the protective myelin sheath around neuron pathways in the brain. Good fats are found in unroasted nuts, seeds (try pumpkin and sunflower), oily fish, avocado and olive oil (so long as it's not heated till it is so hot it smokes). In contrast, bad fats (anything fried and the saturated fat found in red meat, full-fat dairy and baked goods) actively block the uptake of good fats in the body and additionally, cause inflammation.

8. Do all you can to manage your stress

Stress depletes the body of valuable nutrients and exacerbates all health concerns.

Try relaxing forms of exercise (yoga, tai chi, pilates, swimming), reading, meditation, reflexology or massage.

9. Consider supplementing a good quality multivitamin and mineral

Down to Earth and Rock On sell a number of top quality brands. Quality is important for providing bioavailable (i.e. readily absorbable) nutrients in correct ratio and combination. Supplementation with a multivitamin and mineral can help ensure that your nutritional needs are covered, but it can not take the place of a healthy diet and lifestyle!

As always, if you have a health condition or are taking any medication, please check with your doctor before taking any supplements.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted at clinicalnutrition@gmail.com