30 Nov Eating to Preserve Your Memory

I’m scared to death of Alzheimer’s. Too many of my elderly relatives have had it. It’s not a pretty picture. I would do anything to prevent that from happening to me.

Is it possible to prevent Alzheimer’s? Yes it is.

I am completing the course “Reversing Cognitive Decline”, presented by my coaching academy, FMCA, and Dr. Dale Bredesen. His book, The End of Alzheimer’s, tells of his revolutionary protocol to reverse or prevent dementia.

One of the main ways to prevent Alzheimer’s is through what and how you eat. So if you are scared of dementia too, you could start incorporating some of these principles into your way of eating. It’s designed to give you clearer thinking and improved brain function. Nice.

Nutrition plan

The first thing to do is eat vegetables, vegetables, vegetables. Focus on a good variety of non-starchy vegetables like kale (of course), asparagus, and greens. You also want to eat cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, or brussel sprouts. Include them at every meal and sneak them into casseroles or stews. This is easy for me because I eat soups all the time. But a big salad works too. And fermented veggies are to be included too, like sauerkraut, for much needed probiotics. Fruit to eat includes berries and other fruits that are low on the sugar side. Not bananas, sorry.

Protein is de-emphasized in this diet. Many people tend to eat more protein than the protocol would recommend. Protein can come from wild caught fish, grass fed beef, organic poultry, or pasture raised eggs. Animal protein is not required, though eating meats can give you nutrients that benefit the nervous system.

What you don’t get to eat is processed food and sugars. Gluten and dairy are out too. Too many people are sensitive to them. Artificial sweeteners are a big no-no. Nobody should eat those. I don’t know what chemicals they are and your body doesn’t either. Some people try gluten free flours and bread products but those are not recommended either.

Ketosis

You will eat a lot of healthy fats. I know you aren’t usually told that. And we now live in a low fat world, so getting enough healthy fat will take effort. The reason to eat so much fat is to get into ketosis. Yes, you go keto. It’s worth it because it make you feel alert and energized. The brain likes running on ketones instead of starches/sugars. Who knew? But a high fat, low carb diet makes the liver produce ketones, which go straight to the brain for energy. We need that. So eat olive oil, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, avocados, and olives. MCT oil is made from coconut oil and is even better for the brain.

You can eat saturated fats, like from grass fed beef, or monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, but no trans-fats. Those include margarine, shortening, hydrogenated oils, or industrial seed oils like canola. Those fats are easy to avoid if you cook at home. Eating out is harder as they are used in so many restaurants and store-bought foods.

Intermittent fasting

How many times have you been told to eat many small meals a day? Forget that and now go 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. The good part is you don’t reduce calories, you only add time between your last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day. While you’re not eating, your body is doing good things for you like cleaning up old cells and replacing them with new cells. Your blood sugar improves and your brain likes that. Also stop eating 3 hours before bedtime. For example finish dinner at 8, go to bed at 11, and eat breakfast at 8. That’s not that hard. But it does mean no mindless snacking in front of after dinner TV.

Need Help?

This is a strict and demanding nutrition plan, and it has to be. The stakes are so high. But I can help you implement the plan. I’m a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. And I’m soon to be certified in the ReCODE Protocol, which stands for REversing COgnitive DEcline. We will take it at your pace and tweak it to meet your needs. Contact me. Let’s talk and get to know each other so you can see if you want to work together. The intro call is free.

Comments: Are you scared of cognitive decline?

Bredesen, Dale. The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline (p. 179). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Chris Kresser: Vegans and Vegetarians

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