Good Morning, Mainstream!

Big news out of the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference! Following five key healthy lifestyle habits might help prevent Alzheimer’s and other dementias! Gee, what shocking, Earth-shattering news!

An article on nbcnews.com shouts this wonderful, previously un-thought-of concept (note my extreme sarcasm) in its bold headline: “Can Alzheimer’s be stopped? Five lifestyle behaviors are key, new research suggests.”

“New research.” Hmmm. Dr. Dale Bredesen’s book, “The End of Alzheimer’s,” came out in 2017 and he had been working years prior to this developing his ReCODE protocol – lifestyle habits that he has proven will at least help if not fully prevent the disease. Dr. David Perlmutter’s book, “Grain Brain,” was released back in 2013, also teaching people what lifestyle habits are crucial for optimal cognitive health – and he had other books prior to this: “Power Up Your Brain,” “Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten” and “The Better Brain Book.” New research, indeed.

NBC’s article says studies have found that people without genetic risk for Alzheimer’s are 60 percent less likely and those with a genetic risk have a 32 percent decreased risk by following at least four of these five lifestyle habits: consuming a brain-supporting diet, exercising at a moderate-to-vigorous level for at least 150 minutes each week, not smoking, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and engaging in late-life cognitive activities. OK, lets take these one at a time.

• Not smoking: Duh. I’m pretty sure everyone agrees that smoking is completely toxic to every cell in the body, from the very ends of your hair right down to the tips of your toenails — brain included.
• Limiting alcohol consumption to light-to-moderate. Perlmutter and Bredesen both say alcohol is the worst type of sugar to consume and both say sugar consumption is a leading cause of cognitive decline. Both say to consume alcohol rarely — not moderately.
• 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise. Define vigorous. Exercising too vigorously on a regular basis causes oxidative stress and glycation. This damages every cell in the body, accelerating the aging process and contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, Bredesen and Perlmutter say.
• Engaging in late-life cognitive activities. Can we please stop assuming Alzheimer’s is only for the elderly?? My mother certainly proved one does not have to be in her 80s to get Alzheimer’s — or even 70s…or 60s. And she did crossword puzzles everyday of her life, as so many “experts” recommend for brain health. Clearly that didn’t help her at the end of the day. Let’s say vigorous cognitive activities throughout life. People should never lose their thirst to learn something new, whether they be 25 or 85.
• Consuming a brain-supporting diet. The sudy’s presenting author, Dr. Klodian Dhana, in the article defines this diet as follows:

“’MIND’ diet (Mediterranean-Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay,) which is made up of leafy green vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts and poultry, while avoiding red meat, sweets and fried foods.”

I agree with pretty much all of this, except the beans, which are a starchy carbohydrate and so should be limited. Perlmutter and Bredesen both stress the importance of limiting carbs as closely as possible to vegetables and limited fruit only. Bredesen also says all meat and fish, not just red meat should be avoided, that they should be considered a condiment and only eaten in very small portions a few times a week. I was surprised to see Dhana’s definition doesn’t include “plenty of whole grains” as mainstream continues to believe this food group to be the be-all-to-end-all. I was quite pleased to see it omitted there.

My significant other, Charlie, a few months back had to have open-heart surgery to replace a faulty valve. As part of his rehab, he was required to take a diet class that included cooking demonstrations for the “Pritikan” (heart-healthy) diet. I couldn’t believe the summary pamphlet he received. It looked as though it hadn’t been updated since 1988. It said to eat a low-fat, low cholesterol diet, urging everyone to avoid butter, egg yolks and other demons of the 1980s. It encouraged the use of industrialized, proven-disease-causing vegetables oils and artificial sweeteners. And guess what was at the top of the list for foods to eat with reckless abandon? Grains – at least five servings! I would be sick if I tried eating that much grain in a day.

Top experts in the field and countless studies have shown just how much gluten and grain in general wreak havoc on the body – the brain, the digestive system and, yes, the heart!, not to mention everywhere else. It even inspired the name of Permutter’s book, “Grain Brain.” I’m sorry; I feel like I’m beating a dead horse shouting about this, but I truly believe, through my own research and my own health journey that Perlmutter and Bredesen have it exactly right – that cutting grain and sugar are vital to optimal health. So long as mainstream continues to give terrible advice to heart patients and everyone else with shockingly outdated and misguided practices, I will continue to be the counter voice.

Notice how the MIND diet flies in the face a bit of the Pritikan diet? The Pritikan diet actually places nuts on the foods-to-avoid list! Wow! I’ve said it before: What is good for the heart is also good for the brain and vice-versa. If one type of food is needed for healthy brain function, that food would not then be damaging to another part of the body. We would not have survived as a species if the body functioned in that way.

I also feel compelled to point out an error in the article. The author calls the Alzheimer’s gene, ApoE4, a mutation. It is not. This gene has been a part of the human body since the dawn of the species. Read all about it here.

The article quotes Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center:

“This (the study findings) reinforces the notion that some of these lifestyle factors may actually affect the trajectory of cognitive aging and the development of dementia. We certainly accept that with heart disease. We need to adopt a similar mindset for cognitive aging.”

Notion indeed. What a eureka moment. What’s good for the heart is also good for the brain. Excuse me while I go pound my head against the wall. Good morning, mainstream! Can we please rub the sleep out of our eyes and start using some common sense?

The studies have found that the right lifestyle decreased one’s changes by either 60 percent or 32 percent, depending on whether the person has a genetic risk. Just imagine how much those numbers would increase when following Bredesen’s ReCODE, in which these lifestyle factors are just one of a three-pronged approach for preventing and even reversing cognitive decline. Bredesen says people must also make sure their hormone and nutrient levels are optimal (eating healthy does not guarantee enough vitamins and other nutrients the body needs) and to limit exposure to environmental toxins (mold, mercury, etc.) as much as possible and detox as necessary. You know, I think he might be on to something.

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