research

 I've been seeing an uptick in Alzheimer's Disease articles in mainstream media lately.  I don't believe this is an algorithm phenomenon -- where something seems to be trending because I see it on social media but in reality it is because information is being fed to me because I engage in that content.  No -- I believe Alzheimer's Disease -- more so prevention of Alzheimer's Disease -- is trending.  

And that's good and bad.

There is so much information available to us today.  It makes research easy and hard at the same time.  When I first started researching how to prevent Alzheimer's Disease (AD for short), the algorithm fed me "brain experts" that focused ONLY on supplements.  So I bought those supplements and started taking them.  I'd say I relied on "social media" experts for about a year.  

But then my mom's AD took a turn for the worse.  And I witnessed firsthand the worst "phase" in my opinion.  And it scared me enough to do more thorough research.

As I kept researching, reading people's comments on posts, I was led to a book.  And that book's reviews led me to this book: The Alzheimer's Solution: A Revolutionary Approach to Prevent and Reverse Alzheimer's, Offering Hope Through Groundbreaking Science and Personalized Treatment Plans. 

And as I read this book, things started to look hopeful. Although AD runs in my family, I can fight against it while there's time.  The credentials of the authors as well as the studies they have conducted proved that to me.  

There are protocols to follow in this book beyond supplementation.  And while I will never stop researching, I started the process to adopt the protocols in this book in May of this year.

• Nutrition: this required a complete 180 for me!
• Weight Lifting: Signed on with a fitness coach; heavy lifting 2x a week
• Spa: Joined HotWorx for the spa element
• Bloodwork: Found a physician to walk beside me as I get my bloodwork optimal
• Testing, adding in supplements where I am lacking, and testing again
• HRT: was already on it but tested to make sure numbers were optimal
• Deep Sleep: everything above contributes to achieving deep sleep; tracking this daily so I can consistently achieve deep sleep (where the brain works to clear out the junk)

So why do I believe the fact that preventing AD is trending a good and bad thing?  The good thing is obvious -- more people will see content that will help them.  And maybe keep preventing AD top of mind!  But trending can also be a bad thing -- because now we have people that aren't experts jumping on the algorithm bandwagon.  

And Alzheimer's Disease is not something to mess around with.  It is an evil, horrible disease that not only steals memories -- it tortures the poor soul while stealing!  And it's not only the memory that is lost, it is a complete loss of reality -- the person is lost in a web of confusion.  Every person who suffers from AD lives in fear for most of the rest of their days.  

If it's in your family, you may have the APOE4 gene.  It really is the most useless gene, in my opinion.  It requires the person that carries it to live an exceptional life -- make little mistakes when it comes to nutrition and exercise plus socially being engaged, etc.  It is not a life of leisure!

You see, those with the APOE4 gene (the AD gene) have a leaky blood/brain barrier -- which means the brain's protective blood vessel walls are weakened.

What is the Blood-Brain Barrier? 

• The shield: A tight network of cells lining the blood vessels in the brain.
• The job: It lets in good nutrients and keeps out harmful germs, cells, and chemicals from the blood.
• The leak: When it becomes "leaky" (permeable), unwanted substances from the blood can slip directly into the brain tissue.

Preventing AD is not easy!  If you have AD in your family, and you don't want to get tested to know for sure you carry the gene, I would treat it as if you DO have the gene.  And do whatever you can to prevent this horrible disease from affecting you and your loved ones as they will have to care for you. And if you are like me, and you sincerely want to prevent it, people out there spreading false hope in offering only bits of what will prevent AD are not going to be the help you need.  

I'll share my journey here.  Maybe when I'm 70 (I'm 53 now) with no signs of AD, this can be helpful for future generations.  My mom started showing signs around 70 -- which is why I picked that age.

Love & hope to you all!

amylee

 

the ever elusive deep sleep

Well last night did not go well!  The protocol I am following to protect my brain requires 90min deep sleep.  I've only achieved that once in the two months I've been tracking my sleep.  But I've never only achieved 28min of deep sleep -- until last night! 

There's a lot of good that comes from research.  And that's what I do when I come across an obstacle.  And I've never met a foe like Alzheimer's before!!!  So my research has been extensive.  But the flip side of knowing things is you know when you've messed up.  And you know the consequences.  

Living a brain-healthy lifestyle requires strict adherence to the right daily choices -- eat, sleep, exercise, etc.  There's no "off day" because Alzheimer's is relentless.  

I don't have Alzheimer's Disease, that I know of -- but I do have a mom and a grandma who both had it, so the odds are not in my favor.  This is why, at age 53, I've made the decision to follow a strict protocol for brain health.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll stop this generational curse. 

So what did I do wrong last night?  I do not know.  There are two culprits in my mind ...
1. I tried a reishi mushroom supplement to see if that would enhance my deep sleep. 
2. I also had 1 1/2 Recess Watermelon Mojito Mocktail drinks with dinner.  And that has guayusa in it -- which is a natural caffeine.  

But however it happened, it happened.  And I'm left with the day after knowing that my brain was not able to clear out all the junk from yesterday overnight.  It's a mess up there!  

This is what I did this morning -- doing what I can to help my poor brain out a bit!

1. Drank a HiNote -- which has protein, collagen, and superfoods & greens
2. Doubled up my Krill oil
3. Vitamin B, D and Milk Thistle supplements were taken!
4. Took a long walk in the sun with Duke

I'm hoping this helps my brain today -- and I can get some good DEEP sleep tonight.  I am still feeling very groggy.  I watch my mom today so there is no opportunity for a quick nap.  It's also the busiest day for my contract job.  And I have to drive my husband's monster truck to my mom's house since my daughter's car is in the shop.  Which means a stressful drive vs a joyful drive.  

So that's the reality of living a brain-healthy lifestyle.  You can try to do everything right -- but life does what it does.  

Until next time ...

amylee

protecting the brain: heat exhaustion

So it's been hot here!  And normally, that doesn't concern me a whole lot.  I do have light skin and light eyes, which the experts say are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.  But I deal.  You know?  I deal with it.  

But with Alzheimer's possibly looming, brain health is my #1 priority.  So this past week, I've experienced heat exhaustion 3x.  3x in 1 week.  What does that do to my brain?  It honestly scares me -- what did I do?  

And all 3 of the heat exhaustion incidents could've been avoided.  The first was at HotWorx, an exercise spa.  I did 2 exercises in a row.  Dumb.  The second was a Friday night farmer's market during a heat advisory.  I should've canceled.  Dumb.  And the third was a KC Royals game, in the middle of the day, temps in the high 90's.  That one I was locked in because it was a family excursion.  I could've stayed home.  I definitely should've stayed home. But I went.  And it was not only a heat exhausting day -- it was an emotional exhausting day.  Adult kids are complicated.

So the third day of being exposed to high heat, not only did my brain have to work EXTRA hard because of the heat, but also it/I was put in a high-stress emotional situation all day!  

Advocating for yourself for brain health is difficult --  and can get lonely.  This culture, at least America's culture, does not make it easy!  As an example, it's a hot day at a baseball game -- and what do they have available?  Fried foods, ice cream, beer, other alcohol options, and water.  There was more than that, mind you, but you get the jist.  The only option that was going to help with any type of heat illness or ward off heat illness was water.  There was one spot where you could get some Hawaiian food - but that was heavy on teriyaki sauce, which meant sugar.   But I knew this going in -- I knew that food was going to be limited for me.  And I could've packed a nice lunch for me, but to make it harder -- there are so many restrictions on what you can/cannot bring in to a ballgame. 

Honestly, the deck is stacked against you in this culture to live a brain healthy lifestyle!

Imagine this, America -- imagine a ballgame where there is a farmer's market with local growers set up to sell.  Imagine offering more than just plain water -- but also sparkling water!  Would it be so hard to have grilled chicken w/grilled vegetables available?  Why does everything have to cater to the unhealthy?  

It's frustrating, to say the least, to see what's coming down the line for me if I don't make significant changes.  And I've been making those changes.  But as I've been doing this, my eyes are more and more open at just how unhealthy our culture operates.  It's like it is set up to watch us fail -- and then pharmaceutical companies can swoop in and provide a quick solution.  That's a whole other rant. Sorry!

So I guess today I will focus on hydration and trying to do things that bring me joy/calm/peace to help heal this brain of mine after subjecting it to heat exhaustion 3x and emotional stress.  Taking a nice walk outside is not an option -- to day we have another heat advisory and air quality advisory.  But I should have a calm day at my contract job today -- and I watch my mom this afternoon.  Hopefully it's a good day for her -- because the good days do bring me joy. 

hello from life

It's been a while.  Life got hard -- really hard.  And when that happens, it takes all I have to stay afloat.  I'm sure most everyone can relate -- except those who invite others online along their journey during the hard times.  I've never been able to do that!  

So anyways -- life was cruising along. I was able to post what the Lord was speaking to my heart almost daily.  I was creating art that He was whispering to me to create.  Life was calm, I was able to hear Him.  But then things took a turn.  

First, my mom's Alzheimer's changed -- as Alzheimer's will as time goes on.  It's never a clear change, though.  This disease is tricky and mean.  There are small changes that come and go -- until the change for the worse sticks with us.  As it did with mom.  She was in the hospital for three weeks.  And me, my sisters and my dad and me were all taking turns staying with her while she was there.  Because anyone that knows anything about hospitals and the elderly, especially, you cannot leave them alone.  It's up to family to advocate when needed -- and you never know when it will be needed -- so someone has to be there 24/7.  It's a lot!  

And then we get my mom settled back at home, and a few weeks later my dad's health takes a turn for the worse. He ends up in the hospital ... and my sisters and I are splitting our time between hospital stays and staying with mom at home.  All this between jobs and kids and other responsibilities.  It was another 2 weeks of this until we got dad back home with mom.  

Before all of this, mom and dad were managing at home.  Now they need 24/7 care.  So while life is not as chaotic as when one of them is in the hospital, it's not easy either.  And it's not back to normal.   

I write all this to explain my absence -- although the online world is so saturated, who even noticed?  But I did miss listening to my Lord and sharing what He puts on my heart.  I'm hoping to get back to the sharing part soon.  

Until then, I'm saying a quick "hello."