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