Happy Monday from the way to hot bay!  This weekend I was able to attend a seminar called mending the brain, which was awesome!  Being a “brain activist”, with all the healing I myself do for the brain, it’s always great to get more information in my tool box for you all.
I thought I would share just a couple highlights from this weekend.  The main topic was about Alzheimer’s, and how with such a growing epidemic, there is little treatment available.The reason it is so high, it mainly because people think it’s just an end sentence, it can’t be helped and is inevitable sign of getting older.  Nothing could be further from the truth.Here are some stats:

– Currently, 1 in 9 people over age 65 has Alzheimers Disease (11%)
– 1/3 of people over age 85 (32%)
– 81% of people with AD are 75 or older
-2/3 are women, and this is MORE common that breast cancer.
– people only survive, on average 4-8 years after a diagnosis
-By the year 2050, there will be a 40% increase of people in the US with AD, and 160 million worldwide
– It is the 3rd leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer
– 1 in 3 seniors who die in a given year have AD or another dementia
-Even if you have genetic determinants for AD called ApoE4, 50% of individuals with the gene don’t get it.  Meaning if you have the gene, prevention is key, but also that lifestyle plays a huge role!

This is pretty alarming right?  It’s also important to mention that some “forgetfulness” in all of us is completely normal.  Like, forgetting where you put your keys, forgetting facts or events over time ( this allows new memories to take space), forgetting to do something at a specific time (this is just not being present), when the answer is right at the tip of your tongue, or remembering something accurately except for some detail.
These are all completely normal, and don’t necessarily mean you are heading for AD.  Your mind can actually be supported to help with these difficulties as well!  I will explain in a bit.

What might be dementia?
-you start getting lost driving around
-bills start not being paid
-lifelong skills start to rapidly deteriorate.

The trouble with typical treatment for dementia, is dementia, memory loss, decrease in brain function ect., is a monotherapeutic condition.  This means like a lot of conditions it is a COMBINATION of many different things. It is like a roof with 35 holes in it.  Often times the “dementia drugs” are only covering one hole.  That still leaves about 34 other holes to be looked into.  This is why their really is no good treatment conventionally.  There are many events that lead up to memory loss and brain decline.  This decline is usually just a result of many many years of imbalances going on.

That being said, it’s not that easy to deal with alternatively as well.  But it can be done!  You just have to look at every one of those holes.  Even though it is not expected that most patients will be able to follow every single step in a protocol, as long as enough steps are followed, that should be sufficient.

Here are some causes of Alzheimer’s Disease-  *  Remember it is usually a COMBO of things:

Ok, a lot of info here….And there is a lot more than goes into it as well such as the tao proteinsand amyloid plaques, which aren’t actually bad things, they are actually protective structures, it’s just that the brain is on fire with inflammation and so they build up.  That point for another time…

I just want to expand on ONE of the causes here because it is a BIG one, and one that we are taking way too lightly for all ages.  This is the subject of sugar.
Alzheimers is now classified as Type 3 Diabetes.  Yes you heard that right.!  That is because sugar has been found in the brain, and sugar is a toxin!

Here’s some facts about sugar:

Our so called “Food Pyramid is very wrong on so many things.. and was based on old research.  It does not even include fats.. or minimal servings.
The truth is… way too many carbs.Also, the truth is when you get sugar irregularity in your blood work, insulin resistance happens about 5-10 years before that.This is what happens….

A low OR high insulin level is not a good thing.

When you eat something with sugar in it (including carbohydrates), the glucose hangs out in your blood. Then your pancreas secretes insulin, which attaches to that glucose in the bloodstream, and transports it into the tissues.  When you have a constant influx of glucose from your diet, the insulin keeps getting pumped out. The pancreas then starts to become desensitized, and regardless of the amount of carbs/sugar you eat, it will stop putting out insulin as much.  When insulin is in the blood it is looking for glucose, so if their isn’t any, it will then signal you that it wants some, and this is where sugar cravings come in.

Also, you can be hypoglycemic, when their is just too much insulin being pumped out and not enough glucose.  When glucose is available, your body will NOT burn fat as a source of energy.  This is why eating good fats is a better source for energy than carbs.  Then second you eat something carby however your body will switch into burning that carb for energy.

We only need about 60 grams of carbs per day for most people, If you are REALLY active about 80 grams.

What does that mean?  Well a slice of bread has about 20 grams of carbs.  A banana 29 grams, a Starbucks tall mocha 42 grams.  So most of you are getting your total grams of carbs for the day just by breakfast!

A shocking statistic:

This is why sugar has been taken way too lightly.  Insulin is considered perhaps THE MOST inflammatory biomolecule in the body.!!

In Alzheimer’s patients, there is up to an 80% reduction in insulin receptors compared to normal patients.  See the correlation???

What does this look like??

-Tired without food
-tired in the afternoon
-overall fatigue
-waking up at night (this is because your blood sugar isn’t regulated well)
-getting shaky and/or irritable at meals
-difficulty concentrating/mental fogginess
-reflux, sour stomach, nausea, gas, bloating
-sugar/carb cravings
-weight gain/hard to lose (insulin is in the system all the time)
-sleepy after meals
-hormonal problems

One last thing about sugar…..

Fructose… Fructose is fruit sugar…Fructose turns into fat faster than any other sugar, in large amounts it damages the liver, and it also increases appetite.

White table sugar has 50% fructose and 50% glucose
High fructose corn syrup has 55% fructose and 45% glucose
almost the same….

Agave nectar
90% fructose and 10% glucose..

NOT a great option..
Instead try lohan, monkfruit, manuka honey or xylitol as an option.

I am not saying don’t eat fruit.  Organic fruit is amazing and has vital antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that are vital to us. Those of us who are eating healthy, exercising, ect. can handle fruit. But, if you overdue it, especially in those that already have blood sugar handling problems its best to minimize sugar sources, i would prefer carbs more than fruit, and then once you get it under control add fruit in.  And definitely completely eliminate all the other sugar sources mentioned above.

So sugar handling is HUGE for all of use but especially in the subject of the brain.  I would say sugar and gluten are the two main inflammatories of the brain.  If you can start with that you are on a much better path.  A great way to start is dong the 21 day cleanse, or you can try to 10 day blood sugar cleanse.