The Alzheimer's Antidote: Using a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease, Memory Loss, and Cognitive Decline

Since I have one of the two Alzheimer gene alleles, and being in my late sixties, I decided to see if there was anything pro-active I could do to reduce my Alzheimer's risk. I was already following the usual recommendations of eating and sleeping well, keeping fit and socially active, etc. My first book was Dale Bredesen's "The End of Alzheimers". It had a lot of new ideas and suggestions, but I found the recommended protocol was overly complex and expensive to implement. Despite this, I selected portions of it that I thought might help, and began implementing them. Going on a ketogenic diet was not one of the suggestions I tried.Awhile later (July, 2020) I discovered Amy's book, and found it to be much more focused and clearly explained. Her description of the probable cause of dementia (inadequate ability of the brain to process carbs for energy as we age) and likely antidote (a ketogenic diet to provide a new source of brain energy) struck me as very credible. So I immediately started the diet, ensuring I ate 70% of daily calories from fat, keeping carbs to 25 mg daily, and the rest of my calories from protein.Within a few months I was surprised to find my memory becoming much more clear. I say "surprised" because I didn't think I even had any memory deficits. As the months have slipped by, I even have started remembering random events from childhood that I had totally forgotten. Needless to say, I'm convinced that the ketogenic diet is a key, if not the main key, for rejuvenating the brain and protecting against dementia.As far as the challenge of sticking to a ketogenic diet, and missing carbs, I didn't find the transition very hard - though the desire for sweet fruit, pasta, bread, and desserts continued for awhile, after a year or so they weakened and now are mostly gone. I do find certain keto desserts meet my occasional desire for a sweet, which I satisfy with keto-friendly foods like Rebel ice cream, which is sweetened with xylitol, or very dark chocolate, neither of which elevate my blood sugar. Most of my dietary fat comes from olive oil, avocado oil, cheese, nuts, and the fat in meats. A smoothie I have most days is as good as a milk shake, to my taste buds: 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1/4 cup frozen mixed berries, 3 tbsp of olive oil, 30 grams of protein powder, and a cup or so of unsweetened almond milk. I put these in a power blender for 15 seconds, and it's ready to drink.I highly recommend this book. I do believe it has guided me to a real Alzheimer's antidote.

Ótimo, chegou dentro do prazo e bem embalado!

Interesting relationship between dementia and our modern diet

The target audience for this book includes medical practitioners, dietitians, people at risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, and carers for people who already have it. Also, perhaps academics needing an update on the topic, and even people who are themselves already displaying early symptoms, for example mild cognitive impairment, but are still able to read this book.The content isn't tailored perfectly to any one of these. Medical practitioners and academics might appreciate the science, but want a more concise document. Carers might appreciate the way the book describes matters a number of times from slightly different points of view, but (initially) care less about the scientific details. I haven't marked it down for this. It is easy to skip things that are not (currently) of interest, but much harder to cater for things that are not in the book at all.It would be useful if this book were required reading by medical practitioners and dietitians. Doctors and nurses would be better equipped to suggest interventions rather than "get your affairs in order". Dietitians would appreciate the power and safety of the ketogenic diet, which many of them don't understand at the moment.A book on this topic published in 10 years time will be significantly more advanced. For example, it will include material about the influence of the microbiome, (gut bacteria). But most of the target audience don't have the luxury of waiting even 5 years. They need to act NOW, but with reasonable confidence that they are not wasting time (or making things worse) with "fads". The included and cited scientific material (more than 30 pages of citations) shows that this is not based on "fads", and there is also a substantial amount of practical advice, far more than simply food/diet. Sleep, stress, exercise, etc, are all covered.I am in the category "people at risk of getting Alzheimer's disease", and I am taking this book very seriously indeed. Hence the 5 stars.

This book grabs your attention right from the first page.....captivating, interesting, personable, intelligent and clearly communicated - all the qualities I enjoy with Amy's professional writing style. It engages you from the first words and you cannot put it down.As a professional working with both people struggling with the onset of this disease and their family members, I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It will be invaluable to people who are struggling with this insidious disease, and for their loved ones as they care for them.I would also recommend this book to every medical practitioner on the planet.This book also provides hope for those who wish to prevent developing this disease in later life.Written in layman's terms, this book explores the difficult concepts around how Alzheimer's Disease (AD) begins, and what happens inside the brain when AD strikes. In not only covers AD, but also diabetes, insulin resistance and cholesterol issues.Amy explores in detail how eating a low carb and high fat diet can stop this disease in it's tracks, and in some cases, even reverse some symptoms in some people. This scientific exploration of how our body is fueled and where we have gone wrong with dietary recommendations in the past is both eye-opening and exciting as Amy shows us how to change our future, our health and the health of both ourselves and our families.On my coffee table at home, and on my desk at work, this is a book I recommend to all my clients, and to all my friends.This book offers a road map to aging healthfully with our mental faculties intact! I cannot recommend this book highly enough!