I dropped a Key on my Toe, and now there's KETO on my plate

I spoke last week about my desire to better myself by eating healthier. The more that I read about any form of Dementia the more I keep seeing the fact that sugar has an adverse effect on brain function.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating giving up sweets. Lord knows I have just as big of a sweet tooth as anyone else, I assure you.
We've found several sweeteners that allow you to enjoy the simple pleasures, yet they do not affect your blood glucose (sugar) like regular cane sugar does. Back when Diet Coke came out, I was overweight (I still am a bit) and wanted to find a way to cut back on calories so I started drinking them. I loved sodas so I drank quite a lot of them. It didn't take me but a couple of weeks to see that something was going on. Come to find out, I'm allergic to Aspartame and Saccharin. Dang it! Just when I thought I could behave (well, maybe) and do better for myself my best option went out the window.
Fast forward to 2016. I went to work for TechTronic Industries as an analyst in the Finance department. Part of the benefits for working there was a PhD Nutritionist at their beck and call to do classes on healthy eating. Books and all materials were paid for and no class fees, plus they were taught onsite, so no need to go somewhere extra after work. Sarah, our nutritionist, taught us about Keto and the benefits of a different way of eating. It is not a diet. It is truly a change of lifestyle. Our book was by a man called Mark Hyman that he titled Eat Fat, Get Thin and it changed everything that I had heard about eating. Me and Sheri needed to lose some weight so we gave it a try. In 3 months we had both lost a lot of inches and pounds, felt better than we've ever felt and were even back to exercising on a regular basis, as we now had the energy to do it.
But then we moved to be closer to my work, we bought a consignment shop and spent 9 weeks remodeling it. Needless to say at the end of the day we were exhausted and chose convenience over eating right. It didn't take long until we fell back into our habits of microwaved rice, pasta and potato dishes, along with desserts that were DEFINITELY on the NoNo list.
SO, fast forward again to 2019 and here we are going "Oh Crap" we need to get serious and stay serious this time.
But there is a curve ball thrown in this mix just to make it interesting. I love to cook. I always have as long as I can remember. (I have dementia, so no wise cracks about how long that is ......   :-)
Anywho, I cannot operate in the kitchen like I used to. Longer recipes with multiple steps and a list of ingredients that would fill a grocery cart are not in my weaponry now. I've been reduced to the old KISS principle .... Keep it Simple or I feel Stupid .... (thats my version of it).
Thankfully KETO eating is relatively simple. There are fewer ingredients and generally less steps to use to complete the process from start to finish.
Another problem I've had with switching up my eating habits. I LOVE to snack. Lance crackers, Nuts, Brownies and too many other desserts were a staple in the house for me.
HOLD THE PRESS! I HAVE GREAT NEWS!
On KETO I can still snack. YEP, you heard it right here from the horse's mouth. (buck teeth and all).
You just have to snack differently. And I'm finding that it is working with me.
My Second Announcement! I LOVE CHEESE!!!!! Doesn't matter what kind. I haven't met a cheese that I didn't like. Some are a little more pungent than others and have to be taken in smaller steps, but I'll even eat Liver Cheese on occasion. On KETO you can enjoy cheese. And there is a snack that can't be beat! KETO Cheese Crisps. And guess what? For those of you who are like me and are "culinarily (is that even a word) challenged" I have the perfect recipe and here it is:



KETO CHEESE CHIPS
makes 1 serving

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of whatever grated cheese that you like. *You can do more than this, but it will "stove you up" if you overdo the cheese, so go easy on your system.
(yup, that's it)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.
While it is preheating, take out a sheet pan and line it with parchment paper. Be careful as you tear the paper from the roll. Those little spines will still cut you if you're not careful.
Sprinkle (don't tinkle) the cheese in small heaps around the paper. (hey, I have dementia so I can crack the weird jokes, what's your excuse?!?)
SAFETY TIP! Put on your oven mitts!
Insert the tray into the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure it is golden and not a Georgia clay mud dobber shade. Most stoves have an oven light that will let you play Hide and go Seek or Peepsy with it.
**If you took your oven mitts off while the food is cooking, put them back on. Carefully remove or get a loved one to remove the tray (make sure you let them use the mitts since you won't need them) from the stove and sit on a cooling rack somewhere safely on the counter.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes until safe to handle. ** Use a spatula to remove the chips from the tray so that you don't accidentally burn any of your much needed (or maybe unwanted if it droops a little bit much) flesh.
Next time we'll look more into Sweeteners and some desserts that you can make that are easy to eat.
Until then, keep fighting the good fight and remember, with your help we can #EndAlz because #AlzSux.

Krazy Kookin' Part 1 - Where's The Beef? Or Chicken? Or Pork?

I've always loved to cook. When my grandma would be in the kitchen cooking, as a young child I would be in the floor playing with any leftover pots and pans that weren't being used at the time.
It didn't take me long to realize there were benefits to helping cook, especially when the baking involved some type of batter. Brownie, Cookie Dough, Cake .... you name it and I would lick the spoon, the bowl and the beaters (as long as the mixer was turned off first of course)!😉

As I grew older I learned how to actually prepare food for a meal. My grandmother was an excellent cook who believed that "country" cookin' was the only way to go. Her cast iron skillets in multiple sizes were a staple in her arsenal for the kitchen.

I will have to admit that as I've gotten older, I have moved away from cast iron to nonstick but it doesn't mean that cast iron skillets are dead. If you season them right and maintain them periodically, they are still great to use. One of my problems with cast iron has been that my arthritis is getting pretty bad in my hands and fingers and the cast iron is so heavy, I've opted for lighter and easier to handle items when cooking. Either way you can't go wrong.

So yesterday I'm talking with our Alzheimer's Association Upstate Director of Development, Ms Aundi Hunter about my love of cooking and the challenges that are rearing their ugly head while we were headed to a luncheon. One of the main problems I'm having is trouble finishing a recipe that calls for too many steps or ingredients and/or that require multiple ways to measure.

I feel like I am a really great cook, and for a long time I did most of the cooking when we first were married. She was working long hours with a long drive to and from work, and my schedule allowed me to be at home a good bit of the time. Every evening I would have a hot meal in front of her either as she was walking in the door, or just a few moments later.

In 2015 I was able to return to a full time job and so we had to start sharing the load for cooking. Then she was laid off and it was her turn to keep the food in perpetual motion. I really missed it because I was working 60+ hours a week and the weekends were the only time that I had to really prepare anything.

Not only do I love to cook but I love to grill. One caveat; it has to be charcoal. Gas is fine for the logs in the fireplace, but not on my food. Charcoal gives food a taste that can't be duplicated. Sure, you can add some Liquid Smoke to a recipe, but it still won't give it the same flavor.

Cooking on a stove, or grill for that matter has become a safety concern for me now though. I don't really mean to, but I'll forget to wear mittens/gloves when taking something out of the oven or off the grill. I have reached out and grabbed food on the grill to either turn or remove it without even using a utensil, just my bare hands. Then it confuses me as to why it hurts. Finally I'll realize what I've done and put the food back or down on a plate, trying to treat the burn in the immediate aftermath.

This has caused us to change our food preparation and cooking roles once again. 

I don't do very well with food preparation either, so if something requires a lot of slicing or other tools, Sheri has to do that work for me also. I have a mini food chopper and a food processor that I use extensively to do a lot of my prep work. I also have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer that I use instead of the hand mixer as trying to hold the bowl and move the mixer around inside of it is difficult to do with my concentration. I can think about doing one, but not both at the same time. Here lately it is more of her cooking, and less of me even being in the kitchen, though I like to still make some of the simpler dishes.

I've said all this to give you a background as to where this is going. I love Aundi to death but I was surprised to learn that she doesn't like to cook things that have a lot of ingredients (think more than 3) or a lot of steps (mix and put in the oven is about the max I believe) and even she said that an easier way to cook and prepare recipes would be appealing to her and she thinks others too. So starting this week I'll be writing some blogs about cooking with Dementia and also about how we eat, a style known as Keto and why we've chosen this way of eating.

I hope you enjoy my writings and that you or someone you know can be inspired by something that I post. Don't forget to follow this blog and share with your friends.

And most of all, let's work together to #EndAlz

Blown

This commentary and picture collages were published on the Facebook page for the Raffle that will be held for the Painting on 9/14/2019. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Tickets in the form of donations of $5 increments can be made HERE

In it's infancy, the painting is just the beginning of our lives. As a child we watch the master at work, knowing that they will create something magical, a piece that draws us toward the scene, unaware that by the time it is finished we may want to run the other way, retching as realization comes to us for the new reality that we are now in.

 

The clouds start to build on the horizon, bringing life to a vast sea of nothingness. A life is about to be formed and what seemed like it had no beginning, no end, no purpose is about to be birthed into a new world.

As the clouds start to build, we draw our eyes toward the bottom, awaiting for something to arise from the depths, and it does. There is land now, awaiting to provide nutrients to whatever finds it way and attaches itself with deep roots.

 

Behold! A Tree has sprung forth. A new life has begun. Branches reach higher and higher toward the sky, seeking the warmth of the sun that will be needed to grow the leaves for a tree that will do many things: Bring shade to the weary, provide safety for those who feel threatened, and help to build others up when it can no longer sustain it's own life, laying it's life down so that others can live.

 As the tree becomes full, it becomes a great symbol of life to all those around. Other beings gravitate and want to be near so that they can learn, yet feel the protection that the tree can afford. They do not take away from the life nor the nutrients of the tree, instead they enhance the tree, even providing a firm foundation in the ground below to keep it steady and strong.

 

 As the tree becomes full, it becomes a great symbol of life to all those around. Other beings gravitate and want to be near so that they can learn, yet feel the protection that the tree can afford. They do not take away from the life nor the nutrients of the tree, instead they enhance the tree, even providing a firm foundation in the ground below to keep it steady and strong.

As the tree ages it is no longer as vibrant as it once was. To most observers nothing has changed, maybe it has gotten even better as the scenery continues to develop all around it. The promise of what is to come becomes the garden that surrounds the tree.

Blue signifies the one who lives with Dementia/Alzheimer's
Yellow is the person who is helping to care for the Alzheimer's/Dementia person
Purple signifies a loss of a loved one/friend that finally succumbed to the disease.
Orange flowers are those who are not directly affected by Alzheimer's/Dementia, but care enough to take a stand and lift their voice in support.
One day the promise will hopefully be broken.

But as the supporters gather around the tree, the leaves begin to make their journey to their new destination, a place that is unknown to them or the others below. They do not leave because of desire, rather the wind that has kept them stirred and alive has now started to blow increasingly, ripping them from their moorings without warning, carrying the leaves on the breeze across the landscape.

As the leaves ride the winds, they begin to change, losing the vibrancy of their once proud bodies. Even the grasses are in transition as they are forced to bend to the weight of the wind. Some are able to stand firm, others start to tilt, yet others become a blur, indistinguishable to anyone or anything around them. Yet the Painter is still in control, making sure that no one is forgotten, no stone left unturned.

In the end, the Painter is still there, still tending to the scene, lending their signature, saying, "I'm here, I know, I understand, I created each of you, you are not forgotten, you will still be with me in the end."
One day the Painter will add a new flower that will overrun the garden, a White Flower, without Blemish, Pure, Cleansed, so that the other flowers can dwindle in number until finally only 1 color remains.

If Moral Fiber Existed in Our Society, Would It Still Be Keto Friendly?

Right now all I can say is "Cannibals Beware! If you fall in a vat of chocolate, you're going to find the tables are getting turned on you!"

I've read a lot about what research has suggested that we do when it comes to eating while dealing with any form of Dementia. It seems most experts are saying that along with exercise, eating less carbs (which convert into sugar and are totally useless for nutrition, just a quick burst of energy is the only good) and limiting your sugar intake will help the brain be able to function better.

Well, I'm from the South and we basically live on CARBS and SUGAR!!! Rice, potatoes, bread, not to mention every kind of pie, cake, cookie and any other imaginable dessert we can whip up and take to the latest church potluck. I'm sure you've heard of people who are a "Meat & Potatoes" kinda person. Au Gratin, Au Not Rotten; any way that I can fix a potato I'll dive into it like a madman on death row with 10 minutes left before "the walk." But, I digress.

I used to work for a company that had a Nutritionist with a PhD who would come and give us classes periodically. She preached the Keto way of eating. Notice I did not say "DIET" as that is a 4 Letter Word that has a really bad stigma attached to it. Diets get you nothing but heartache. To really obtain any type of change and not lose the benefits gained from it, you have to make a change in your lifestyle, and that includes your eating habits. After 58 years on this earth I can tell you that up until recently, my eating habits generally sucked. Period. I have a feeling that if I didn't exercise and ride my cycle as much as I did, my weight gain would have me on that A&E Show.

Anyway, she gave us a book called "Eat Fat, Get Thin" and we watched videos about the Keto way of eating. I had recently completed some bloodwork at my annual check up and my A1C was over 7 and my BMI was Severely Obese, not to mention the high blood pressure. I was already on pills for that and didn't want to add anything else so when she mentioned that these could be lowered my interest was piqued.

I followed the Keto plan for 3 months along with my wife. (It is almost impossible to do it alone in the family and succeed, the temptations will be too great.) Then came Thanksgiving and Christmas, a move to a new town, open a new storefront that we leased a month after closing on the house, and life spiraled too fast to stay vigilant.

Fast forward to this spring, my annual checkup and me finding out my A1C was 10. UGH. Plus the weight that I lost was back too. Tag that to the dementia and it was a recipe for disaster.

So about 2 months ago we started back on the Keto way of eating. All I can say is "Why Didn't I Do This Sooner?" I forgot how much better you feel on the plan. I go back next month to the doctor for my checkup and I can't wait to see the new blood test results. I REALLY hate meds. I know they are necessary, but I still don't like them, so I'm hoping to not only stave off any need to add more, but to eventually eliminate at least some of what I am on, except for the Aricept and Namenda, Keto does not eliminate the need for these.

As many of you know I am now serving on the Early Stage Advisory Group for the Alzheimer's Association and it is giving me a platform to speak about my journey with this disease. One thing I want to talk about in my speeches is the ability that we have to help ourselves daily in our actions. No doctor is needed to get us to eat healthy (or at least healthier) and to exercise. With the internet you really have no excuse. There are a multitude of websites that have video's and posts telling how to eat better, along with so many recipes. I'm finding dessert and bread recipes that are Keto friendly that are to die for! (those cannibals may wind up being safe after all.)

While I'm glad that we are pushing still for more and more funding for research, I do wish that we had a bigger platform for eating and exercise while dealing with any form of Dementia. Especially for those in the early stages, eating and exercise is easy and crucial. You might argue, "Well, this is eventually going to kill me anyway, so why should I try to do anything about it?" Well, the people who are surrounding you and loving up on you might want you to remain cognizant a little bit longer too! (unless you're stinkingly stingily rich and they only way they are going to get your money is for you to hurry up and croak! I sincerely hope there is no one reading this who is on either side of this coin.)

I want to be aware of my daily activities for as long as possible. I love my wife, I thoroughly enjoy our time together and I want to be able to remember our adventures for a very long time. That is why I believe we need to preach this new gospel to as many people as possible. As NBC says, "The More You Know" the better prepared you can be.

Yes, right now there is no cure. Right now there is only the outlook of a progressive disease that will eventually take my life. BUT!!!! Right now there is NOW! There is LIFE! There is ENJOYMENT!

And I plan to enjoy these things for a long time to come.

So if you or a loved one is battling this disease, please "Google" and find a healthy eating plan that you (and your household) can live with and get started today. Hate gyms? Do you have a sidewalk? Well, you know how to use that! Or find a mall or arena that hosts "walk" times/days if the weather is inclement.

Start now, make the decision to change now, and get off your butt and do it. Need some help or encouragement? Let me know. I'll be glad to direct you to any resources that I know about and share recipes (which I'm thinking about doing as a side to this blog).

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to share this blog with your friends and/or leave me your thoughts in the comments section below.

And in the end, let's all make an effort to #EndAlz #AlzSux #HydroWarrior4Ever