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