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World’s Most Popular Diet Boosts Brain Power

The AHA! Team — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:36:52 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – A ketogenic diet can preserve your brain power and even reverse memory loss in old age, according to an exciting new study. The high-fat keto diet, which encourages your body to burn fat instead of carbs, is the world’s most popular meal plan. Users report shedding excess pounds quickly and getting a “second wind” with more energy. I’ve been recommending my fat-based, zero-carb “Primal Power Meal Plan” to patients for more than two decades. And while the impact of this diet on balanced blood sugar and weight loss is clear, there’s more to it… When you eat this way, you’ll immediately notice that your brain is firing on all cylinders. So, I wasn’t surprised to see studies that reveal what this diet can do for your memory. Memory Loss Reversed The latest study is a follow-up to a previous study that revealed the ketogenic diet can improve cognitive performance in older male mice. This time, the research team uncovered the specific mechanism that makes it possible. Scientists put 19 male mice aged between 20 and 23 months – which counts as “old age” for the animals – on either a cycled keto diet or a standard, control diet. Mice in the experimental group switched between a ketogenic diet and a standard diet every other week. Researchers measured metabolic changes for the first 12 weeks. For five weeks after that, the team examined differences in behavior. That’s when they found out what was really happening… Upon further testing, the scientists found that ketone bodies – which are produced by the liver when your body breaks down fat for energy instead of glucose – boosted the connection between the synapses in the brain.1 This has incredible implications for your brain and memory. As you may know, synapses make up the space between nerve cells. This is how chemicals are passed along between neurotransmitters. A better connection between the synapses in your brain helps neurons send signals more effectively – increasing your capacity to recall old memories and enhance your ability to store new ones.2 An earlier study noted that ketone bodies “decrease oxidative stress, increase antioxidants, and scavenge free radicals.” These processes are essential for promoting the healing of the brain.3 The researchers say this is what restored cognitive function in the mice. And they have every reason to believe it would have the same effect on humans. Ketones can be used by most cells of the brain to make energy. When insulin resistance blocks glucose from brain cells, this energy source for the brain can help restore function. Your body produces ketones when you eat a diet high in fat and very low in carbs. Your body enters a state called “ketosis.” Because your body doesn’t have carbs to burn for energy, you burn ketones instead. And ketones burn clean. They make fewer waste products, keeping the stress off the damaged brain cells. Studies show a ketogenic diet can slow and even help reverse dementia symptoms. In a recent study, 23 people with mild cognitive impairment were put on a high- or low-carb ketogenic diet. After just six weeks, the low-carb group showed improved memory compared to the high-carb group.4 Ketogenic diets have also been linked to reduced risk of type-2 diabetes,5 Alzheimer’s,6 Parkinson’s disease,7 autism,8 multiple sclerosis,9 and certain cancers, especially brain cancer.10 As I mentioned, I’ve been recommending a high-fat, low-carb meal plan for many years. In fact, I have a catered keto-friendly lunch for my staff every other week. Unlike other diet fads that have come and gone, a ketogenic meal plan doesn’t ask you to give up much — some of your favorite foods may already be on the menu. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: Acuna-Catalan D, et al. “Ketogenic diet administration later in life improves memory by modifying the synaptic cortical proteome via the PKA signaling pathway in aging mice.” Cell Reports Med. 2024;5(6):101593. Kennedy M. “Synaptic signaling in learning and memory.” Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2016;8(2):a016824. Greco T, et al. “Ketogenic diet decreases oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial respiratory complex activity.” J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2016 Sep; 36(9): 1603–1613. Krikorian R, et al. “Dietary ketosis enhances memory in mild cognitive impairment.” Neurobiology Aging. 012;33(2):425.e19-425.e27. University of Michigan. “Liquid low-calorie or low-carb keto diet can reverse type 2 diabetes, research shows.” (https://news.umich.edu/liquid-low-calorie-or-low-carb-keto-diet-can-reverse-type-2-diabetes-research-shows.) Accessed on July 17, 2024 Dillmore A, et al. “Effects of a ketogenic and low-fat diet on the human metabolome, microbiome, and foodome in adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.” Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Nov;19(11):4805-4816. Grochowska K and Przeliorz P. “The effect of the ketogenic diet on the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases and its impact on improving cognitive functions.” Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2022 May-Aug; 12(2): 100–106. Evangeliou A, et al. “Application of a ketogenic diet in children with autistic behavior: pilot study.” J Child Neurol. 2003 Feb;18(2):113-8. Bock M, et al. “Ketogenic diet and prolonged fasting improve health-related quality of life and lipid profiles in multiple sclerosis – A randomized controlled trial.” 2015. Varshneya K, et al. “The efficacy of ketogenic diet and associated hypoglycemia as an adjuvant therapy for high-grade gliomas: a review of the literature.” Cureus. 2015 Feb 27;7(2):e251. To read the original article click here.

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The “No Weight Gain” Holiday Eating Plan!

AHA Publisher — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 08:00:59 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – It may seem futile, difficult, or discouraging to eat healthy during the Holiday Season. But take heart, you CAN enjoy a wonderful Holiday Season and delicious foods without weight gain! We have a “No Weight Gain” Holiday Eating Plan for you today. It’s your guide to easy, healthy eating throughout December while still enjoying delicious festive foods. You can do it! Here’s how. The “No Weight Gain” Holiday Eating Plan How can you enjoy festive foods and not gain weight this Holiday Season? Try these 5 simple tactics with Holiday eating: 1. Avoid the All-You-Can-Eat Mentality It’s easy to overeat for 30 or more days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. However, this won’t help your health journey, and may sabotage all the hard work you’ve already done throughout the year. Instead, decide which days you’ll let loose a bit, and then stick with your normal healthy eating plan on the other days. For example, you may decide you want to really enjoy festive foods and gatherings on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. This accounts for only 3 days or less than 10% of the “season.” On the other days, remain steadfast with healthy eating. Then, enjoy these 3 days without guilt! 2. Avoid Refined Carbs and Stay in the Keto Zone® Believe it or not, it is possible to eat healthy and stay in the Keto Zone® during the Holiday Season. How? First, follow our first tip and eat as normal except for a few festive days (if you’d like). Then, try swapping out some of the typically sugar-laden holiday foods with Keto healthy versions. For example, try our: Dr. Colbert’s Keto Coffee with Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder – Caramel Spiced Keto Hot Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Delicious Holiday Appetizers Smart Holiday Foods Swaps Healthy Keto Zone Eating at Holiday Parties and Restaurants Bring keto dishes to parties so you know you’ll always have something to enjoy. Lastly, use our next tip to get right back on track when you do stray! 3. Use Smart Tools to Get Back & Stay in Ketosis: Intermittent Fasting, Instant Ketones and Anti-Bloat Smoothie We all know it’s easy to fall into unhealthy eating every once in a while. Perhaps, you’ll splurge at a spur-of-the-moment holiday party or get together. It’s okay, we have a plan to get right back on track! When this happens, do not wallow in unhealthy eating day after day simply because you fell off the wagon. Instead, make the next day count and get back to healthy eating with these tools: Intermittent Fasting: You can feel healthy and lean in no time with intermittent fasting. The easiest method is to stop eating at 7:00pm every night, and resume at 11:00 am every morning. During the morning before 11:00, you can have non-carb drinks such as Dr. Colbert’s Keto Coffee with Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder – Caramel. Intermittent fasting offers many health benefits, encourages healthy weight changes, and promotes ongoing healthy eating (1). Instant Ketones: If you fall out of ketosis, you can get back into it quicker than you might think. While reducing carbs, add Keto Zone® Instant Exogenous Ketones Powder. These exogenous ketones will help your body begin to use ketones as energy again, help you avoid the keto flu, and promote satiety. Ketones are a great tool to stay healthy during the Holiday Season. Anti-Bloat Smoothie: You can also use our Keto Zone Anti-Bloat Smoothie (add Keto Zone® Instant Exogenous Ketones Powder for even better results!) to help rid your body of excess fluid retention, while flooding it with nourishing ingredients. This mental shift from overeating to healthy foods can really help you get back on track. Then, once on track, start back with daily healthy eating using the Keto Zone Diet Book. It’s your one-stop-shop for a healthy, Keto Zone lifestyle! 4. Stay Social and Active It’s much easier to feel unhealthy, sulk, and go down the spiral of weight gain if you keep to yourself. Instead, stay active and social, as much as possible, in winter months. For example, maintain an exercise program by enlisting a friend or an accountability partner. It’s also much easier to stick to healthy eating when others are doing so as well during the Holidays. Find a friend who values healthy eating, too. Enlist others to encourage positive, healthy habits! 5. Keep Track of Holiday Eating & Don’t Quit! Another great tool for successful Keto Zone eaters is a food journal during Holiday eating. Why? A food journal helps you acknowledge what you’re eating and how it affects you, rather than losing track. You can use a pen and paper and write down your intake. Or try a food diary App. For even better results, become familiar with the carbohydrate values of foods and keep tabs of total carbohydrates per day as you go. There’s nothing magic about food diaries, but they do promote healthy weights and compliance to eating plans. In fact, food diaries have shown significant results in fat loss in those who keep a diary versus those who don’t (2). In addition, monitoring your weight is helpful, especially through the Holidays. Some studies have also found that daily weighing, just through the Holidays, helps those looking to stay on track (3). On the other hand, many people feel like it’s time to relax and sort of “quit” on the year in terms of healthy eating. They choose to wait until the New Year to tackle goals again. If you can manage, decide instead to get a jump start on the year and eat healthy now! Quitting on healthy habits will only serve as a set back once the New Year starts again. Want more encouragement for healthy Keto Zone eating? Check out these Tips to Stay on Track with Keto Zone from real Keto dieters! Why Do Some Adults Experience Weight Gain During the Holidays? Unfortunately, holiday weight gain is a reality for many adults. In fact, most studies show a gain of 1-5 pounds, with a lesser amount among young people, such as those who are college-aged, and more among adults who are already overweight (4, 5). Why do adults gain weight? And why do overweight adults experience this most? There are many reasons. They may include: Carbohydrate-rich sugary foods are even worse when your body is overweight, and your cells are insulin resistant. For many overweight adults, sweets are a downward spiral of fat storage and insulin resistance. More sweets equal more fat storage, more fat storage equals more insulin resistance, which equals even more fat storage when you eat sweets. See how this could be especially problematic during the Holidays? Of course, Keto Zone removes the sugar. Our bodies fight for homeostasis. When you make changes to an overweight body, unless drastic such as Keto Zone, it will fight to resist weight loss and maintain its mass. In fact, studies show that even if you’ve worked hard all year and achieved some weight loss, various neuroendocrine, metabolic, and behavioral mechanisms are set in motion to counteract it (6, 7). Unless, you’ve used a method that completely changes the way your body produces energy and metabolizes food, as with Keto Zone. Frustration can easily set in when you don’t see results. If overweight, and barely seeing the scale move, it can be especially tough to stick to a plan during the Holidays, when seemingly everyone else can eat what they want. Thankfully, the Keto Zone lifestyle produces results effectively and efficiently. The holiday season is hallmarked by food traditions. It can be especially tough for anyone who grew up with traditions and celebrations that center on eating. Foods are certainly a great part of celebrations, but you can take steps to take the focus off eating and increase activities together. Bottom Line It’s a wonderful time of year, full of wonderful foods. With the Keto Zone, you don’t have to miss out! In fact, you can enjoy delicious keto foods, Holidays feasts, and wonderful times with family and friends. Stay on track through the end of this year with our “No Weight Gain” Holiday Plan! To read the original article click here.

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How to Assess Your Risk Factor for Neurodegenerative Diseases + What You Can Do to Prevent Cognitive Decline

AHA Publisher — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 07:00:13 +0000

Dr. Will Cole via Dr. Leaf – There is an epidemic in America. Close to 5.2 million people in the United States and 1 in 8 people 65 and over are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As the sixth leading cause of death in America, this debilitating disease destroys quality of life for those diagnosed while they are still alive. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition. Once you are diagnosed, there is a gradual decline in memory until, for many, not much or any memory is left at all. But is it possible to age gracefully without this disease? Or is it just a matter of time before this becomes our fate into our “golden” years? As a leading functional medicine practitioner who consults people around the world, I’ve seen firsthand that this disease doesn’t have to be a person’s destiny – even if you are genetically predisposed to this condition as some people are. Genetics: Suggestion or Life Sentence? Your genetics influence almost every aspect of your health. Everything from your weight, mood, hormones, and immune system can be traced back to your DNA. And for some people, certain genetic mutations can be linked to an increase in Alzheimer’s risk. The APOE gene controls the transportation of saturated fat in the body to areas where it is needed, and certain variants – APOE 3/4 or APOE 4/4 – control the efficiency of this transportation process. Those with APOE 3/4 have a slower transportation time and have more difficulty metabolizing saturated fat. But those with the APOE 4/4 version of this gene have the highest risk for Alzheimer’s as this double allele makes it even more difficult for the body to metabolize saturated fats, causing them to build up in the body, whether that is in the heart as plaque or as amyloid plaque in the brain that is linked to Alzheimer’s. In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, autopsy studies have shown that close to 80% of people with Alzheimer’s also had cardiovascular disease. This is especially of note for people with insulin resistance, as this condition makes the APOE44 gene variant even more detrimental. But there is another side of the coin to this genetic puzzle. In reality, the more we learn about how health problems develop over time, the more we see that genetics are often a poor predictor of the ultimate fate of your health. Research has shown that only 33% of a person’s health is actually determined by genetics whereas the other 77% is determined by controllable factors such as lifestyle choices and diet. Talk about a relief. Therefore, even those with the APOE gene variant don’t necessarily have to prepare for a life with Alzheimer’s in older age if the proper lifestyle adjustments are made early on. While nothing is guaranteed, we’ve seen over time in research how changing our health habits can make a dramatic impact in our health. Whether that is stopping the expression of that gene altogether, or drastically decreasing its expression, both are a win when compared to the full-blown effects of this disease. So how do you know your risk? These tests will help you know where you stand so you can make the changes necessary to live your best life well into your future. Assess Your Risk 1. Hemoglobin A1C and fasting blood sugar Research actually refers to Alzheimer’s as type 3 diabetes due to the link between this condition and blood sugar imbalance. It has been found that the more degeneration in the hippocampus – the memory center of the brain – the higher blood sugar levels tend to be. In fact, those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s has even been referred to as Type 3 diabetes in the scientific literature! Optimal Range: < 5.3% 2. Homocysteine and inflammation tests High homocysteine levels can act as a sort of a neurotoxin, increasing blood-brain-barrier (BBB) permeability and is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Optimal Range: < 7 3. Immunological tests Surprisingly, the immune system plays a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s. There is a whole area of research known as the “cytokine model of cognitive function” that explains how certain foods and lifestyle factors can trigger inflammation, autoimmune responses, and degeneration in the brain. 3.Genetic testing To know if you are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, looking at your genetics will verify whether or not you have one of the variants of the APOE gene as well as methylation genes that predispose to higher homocysteine levels such as MTHFR gene variants. I have written extensivelyabout this in the past. Prevention tips 1. Limit saturated fats Now this tip is mainly for those with either one of the APOE gene variants. In general, saturated fats are beneficial for your health. However, as we have seen, this isn’t the case for everyone. A perfect example of how a one-size-fits all approach doesn’t work for people’s health. Saturated fats include sources like dairy, coconut oil, animal fats like tallow and lard, and fatty cuts of meat. These don’t have to be avoided completely but should be limited. I typically recommend between 40-50 grams of saturated fat per day for those with the APOE 3/4 gene and between 30-40 grams per day for those with the APOE 4/4 gene. Instead, focus on sources of unsaturated fat such as wild-caught fish, soaked nuts and seeds, olives, avocados, extra-virgin olive oil, and avocado oil. 2. Go keto Healthy fats are essential for optimal brain health, and a ketogenic diet has been proven to be a powerful defense mechanism against brain deterioration. The ketones produced from ketosis have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and provide fuel to your brain while also demonstrating powerful anti-inflammatory abilities. It’s been shown that diets rich in polyunsaturated fats, wild-caught fish specifically, are associated with a 60 percent decrease in Alzheimer’s disease. Contrast this to high-carb diets, which have been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. My book Ketotarian, is all about how to do a ketogenic diet plant-based with vegan-keto, vegetarian-keto, and pescatarian-keto versions making it the perfect way to get the benefits of a keto diet while also limiting the amount of saturated fats for those with the APOE gene variants. I also talk about a cyclical ketotarian, which I think works very well for many people. 3. Practice intermittent fasting Going for periods of time without food has been shown to decrease overall inflammation in the body, including your brain. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can protect neurons by increasing autophagy (cellular recycling), and BDNF (encouraging new, healthy neurons) in the brain from genetic and lifestyle stress factors to slow brain deterioration. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

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Is a Hormonal Imbalance Making You Moody, Anxious, and Overweight?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 27 May 2020 07:00:07 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – The hormonal problem and solution with Dr. Anna Cabeca, OB-GYN and hormone expert: We all know that our hormones are important, but did you know that they can impact our mood and mental health as well? In this week’s blog and podcast, I spoke to Dr. Anna Cabeca, an OB-GYN, bestselling author and hormone expert, about the neuroendocrine system, how our hormones affect our mood and mental wellbeing, how the keto diet boosts brain energy and helps us lose excess weight, and what our urine says about our stress levels. Dr. Anna’s desire to help others was inspired by her own life story. After the traumatic death of her young son, Anna’s health started declining as she went through PTSD-induced early menopause. Even though she was a highly-qualified doctor who had trained at one of the best schools in the country, she was at a loss: nothing was working, so she went around the world looking for answers. During her healing journey, Dr. Anna began to realize the importance of lifestyle choices and habits, and the impact they have on our hormonal health and mental and physical wellbeing. She recognized the importance of a holistic mind and body approach to health, and now teaches others how they too can heal and live their best lives! In her incredible book The Hormone Fix, which is filled with helpful questionnaires, recommendations and tests, Dr. Anna tells women that they do not have to suffer like she did. She explains how it takes more than hormones to fix our hormones. To manage our sex hormones well, we need to focus on our lifestyle, as I discussed in a recent blog and podcast (episode #158). This includes nutrition, exercise, bioidentical hormones and stress management. If we focus on our mind and body health, we can take our health into our own hands! Why is this important? When we experience perimenopause and menopause, which generally occurs sometime between the age of 35 and 55, we enter a period of neuroendocrine vulnerability. This often results in mood swings, irregular bleeding, weight gain, fatigue, memory loss and so on, which is typically treated with medications like birth control pills or SSRI’s. However, these drugs often have negative side-effects, and don’t work for everyone. Stress can make this hormonal process worse, as our cortisol levels are controlled by our hormones. Cortisol is good in balanced amounts; it helps us get up in the morning, maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm, and is anti-inflammatory. Yet, if we are constantly stressed, we produce cortisol in excess, which leads to an imbalance in our hormones which affects our neuro-endocrine system. This, in turn, impacts our mental and physical health, making us anxious, forgetful, overweight and potentially insulin resistant. In fact, when our cortisol is up for too long, the brain shuts down the production of cortisol, which also shuts down the production of oxytocin. This can lead to burnout, isolation, despair, depression, inflammation, hair loss, and other health issues! Thankfully, there is a quick and easy way we can monitor our stress levels: the pH level of our urine! Ideally, we want our urine pH to be great than 7, i.e. alkaline. Acidic urine, that is urine with a pH of lower than 7, indicates high cortisol levels, and is warning sign that you need to do some stress management. Dr. Anna has affordable, easy to use urine strips that can help you monitor your pH levels available on her website. You can purchase these strips at your local pharmacy or online. When it comes to our health, we need to remember that the mind-body connection is real. What we think and how we manage stress directly impacts our physical wellbeing, and vice versa! This is why we should not just focus on our symptoms. We also need to look at all our lifestyle choices and how they affect our hormones and mental health, as I talked about in detail my blogand podcast (episode #158). These include: 1. What we eat. As Dr. Anna describes in detail in her new book, Keto Green 16, ketones from a natural, sustainable low carb/high fat diet are a better source of fuel for the brain and body than glucose, and can help with our hormone production and overall mental and physical health. However, for people who are insulin resistant or older, it can be hard to get into ketosis (you can also test this using a urine strip—Dr. Anna has ketosis strips on her website, and you can also purchase these strips at your local pharmacy or online), which is why intermittent fasting is also good, which trains the brain and body to turn our fat to fuel. This doesn’t mean you must eat meat: Dr. Anna has customizable plans for vegans and vegetarians in her book. If you want to learn more, you can also check out Dr. Anna’ workbook Making Keto Work. Of course, it is also important to remember eating is not just about what you eat, but also how and when you eat, which also affects your health, as I discuss in detail in my book Think and Eat Yourself Smart. Like I always say, there is only one rule when it comes to food: eat real food mindfully! 2. Bioidentical hormones. The brain needs energy, and we are only beginning to understand how this process is dependent on our hormones. When we go through perimenopause and menopause, our hormonal balance is affected, which, in turn, impacts the brain’s source of fuel. As a result, we can experience things like memory loss, fatigue, anxiety and so on. Taking bioidentical hormones is a great way to replace these hormones naturally, especially progesterone, which helps balance systems in the brain and body, including cortisol production. 3. Managing your stress! As I mentioned above, we should always be aware of how stress affects us. If we don’t manage toxic stress and the mind, it can mess with our health. This is why we should pay attention to the physical and emotional warning signals our body and brain sends us. Don’t ignore what makes you feel uncomfortable. Face it and deal with it, before it deals with you! This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

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