Overwhelmed

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dewey
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Overwhelmed

Post by dewey »

Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while adding healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.
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Re: Overwhelmed

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dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while adding healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.
Hi Lora,

Welcome,

In this post, I list two things that might be able to help on the blood sugar. I've found that exercising at a Zone 2 level for 15 minutes after a meal will drop my post meal glucose elevation back to a good (say 85 mg/dL) level. My approximation for Zone 2 is my MAF heart rate or 180-my age (in my case 66, so MAF heart rate is 114). Zone 2 will also work on increasing mitochondrial density, which, over time, should improve glucose tolerance (see the link). If I do this after my evening meal, my blood sugar is usually good on a morning fasting test (80's).

The second is Marty Kendall's work, also in the link. Again, his is a bit more nuanced than the straight - don't eat more than 30g/carbs answer. I've been in the low carb world since 2009, when I keto adapted, so am very familiar.
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by NF52 »

dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while eating healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.
Welcome, Lora! I want to assure you that you and I are so much more than just having ApoE 4/4! I'm 14 years older than you and spent my 50's with a BMI far higher than yours and woeful eating habits due to stress about my own mother's Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. And yet today I test well within the normal range on cognitive tests (although still draw like a 5 year old and never benefited from piano lessons!), review grant applications for the Dept. of Defense and have learned how to use technology I couldn't imagine 15 years ago. I lost weight in my early 60's after learning my 4/4 status at age 62, on a "flexitarian" Mediterranean diet (way less pasta and red meat, more healthy fats and veggies) and focusing on enjoying being more fit first from exercise. I also read some of the stoics about letting go of what we can't control--especially in others and focusing on feeling empowered to care for ourselves.

I realized that my mother's fate (and my dad's, who died of cardiac arrest at age 67) is not mine. Your biological mother was no doubt incredibly brave and loving to have chosen to have you adopted. I'm sure she would tell you that you will be able to write a much different story than hers for many more healthy decades. If she is in her mid-70's or older, she also may have shown strong cognitive resilience to stressors and health issues she wasn't even aware of at your age. I know people with ApoE 4/4 my age and older who are teaching in law school, running non-profits, contributing on clinical studies of health volunteers, with diverse, promising new drug and non-drug approaches. We believe we will change the future!

We're here for each other and we are SO much more than just the predictions based on our parents' generations.

Hugs from the snowy state of Virginia!
4/4 and still an optimist!
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by ro.oconnor »

dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while adding healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.
Hi Lora! Welcome to the ApoE4.Info community! Thank you for reaching out and sharing your story. I understand your feelings of overwhelm and shock. As you probably know from reading Dr. Bredesen's book, the good news is that your genes are not your destiny. Not only that, but, you are taking control of your health and have the desire to learn and seek out solutions that work for you. I hope it helps to know that you are not alone on your health journey and have a very caring and knowledgeable community here for your support.

As an intern on the support team, I can highlight some areas of the website that you might find helpful.

As you may have already discovered, there is a search tool available in the top right-hand side of the webpage that you can access by selecting the magnifying glass icon in the top right-hand corner of the page. There you can search for topics like intermittent fasting in the various forums.

You may also find the Primer helpful. It is a resource authored by a physician with ApoE4/4 and includes researched-based prevention strategies.

Additionally, you may want to check out the How-to Guide which includes tricks and tips for getting the most out of the discussion forums.

And finally, you may be interested in visiting Our Stories. There you can browse the stories of other members and if you are comfortable, share your own.

I hope you will continue to find the site helpful on your health journey. If there is anything else you want to know and can't find it on the site, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Warmly,
Rosanne
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by ro.oconnor »

ro.oconnor wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:04 pm
dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while adding healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.

And finally, you may be interested in visiting Our Stories. There you can browse the stories of other members and if you are comfortable, share your own.
Hi again, Lora. I see that you have already posted in "Our Stories". My apologies for the oversight, and thanks again for sharing! :)
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by Sara »

dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora.
Hi Lora,

For being relatively new to this scene congratulations on all you have accomplished so far! My sister was adopted and was never able to find her birth mother so unfortunately she did not have much advance warning of what was to come. I had a couple of ideas as I read through your post. I commend you for working with a nutritionist but since your BMI is getting quite low and you are having difficulty meeting your calorie requirements, you might want to consider the following. First, consider using a food tracking program for a few weeks such as chronometer. You can use it for free. Once you have it loaded you can begin tracking what you are eating and making sure you are taking in enough of the right foods. Healthy fats should be around 70% to 80% of your daily intake, no lower than 60%; carbs should be around 10% and the balance should be in protein. You may be surprised to see how much of the healthy fats are required to meet these percentages. At some point consider checking your ketone levels if you are not already doing so. Wishing you the best!
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Surviving loved one who transitioned with AD
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by dewey »

Tincup wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:37 pm
dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while adding healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.
Hi Lora,

Welcome,

In this post, I list two things that might be able to help on the blood sugar. I've found that exercising at a Zone 2 level for 15 minutes after a meal will drop my post meal glucose elevation back to a good (say 85 mg/dL) level. My approximation for Zone 2 is my MAF heart rate or 180-my age (in my case 66, so MAF heart rate is 114). Zone 2 will also work on increasing mitochondrial density, which, over time, should improve glucose tolerance (see the link). If I do this after my evening meal, my blood sugar is usually good on a morning fasting test (80's).

The second is Marty Kendall's work, also in the link. Again, his is a bit more nuanced than the straight - don't eat more than 30g/carbs answer. I've been in the low carb world since 2009, when I keto adapted, so am very familiar.

Thank you for the response. Sorry for the delayed response. I needed time to see how to respond to each message separately... and hoping I did it correctly. I can happily report that I got bloodwork back that shows my Homa IR is in the right range. Now I need to get keto adapted. I've enlisted the help of a Bredesen trained coach.... and hoping she can help get me there without any additional weight loss. I am spending time this weekend to learn more which includes looking at the link you sent. On a side note, I've already worked in 15 min of walking after each meal. :)
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Re: Overwhelmed

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Sara wrote: Tue Jan 04, 2022 7:04 pm
dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora.
Hi Lora,

For being relatively new to this scene congratulations on all you have accomplished so far! My sister was adopted and was never able to find her birth mother so unfortunately she did not have much advance warning of what was to come. I had a couple of ideas as I read through your post. I commend you for working with a nutritionist but since your BMI is getting quite low and you are having difficulty meeting your calorie requirements, you might want to consider the following. First, consider using a food tracking program for a few weeks such as chronometer. You can use it for free. Once you have it loaded you can begin tracking what you are eating and making sure you are taking in enough of the right foods. Healthy fats should be around 70% to 80% of your daily intake, no lower than 60%; carbs should be around 10% and the balance should be in protein. You may be surprised to see how much of the healthy fats are required to meet these percentages. At some point consider checking your ketone levels if you are not already doing so. Wishing you the best!


Thank you for the response, Sara! Per your advice, I started using Cronometer. I'm definitely not getting 70 - 80% of my calories from fat. I'm around 60.... and for me that feels like a lot. I didn't lose any weight this week. Yay. I just got my ketone meter in so I will check. I appreciate your time and considerate response!
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by dewey »

NF52 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:53 pm
dewey wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:23 pm Hello! My name is Lora. I'm 55 y/o. I am adopted and recently found my birth mother who has Alzheimer's. Since then, on a whim, I decided to do the genetic test and found out I am 4/4. A few months before that, I started using a CGM and realized that I'm likely prediabetic as my fasting #'s were typically between 100 -110. I started at that point to cut carbs to a max 30 g per meal (per a nutritionist)... and started IF. I've started reading Dr Bredesen's book and am now at 16/8... but I'm losing way too much weight. I am now at 19 BMI. I can't figure out how to get enough calories in each meal without going over 30 grams of carbs and raising my glucose too high.... even while eating healthy fats (and I'm eating a lot of fats - handfuls of nuts, avocados, chia seeds, nut butters. I'm worried now about my cholesterol. I usually have 2 meals and a snack in between within the 8 hour eating window just to get closer to my calorie needs but I'm not coming close... especially considering the need for daily exercise and lots of movement. I'm overwhelmed to say the least.. and probably still in a bit of shock.
Welcome, Lora! I want to assure you that you and I are so much more than just having ApoE 4/4! I'm 14 years older than you and spent my 50's with a BMI far higher than yours and woeful eating habits due to stress about my own mother's Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. And yet today I test well within the normal range on cognitive tests (although still draw like a 5 year old and never benefited from piano lessons!), review grant applications for the Dept. of Defense and have learned how to use technology I couldn't imagine 15 years ago. I lost weight in my early 60's after learning my 4/4 status at age 62, on a "flexitarian" Mediterranean diet (way less pasta and red meat, more healthy fats and veggies) and focusing on enjoying being more fit first from exercise. I also read some of the stoics about letting go of what we can't control--especially in others and focusing on feeling empowered to care for ourselves.

I realized that my mother's fate (and my dad's, who died of cardiac arrest at age 67) is not mine. Your biological mother was no doubt incredibly brave and loving to have chosen to have you adopted. I'm sure she would tell you that you will be able to write a much different story than hers for many more healthy decades. If she is in her mid-70's or older, she also may have shown strong cognitive resilience to stressors and health issues she wasn't even aware of at your age. I know people with ApoE 4/4 my age and older who are teaching in law school, running non-profits, contributing on clinical studies of health volunteers, with diverse, promising new drug and non-drug approaches. We believe we will change the future!

We're here for each other and we are SO much more than just the predictions based on our parents' generations.

Hugs from the snowy state of Virginia!

Thank you so much for your response ... and sharing your story! I do agree that we are not our Apoe4 status. I appreciate you saying that! I am trying to do a more flexitarian Mediterranean diet as well. Do you include Intermittent Fasting?

My birth mother is 80 and by all accounts still seems to be managing well. I've never been around anyone with Alzheimers so I don't know the progression and where exactly she is in it. Plus, I have a very distant relationship with her.

I wholeheartedly believe I can direct my outcome and am so thankful for others that share their stories, wisdom... and hugs!
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Re: Overwhelmed

Post by NF52 »

dewey wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:06 am
Thank you so much for your response ... and sharing your story! I do agree that we are not our Apoe4 status. I appreciate you saying that! I am trying to do a more flexitarian Mediterranean diet as well. Do you include Intermittent Fasting?

My birth mother is 80 and by all accounts still seems to be managing well. I've never been around anyone with Alzheimers so I don't know the progression and where exactly she is in it. Plus, I have a very distant relationship with her.

I wholeheartedly believe I can direct my outcome and am so thankful for others that share their stories, wisdom... and hugs!
Hi again Lora,

Thank you for your kind words! I wish I were as good as you in doing intermittent fasting, but usually only manage about a 12-14 hours fast. My glucose has been generally good but life is a work in progress!

As for your birth mother's progression, someone who is living with or caring for your birth mother might say that she has areas that are the same as always (ex. personality, memory of skills) and other areas of mild or moderate impairment (recent memories for events, navigation, planning, recalling specific words or names). But even they would probably not be able to predict whether she will stay at that level for several years (as my mother did) or have additional areas of self-help skills or other needs arise.

It does seem from studies of people her age that what we call "Alzheimer's" is often a combination of "classic" Alzheimer's amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles with some cerebral-vascular disease (narrowing of arteries, weaker blood-brain barrier) that causes sometimes different issues depending on the areas of the brain affected. In addition, people in their 80's tend to have neurons that are showing some wear and tear in what are called "senescent" cells. None of this happens overnight and the good news is that it seems these changes often happen quite slowly in the 80's.

But just as important is to realize that the science is moving incredibly fast in understanding the many underlying issues involved in the 20+ years before a diagnosis like your birth mother's. In fact, it's clear that women are now being diagnosed with AD at lower rates than our mothers' generations, which may be due to educational and career opportunities available to our generation and improvements air, water, food and knowledge of healthy living habits.

You may enjoy browsing this thread, posted first in April 2021 and updated just last week by our Moderator TheresaB: Top articles / recent research Both information and hugs are available 24/7 in our community!
4/4 and still an optimist!
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