Oxford University’s 2024 Word of the Year, brain rot, refers to the mental deterioration caused by consuming trivial, unchallenging information, such as from endless internet scrolling. This raises a crucial question: how can we protect our brains as we age? To explore this, I turned to The Alzheimer's Solution: A Breakthrough Program to Prevent and Reverse the Symptoms of Cognitive Decline at Every Age by Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai.

Cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's, has three main determinants:
1. Age
2. Genetics
3. Lifestyle

While age and genetics are beyond our control, lifestyle choices provide hope. The Sherzais emphasize prevention, highlighting that cognitive diseases develop decades before symptoms emerge. Positive lifestyle changes—nutrition, exercise, stress management, quality sleep, and mental challenges—can delay or even prevent cognitive decline.

The Sherzais' clinic is in Loma Linda, California, a designated "blue zone" where residents live longer, healthier lives. Their findings reveal striking insights, including:

-Regular brisk walks can lower Alzheimer’s risk by 40% (Framingham Study).
-Chronic stress impedes brain cell production.
-Poor sleep leads to amyloid plaque buildup, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
-Formal education and ongoing learning reduce cognitive decline risk.
-Community support and a sense of belonging enhance brain health.

The Sherzais created the NEURO plan, a holistic approach to brain and body health:

1. Nutrition: Prioritize a whole-food, plant-based diet, incorporating items like beans, leafy greens, and good fats while limiting sugar, processed foods, and alcohol.
2. Exercise: Engage in regular physical activity to boost brain cell growth and connectivity.
3. Unwind: Manage stress through activities like yoga, meditation, or nature walks instead of unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol.
4. Restore: Maintain quality sleep through good sleep hygiene.
5. Optimize: Challenge your brain with new, mentally stimulating activities.

Small, sustainable changes, such as starting with "meatless Mondays," can have significant impacts over time.

Many brain-healthy habits lack immediate gratification, unlike activities like cooking a meal, which offers instant rewards. For example, exercise or dietary changes may take weeks or months to show results. This delayed payoff requires long-term commitment and trust in the process.

I follow many of the Sherzais' recommendations:

-A mostly plant-based diet with minimal meat, no dairy, and limited sugar and alcohol.
-Regular exercise, yoga, and meditation for stress management.
-Volunteering to foster community connection.
-Maintaining good sleep hygiene (I aim for 8-9 hours nightly).
-Challenging my brain by learning new skills, like ballroom dancing at 50 and starting this podcast.

The fight against brain rot starts with consuming meaningful, challenging information. Drs. Sherzai’s work demonstrates that proactive choices at any age can support brain health.

What are you doing to protect your brain? Join the conversation on my Facebook page, Deliberate Aging, and share your experiences.

Next week's episode is entitled Book Club. You might be wondering how does book club relate to healthy aging. Tune in next week and I'll show you how .....

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When Do You Decide to Eat?
Eating patterns vary widely – some eat by habit, others follow schedules, and some eat only when hungry. Traditional advice rarely touched on when to eat, focusing instead on what and how much to consume. The only guidance I recall was the idea that eating a large lunch is better than having a big dinner.

That changed when I read Jason Fung’s book, The Complete Guide to Fasting, where I learned about intermittent fasting. Initially, fasting seemed intimidating, as I believed it required long periods (over a day) of consuming only water. However, the book clarified that fasting can be flexible and manageable, involving shorter periods without food.

What is Intermittent Fasting?
Fasting is simply a conscious decision about when to eat. Naturally, we fast while sleeping. For instance, if you sleep from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. (8 hours) and eat throughout the day until 11 p.m., you fast for 8 hours and eat for 16 (an 8/16 pattern). Intermittent fasting reverses this ratio, such as fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window (16/8).

During fasting periods, you can have water, tea, coffee, or bone broth. Small amounts of cream or coconut oil in coffee or tea are allowed, which I appreciated since I enjoy cream in my morning coffee.

Key Insights from the Book

Emphasis on Whole, Real Foods: Avoid highly processed, packaged foods and opt for whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed proteins. These are often found around the perimeter of grocery stores.

Quality Over Macronutrient Percentages: The author debunks the idea that all carbs, fats, or proteins are equal. For example, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is far healthier than margarine, and kale differs vastly from sugar. Similarly, not all calories are equal – 2,000 calories of greens provide more nutrients and volume than 2,000 calories of chocolate.

Simplicity of Fasting: Unlike diets with strict rules, fasting is straightforward: don’t eat during your fasting window. There are no calorie or food restrictions, but healthy choices are encouraged.

Room for Splurges: Strict diets often fail because they lack flexibility. Fasting accommodates occasional feasts on special occasions.

Health Benefits: Fasting may help with conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and aging. The author stresses consulting a doctor, especially for those on medications.

My Experience with Intermittent Fasting
Starting fasting was challenging as I was used to eating breakfast immediately after waking up. Over time, it became easier, and now I fast regularly. My typical schedule is a 16/8 pattern: I skip breakfast, have coffee with cream (allowed), and eat my first meal at 10 a.m. My last meal is by 6 p.m. Initially, I worried about nighttime hunger and ate large dinners, but I eventually realized normal-sized meals suffice.

Using this approach, I lost 10 pounds and kept it off for over two years. I typically follow 16/8 during the week and allow flexibility on weekends. If my weight creeps up, I shorten my eating window (e.g., 18/6) until I’m back on track.

Beyond weight loss, I’ve experienced improved mental clarity during fasting. A colleague mentioned fasting helps him focus on work projects, as he saves time and enhances his productivity.

One area where I didn’t see improvement was my cholesterol levels. The author notes that more condensed eating periods might help, but since weight loss was my primary goal, I didn’t pursue this.

Your Experience?
I’d love to hear from others who’ve tried intermittent fasting. Did you see similar results, better results, or no change? Share your experiences on my Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565632677697

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Have you ever watched a great movie while mindlessly eating snacks, only to realize at the end that you’ve consumed way too much? This is a classic example of mindless eating—when we eat without paying attention, often consuming more than intended and missing out on fully enjoying our food.

In contrast, mindful eating is about consciously choosing what and how much to eat, savoring every bite. This means focusing on the sensory experience of eating—sight, smell, taste, texture, and even sound—while eliminating distractions like TV or phones. Mindful eating helps us enjoy our food more, reduces overeating, and supports better digestion.

For example, during a mindfulness workshop, I participated in a "chocolate challenge," where we used all five senses to slowly enjoy a small piece of chocolate over 10 minutes. This exercise was eye-opening: I felt more satisfied with a tiny piece of chocolate than I would have with mindless snacking. It reinforced how slowing down can enhance our relationship with food.

Mindful eating doesn’t mean you always choose healthy foods. It’s about consciously enjoying indulgences, like a piece of cake at a wedding, without guilt. It’s also about identifying triggers—like seeing a candy dish or smelling fresh bread—that lead to impulsive eating, and finding ways to manage them, such as keeping healthy options in sight instead.

To practice mindful eating, try the 5-Minute Chocolate Challenge. Choose a favorite food, engage all your senses, and stretch the experience to five minutes or longer. Reflect on how it felt—did it change your enjoyment of the food? It may feel unnatural at first, but with practice, mindful eating can transform your habits and improve your overall health and satisfaction.

Good luck with the challenge! Share your experience and thoughts on my Facebook page—I’d love to hear from you.

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