I may raise a little controversy here with this post, but I'm writing it anyway.
A couple of months ago, I wrote about the autoimmune disease that I've been dealing with for the past year. I've really become proactive in my health and in healing my body and eliminating the debilitating symptoms that the medication is not helping. I've also written before about my fears of developing demetia. It's a fate that I do not ever want to inherit. As I have been reading and researching (and I've been doing a lot of this), I'm learning more and more that there could very well be a connection between our diet/lifestyle and dementia.
I've suggested some of these ideas to some of my family members; most are either in denial or think I'm a little crazy (although they haven't read these books themselves). I recently read this book, called "Grain Brain". It may sound silly, but it almost brought me to tears as I read it, thinking about my mom all the while. If I had only known 7 or 10 years ago what I know today, maybe we could have prevented all of this from happening or at the very least, slowed it down. There is way too much information that I've studied to relay in one simple post, but if dementia is in your family I HIGHLY recommend you read this book. And even if it's not...I highly recommend you read this book! So many of my health issues (including my brain fog and migraines) have gone away after changing my diet and lifestyle. [You can read more about symptoms and whatnot in my new health blog]. It's true that genetics can play a factor in dementia and Alzheimer's, but it doesn't have to be your fate! Break the cycle!! After all of my research, I really do believe there are things you can do to prevent this awful disease from happening.
Nobody knows yet what causes semantic dementia. What they do know is that a protein in the body "gets loose" and deposits on the brain, eating it away. But how it gets loose is the mystery. What I have learned is that food plays a huge role in your body and affects the proteins in your body; foods such as carbs, wheats and sugars in particular. Of course everyone's bodies are different; some people are more predisposed to certain illnesses, but all of these foods can affect your brain and neurological system. I've often wondered why there is such a dramatic increase in all of the different health epidemics we see today: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia....what is the common link? I'll tell you what it is. Food. The foods we eat today are so processed and chemically altered and filled with harmful toxins; it's no wonder we are seeing all of these epidemics! Even foods such as wheat, which are considered healthy, have been so genetically engineered and processed that it doesn't even resemble the wheat that our ancestors ate. I know from personal experience that by changing my diet, I have eliminated a lot of the health problems I've been dealing with. I just wish that it wasn't too late for my mom. I will forever wonder what could have been.
Before you criticize this post, I encourage you to do the research yourself. Start with this book. There are many other great books that I have read, but this one spoke to me the most in regards to dementia (it was written by a neurologist, who also happens to be a nutritionist...he has included stories of his own practice and how he has helped people with specific neurological issues they've faced, all by managing diet). I know this post may get mixed reviews. Change is hard. But I feel an obligation to my readers, especially those who worry about their fate to dementia, to share everything I've learned throughout this journey.
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