New member

[CanadianNB]

Hello,

I am joining to help my 14 year old daughter and 65 year old husband. We recently had genetic testing done, and found out that both my husband and my daughter have the APOE 3/4 genotype, as well as the MTHFR T/T genotype. My daughter also inherited high levels of Lp(a)-P from me.

We had these tests done because we decided as a family to embrace a high fat, low carb lifestyle along with intermittent fasting. The doctor we see now supports this approach to nutrition and offers advanced lipid and genetic testing to monitor how the diet is affecting the body.

My husband is a Type 2 diabetic. He was diagnosed in his early 40s. In the past couple of years he has cut his insulin levels by 80% by eating HFLC. I have gone keto and have lost weight from 215 lbs (5'9") to 165 lbs. I have been encouraging my husband to try IF and keto so that he can stop taking insulin. He was open to it even before we learned of these genetic challenges.

It was a surprise to learn he and my daughter have this increased risk for AD. So I am here to learn more. My daughter is not interested in HFLC, although she eats what I feed her for breakfast and dinner, and those meals are HFLC. Other than that she eats carbs, including sugar, right now. However, she has started fasting once a week for 36 hours, and does fine with that. She was open to it once she realized she is insulin resistant and on her way to type 2 diabetes.

I homeschool my daughter, so she gets more rest and has less stress than most teens. She has also been diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardiaI syndrome ). I have more time to research the best lifestyle for my husband and daughter than either one of them do. Also, I don't want them to get even more stressed about it by focusing on the negative possibilities. So here I am rather then them. Once I get more of a handle on this, we will probably have a family meeting and decide on a plan together. For now, my husband is going to start fasting. He has already stopped eating the little sugar he was eating in his beloved milk chocolate treats.

I found this site because our doctor recommended it. Thank you for creating and maintaining it. It's wonderful resource, and I love your community guidelines.

[CoachMT]

Hello,

I am joining to help my 14 year old daughter and 65 year old husband. We recently had genetic testing done, and found out that both my husband and my daughter have the APOE 3/4 genotype, as well as the MTHFR T/T genotype. My daughter also inherited high levels of Lp(a)-P from me.

We had these tests done because we decided as a family to embrace a high fat, low carb lifestyle along with intermittent fasting. The doctor we see now supports this approach to nutrition and offers advanced lipid and genetic testing to monitor how the diet is affecting the body.

My husband is a Type 2 diabetic. He was diagnosed in his early 40s. In the past couple of years he has cut his insulin levels by 80% by eating HFLC. I have gone keto and have lost weight from 215 lbs (5'9") to 165 lbs. I have been encouraging my husband to try IF and keto so that he can stop taking insulin. He was open to it even before we learned of these genetic challenges.

It was a surprise to learn he and my daughter have this increased risk for AD. So I am here to learn more. My daughter is not interested in HFLC, although she eats what I feed her for breakfast and dinner, and those meals are HFLC. Other than that she eats carbs, including sugar, right now. However, she has started fasting once a week for 36 hours, and does fine with that. She was open to it once she realized she is insulin resistant and on her way to type 2 diabetes.

I homeschool my daughter, so she gets more rest and has less stress than most teens. She has also been diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardiaI syndrome ). I have more time to research the best lifestyle for my husband and daughter than either one of them do. Also, I don't want them to get even more stressed about it by focusing on the negative possibilities. So here I am rather then them. Once I get more of a handle on this, we will probably have a family meeting and decide on a plan together. For now, my husband is going to start fasting. He has already stopped eating the little sugar he was eating in his beloved milk chocolate treats.

I found this site because our doctor recommended it. Thank you for creating and maintaining it. It's wonderful resource, and I love your community guidelines.

Welcome CanadianNB to the Apoe4.info website! Great to hear your doctor recommended it as a resource for you and that your doctor is supportive of the health choices you and your family are making. Wonderful to hear you love the community guidelines! Your love and concern for your family’s long-term health and well-being is inspiring. I hope you can feel supported in knowing that you are in the right place to continue learning about ApoE4 and strategies for improving your own as well as your family’s health. There are many threads on varying topics and healthy, robust dialogue amongst the community. If you haven’t checked it out already, the primer is a great place to begin your own learning journey on the site. Happy researching! We’d love to hear how you are progressing and if you have any questions.

[Magda]

Hello,

I am joining to help my 14 year old daughter and 65 year old husband. We recently had genetic testing done, and found out that both my husband and my daughter have the APOE 3/4 genotype, as well as the MTHFR T/T genotype. My daughter also inherited high levels of Lp(a)-P from me.

We had these tests done because we decided as a family to embrace a high fat, low carb lifestyle along with intermittent fasting. The doctor we see now supports this approach to nutrition and offers advanced lipid and genetic testing to monitor how the diet is affecting the body.

My husband is a Type 2 diabetic. He was diagnosed in his early 40s. In the past couple of years he has cut his insulin levels by 80% by eating HFLC. I have gone keto and have lost weight from 215 lbs (5'9") to 165 lbs. I have been encouraging my husband to try IF and keto so that he can stop taking insulin. He was open to it even before we learned of these genetic challenges.

It was a surprise to learn he and my daughter have this increased risk for AD. So I am here to learn more. My daughter is not interested in HFLC, although she eats what I feed her for breakfast and dinner, and those meals are HFLC. Other than that she eats carbs, including sugar, right now. However, she has started fasting once a week for 36 hours, and does fine with that. She was open to it once she realized she is insulin resistant and on her way to type 2 diabetes.

I homeschool my daughter, so she gets more rest and has less stress than most teens. She has also been diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardiaI syndrome ). I have more time to research the best lifestyle for my husband and daughter than either one of them do. Also, I don't want them to get even more stressed about it by focusing on the negative possibilities. So here I am rather then them. Once I get more of a handle on this, we will probably have a family meeting and decide on a plan together. For now, my husband is going to start fasting. He has already stopped eating the little sugar he was eating in his beloved milk chocolate treats.

I found this site because our doctor recommended it. Thank you for creating and maintaining it. It's wonderful resource, and I love your community guidelines.

Welcome to the forum CanadiaNb !
What an inspiriting health journey! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

It is really hard to blame your teenage daughter for wanting to eat carbohydrates and sugar! Unfortunately, our society has high acceptance for this macronutrient.
Cup -cakes, pizza, candy, doughnuts are every where!
I stoped attending my 5-year-old son’s birthday parties because of the quality of food parents serve to the kids.

Kudos to you for not giving up and providing for her better food choices. I know that is probably not easy!
Clean diet, environment and creating right behavior examples are the most important steps you can probably take right now to positively influence her gene expression.
You and your husband are great hard working models and I think, even she might not admit now, she will appreciate it once she gets a little older.

For now, if you have not found it yet, I would like to invite you to take a look at the PRIMER.
This resource has been created and regularly updated by Dr Stavia, our member. You will find there explanation on the science behind Apoe4 allele, tips on dietary choices, list of important biomarkers to check, and in general very useful prevention strategies many members on our site follow with great success.
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1418

If you need some inspiration on meal preparing, this part of our Wiki includes tested by our member apoe4.info approved recipes:
https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Recipes_from_our_members

Please let us now if we can assist any further and do not hesitate to post if questions arise.

My best,
Magda

[CanadianNB]

Thank you, CoachMT and Magda, for your welcoming responses. I have read the primer, which is incredibly helpful. I decided to order the book "The End of Alzheimers" and look forward to reading it. I also checked out the recipes. They are great!

For now, I do have one question. I am wondering why it isn't standard medical practice to offer genetic testing. It would have been great to know years ago that my husband has these genes. Is it standard practice in countries other than the USA? We live in Virginia, although I am Canadian.

[CanadianNB]

Another question: is there a recommended book for starting an elimination diet with low carb/high fat recipes? I think all three of us may have food sensitivities that contribute to inflammation and I think it's important to identify the foods we should avoid. So I'm thinking about that along with everything else and am hoping to find a book with a daily plan that I could follow...that might be too much to ask...

[CoachMT]

Thank you, CoachMT and Magda, for your welcoming responses. I have read the primer, which is incredibly helpful. I decided to order the book "The End of Alzheimers" and look forward to reading it. I also checked out the recipes. They are great!

For now, I do have one question. I am wondering why it isn't standard medical practice to offer genetic testing. It would have been great to know years ago that my husband has these genes. Is it standard practice in countries other than the USA? We live in Virginia, although I am Canadian.

Hi CanadianNB!

So great to hear you've had a chance to read through the Primer and check out the recipes- your enthusiasm and dedication is terrific! Wonderful to hear you have also ordered “The End of Alzheimer’s” book- it is packed full of leading research and practical information to support preventing and reversing cognitive decline.

One key nugget to keep in mind is that our genes are not our destiny! It is empowering to know we can make lifestyle changes (sleep & relaxation, exercise/movement, nutrition, stress, community & relationships) that positively impact the expression of our genes as well as increased health, longevity, and well-being. I’m not aware of the standard practices and ethics around genetic testing in other parts of the world or the USA. Others might be better able to weigh-in on that question.

[CoachMT]

Another question: is there a recommended book for starting an elimination diet with low carb/high fat recipes? I think all three of us may have food sensitivities that contribute to inflammation and I think it's important to identify the foods we should avoid. So I'm thinking about that along with everything else and am hoping to find a book with a daily plan that I could follow...that might be too much to ask...

Hi CanadianNB!- Identifying foods you and your family have sensitivities to is a great way to begin to identify sources of inflammation. Some resources you may find helpful are the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) Elimination Diet Resource Guide, Weekly Planner Recipe Guide, and Food Plan. The recipes included support the Elimination diet by removing common foods that may be causing symptoms (allergies, sensitivities, intolerances) and, with reintroduction, helping individuals identify the foods that may be triggering their symptoms. The recipes do not specifically focus on the Macronutrient breakdown, but rather on eliminating potential food triggers. You may find some helpful info in these! Best, Mandy

[CanadianNB]

One key nugget to keep in mind is that our genes are not our destiny! It is empowering to know we can make lifestyle changes (sleep & relaxation, exercise/movement, nutrition, stress, community & relationships) that positively impact the expression of our genes as well as increased health, longevity, and well-being. I’m not aware of the standard practices and ethics around genetic testing in other parts of the world or the USA. Others might be better able to weigh-in on that question.

Thank you, Mandy, for those words of encouragement.

[CanadianNB]

Hi CanadianNB!- Identifying foods you and your family have sensitivities to is a great way to begin to identify sources of inflammation. Some resources you may find helpful are the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) Elimination Diet Resource Guide, Weekly Planner Recipe Guide, and Food Plan. The recipes included support the Elimination diet by removing common foods that may be causing symptoms (allergies, sensitivities, intolerances) and, with reintroduction, helping individuals identify the foods that may be triggering their symptoms. The recipes do not specifically focus on the Macronutrient breakdown, but rather on eliminating potential food triggers. You may find some helpful info in these! Best, Mandy

Thank you so much for those resources, Mandy!

Jennifer

[CoachMT]

Hi CanadianNB!- Identifying foods you and your family have sensitivities to is a great way to begin to identify sources of inflammation. Some resources you may find helpful are the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) Elimination Diet Resource Guide, Weekly Planner Recipe Guide, and Food Plan. The recipes included support the Elimination diet by removing common foods that may be causing symptoms (allergies, sensitivities, intolerances) and, with reintroduction, helping individuals identify the foods that may be triggering their symptoms. The recipes do not specifically focus on the Macronutrient breakdown, but rather on eliminating potential food triggers. You may find some helpful info in these! Best, Mandy

Thank you so much for those resources, Mandy!

Jennifer

So glad they can be of help, Jennifer!

Best,
Mandy