Hello in there!

[Bomag]

Hello - I'm new to the forum. It looks like it's filled with good information. According to 23andme, I have two copies of the APOE e4 genes, predisposing me to LOAD. I think I also have variants for ARMD (A69S and 4402H).

I'm 70 yo and in pretty good health considering some autoimmune conditions (Lupus, Sjogrens, and Hashimoto's) which I keep from impacting me by diet (a customized version of the autoimmune protocol - mostly meat, veggies, beans, eggs, occasional fruit), meds (immunosuppressants: mycophenolate and hydroxychloroquin), and vitamin D3, fish oil, and ubiquinol.

I'm impressed by Stavia's understanding. Everything she has written in the primer rings true with my experiences. I'm excited and relieved to have found this forum as a resource.

My mother had memory loss as she aged, although her dementia was never diagnosed. I realize more in hindsight how hard she worked at remembering. She had lists of friends' names she would review in the morning and rehearsed them throughout the day. Although her short term memory became very poor, she lived to 95 and was always clear headed in the moment and an excellent conversationalist.

I worry about losing my ability to work, a freelance Job which requires thinking and organization, as I have no other retirement resources other than a small amount of equity in an otherwise-mortgaged house, and social security. I notice that when I take on jobs requiring more thinking, while it's difficult for me, I'm definitely smarter and clearer after the struggle! I've also recently taken up button accordion, learning by ear, which is a strictly right-brained effort and a very difficult, but fun, project. After reading the Primer, I'm going to go join the neighborhood gym, which has been on my list for months now.

Thanks again for being there - I look forward to reading more of the posts!

[Melanie R.]

Hello Bomag,

I want to extend to you a very warm welcome. We are so glad you are here and willing to share your story. It sounds to me like you have really dug into your personal health and continue to glean information that will only benefit you further. You are definitely in the right place here!

I'm happy to hear that you have already read through the Primer. Yes, it's a wealth of information, and it sounds like it has already resonated with you. If you get a chance, take a read through the Wiki as it is another valuable resource on the site.

What a hopeful story you shared about your mother. She sounds like she was an incredibly intelligent and creative woman to navigate her memory decline the way she did. What a gift for you that you have been able to learn from her experience, and apply personally the research and protocols that we currently have available to us.

I want to applaud you for your efforts to move towards a gym membership, this will be of great benefit to you. As you know from Stavia's Primer, movement is so important for the health of our brains. Way to go!

There is one resource I want to share with you. Have you heard of Brain HQ? It's an app on your phone or iPad that you can download for free and complete a level each day, another way to possibly stay smarter and clearer as your freelance job has been doing. It exercises different areas of your brain with variety from the day to day. My son recently suffered from a concussion and now uses it daily as suggested by our doctor. They can be fun and difficult at the same time, which keep things interesting.

Thank you again for being here Bomag! We value your contributions.

Warmest regards,
Melanie

[Tincup]

After reading the Primer, I'm going to go join the neighborhood gym, which has been on my list for months now.

You may want to listen to this podcast that

linked. Dr. Iñigo San Millán talks about training in zone 2. Qualitatively, Dr. Phil Maffetone's approach is similar. From a broad brush perspective, Maffetone says to workout with a heart rate around 180-age. Attia and San Millán note that the zone 2 training is essentially training your mitochondria to be more efficient.

-Z2 is the exercise intensity where you achieve the maximal fat oxidation rate (FATmax) which also coincides with the first lactate inflection point. This is indicative of maximal Type 1 muscle fiber recruitment before Type IIa starts kicking in.

https://milehightripodcast.libsyn.com/124-no-guessing-p2-with-dr-inigo-san-millan

I don't find the post now, but someone posted about doing mental work while you are exercising - for example counting backwards by 7's. {Edit} It was on the Apoe4.info FB page https://preview.tinyurl.com/wzge7bc linking this NYT article https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/well/move/exercise-may-enhance-the-effects-of-brain-training.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR1tBW79k5zLEAqVZBSN3exGbHoJP61AZSqH1TJ_nJRM87eyhfY_fJ3kLG8

Doing something with balance might also be useful. Or balance with mental exercises. Sometimes I go to the park, walk balancing on the curb (being careful not to fall into oncoming traffic) and count backwards by 7's in Spanish or another language that is not my native English.

Welcome!

[Bomag]

Thanks for the info. The two classes I'm looking at at the gym are Zumba (aerobics, reflexes, mental concentration - I'm pretty uncoordinated, and humility!) and strength training (sarcopenia) on alternate days. Zone 2 is about what I can exercise in those classes. I'm imagining you balancing on the curb counting backwards by 7s in Spanish! Good idea, more fun than doing long division.

[Tincup]

Thanks for the info. The two classes I'm looking at at the gym are Zumba (aerobics, reflexes, mental concentration - I'm pretty uncoordinated, and humility!) and strength training (sarcopenia) on alternate days. Zone 2 is about what I can exercise in those classes.

You may want to do both zone 2 and high intensity as per this paper - general newspaper report on this study.

If it were me, I'd do both zone 2 and HIIT.

[Bomag]

Good article. Thx!