New to the site: 3/4 with a strong family history from North FL

[LKFlaherty]

Hello! New member here! I recently found out I was 3/4. I am 42 and have a strong family history of Alzheimer's Dz (mom and grandfather, aunt, great aunt, and great uncle--all from my mom's side, all showing symptoms of the disease starting around age 65). My mom is 71 now and is in Stage 6 of AD. It's a terrible thing watching her slip away. Unfortunately, my parents are very mainstream and though I pushed them to pursue alternative therapies (diet, etc.) and alternative doctors, they weren't interested. The did see 5 mainstream neurologists who all rxed the typical meds (which have made my mom, and my aunt too, very sick) and offered no hope of any kind. Typical, unfortunately.

I have had a heavy healthy crunchy leaning since I became a mother almost 8 years ago (3 wonderful kiddos following 10 years of infertility!). In the past few years I have been reading anything I can get my hands on regarding diet and AD. I am a veterinarian, so am grateful to have a medical background, which makes it easier to digest all of this information. I've been doing intermittent fasting (16+ hrs/day) for about 2 years (lost all my baby weight in the first year and am now slightly below my pre-baby weight with a healthy BMI). I have eaten a mostly "whole foods" diet for the past many years, but this included a lot of saturated fat in the form of mostly local, organic, pastured meats, butter, cheese, and milk. I tested my ApoE4 status after all my reading because I knew I would need to significantly modify my diet if I was positive. Making the necessary changes from a high meat and saturated fat to a mostly vegan diet limited in saturated fat over the past few months has been a challenge, but not as challenging as I expected. The biggest stumbling block is that I also have to cook for the 4 other members of my family, 3 of which are under 8 years of age. They eat very well, but aren't into eating a bowl of broccoli and a serving of brussel sprouts for dinner, either! Ha! I've also finally kicked what was left of my sugar cravings by giving up all simple carbs and most grains. I'm loosely following Gundry's Plant Paradox diet. I started on Phase 3. I'm easing my way in, lol!

I had some labs done through my local functional med dr, who is very supportive of Dr. Bredenson's work. Unfortunately, he was unable to order most of the testing, outside of the routine tests. I am hoping to pursue Dr. Bredenson's ReCODE program in the next 1-2 years.

My questions:

Has anyone worked with a Bredenson-trained dr in/near the Jacksonville, FL area? I've seen that there is Dr. Mary Kay Ross in Savannah, GA and Rezilir Health in Hollywood, FL. Any experience with these places?

Is it recommended that I meet with a ReCODE certified dr first or sign up on the ReCODE website first?

Also, any research/knowledge on if there is another genetic link to Alzheimer's? I know many people with the ApoE4 gene and no family history of the disease. On the other hand, it is rampant in my family (though those affected may be 4/4, I'm not sure, my mom hasn't been tested and, to my knowledge, no one else has either). Is it mostly environmental or is there some other gene at play here? Just trying to figure it all out! I'm feeling pretty hopeful about my chances of preventing or at the very least delaying AD, given my commitment to dietary change and my (relatively) young age.

Thanks to everyone. I look forward to being a part of this community that is such a wealth of knowledge!

[CoachMT]

Hello! New member here! I recently found out I was 3/4. I am 42 and have a strong family history of Alzheimer's Dz (mom and grandfather, aunt, great aunt, and great uncle--all from my mom's side, all showing symptoms of the disease starting around age 65). My mom is 71 now and is in Stage 6 of AD. It's a terrible thing watching her slip away. Unfortunately, my parents are very mainstream and though I pushed them to pursue alternative therapies (diet, etc.) and alternative doctors, they weren't interested. The did see 5 mainstream neurologists who all rxed the typical meds (which have made my mom, and my aunt too, very sick) and offered no hope of any kind. Typical, unfortunately.

I have had a heavy healthy crunchy leaning since I became a mother almost 8 years ago (3 wonderful kiddos following 10 years of infertility!). In the past few years I have been reading anything I can get my hands on regarding diet and AD. I am a veterinarian, so am grateful to have a medical background, which makes it easier to digest all of this information. I've been doing intermittent fasting (16+ hrs/day) for about 2 years (lost all my baby weight in the first year and am now slightly below my pre-baby weight with a healthy BMI). I have eaten a mostly "whole foods" diet for the past many years, but this included a lot of saturated fat in the form of mostly local, organic, pastured meats, butter, cheese, and milk. I tested my ApoE4 status after all my reading because I knew I would need to significantly modify my diet if I was positive. Making the necessary changes from a high meat and saturated fat to a mostly vegan diet limited in saturated fat over the past few months has been a challenge, but not as challenging as I expected. The biggest stumbling block is that I also have to cook for the 4 other members of my family, 3 of which are under 8 years of age. They eat very well, but aren't into eating a bowl of broccoli and a serving of brussel sprouts for dinner, either! Ha! I've also finally kicked what was left of my sugar cravings by giving up all simple carbs and most grains. I'm loosely following Gundry's Plant Paradox diet. I started on Phase 3. I'm easing my way in, lol!

I had some labs done through my local functional med dr, who is very supportive of Dr. Bredenson's work. Unfortunately, he was unable to order most of the testing, outside of the routine tests. I am hoping to pursue Dr. Bredenson's ReCODE program in the next 1-2 years.

My questions:

Has anyone worked with a Bredenson-trained dr in/near the Jacksonville, FL area? I've seen that there is Dr. Mary Kay Ross in Savannah, GA and Rezilir Health in Hollywood, FL. Any experience with these places?

Is it recommended that I meet with a ReCODE certified dr first or sign up on the ReCODE website first?

Also, any research/knowledge on if there is another genetic link to Alzheimer's? I know many people with the ApoE4 gene and no family history of the disease. On the other hand, it is rampant in my family (though those affected may be 4/4, I'm not sure, my mom hasn't been tested and, to my knowledge, no one else has either). Is it mostly environmental or is there some other gene at play here? Just trying to figure it all out! I'm feeling pretty hopeful about my chances of preventing or at the very least delaying AD, given my commitment to dietary change and my (relatively) young age.

Thanks to everyone. I look forward to being a part of this community that is such a wealth of knowledge!

Welcome to the to the Apoe4.info community LKFlaherty! Though it must be very difficult watching your mother's memory and they way you knew her slip away, it is encouraging to observe how you have taken the experience and your background in science to educate yourself and your family on ways to prevent AD and cognitive decline, with enthusiasm, positivity and hope! Kudos to you for you for diving into the research, learning as much as you can, and putting meaningful lifestyle changes into action in support of your overall long-term health! If you haven’t seen it already, the primer is a great starting place to learn about the extensive resources available to you on the ApoE4.info site. It was authored by a member physician who carries two copies of the ApoE4 allele, is regularly updated and provides information on the science behind the ApoE4 allele, tips on diet and lifestyle choices, biomarkers to check, and prevention strategies.

It is inspiring to hear about some of the steps you are currently taking (intermittent fasting, whole foods, plant-based diet, cutting sugar cravings by cutting simple carbs and most grains) as well as Gundry's Plant Paradox diet based on your lab results and that you are planning to take in the future (following the Bredesen ReCODE report protocol). Being that you're cooking for your family, too, you may be interested in checking out the thread on
eating a healthy diet with heaps of micronutrients and the “Recipes from Members section to get ideas for meals.

As this this an active site, I'm sure you'll see posts to your questions from community members soon!

• - Has anyone worked with a Bredenson-trained dr in/near the Jacksonville, FL area? I've seen that there is Dr. Mary Kay Ross in Savannah, GA and Rezilir Health in Hollywood, FL. Any experience with these places?
  - Is it recommended that I meet with a ReCODE certified dr first or sign up on the ReCODE website first?
  - Also, any research/knowledge on if there is another genetic link to Alzheimer's? I know many people with the ApoE4 gene and no family history of the disease. On the other hand, it is rampant in my family (though those affected may be 4/4, I'm not sure, my mom hasn't been tested and, to my knowledge, no one else has either). Is it mostly environmental or is there some other gene at play here? Just trying to figure it all out! I'm feeling pretty hopeful about my chances of preventing or at the very least delaying AD, given my commitment to dietary change and my (relatively) young age.

We're so glad to have you as part of this community! Welcome and don't hesitate to reach out with questions or comments.

Best,
Mandy