Tag: diet

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Let’s Eat

(Originally posted in Facebook on April 23, 2019)

For a while now, I’ve been amazed, and a little concerned, about the amount of food that M eats. Of course, I’ve been trying (without success) to get him to eat a Keto diet. And I know it’s hard. I’m the one who scarfed down an entire pack of pink Peeps before 10 am yesterday.

I get it.

And I’m also aware that someone (a loving, caring someone) could be out there, right now, having these same thoughts about me. (I’m really concerned about the amount of sugar she’s eating . . . )

But last night, we had Easter leftovers – ham, fruit salad and homemade mac and cheese. Yum! And, of course, there was some left over dessert for when we had cleaned our plates. I watched M eat everything, but only about half of his mac and cheese – then he threw the rest away. Okay – that’s fine. He said he was full. Then he went to the pantry and got an individual serving container of apple sauce and polished that off. Then ate another. Then he decided he wanted a piece of the cheesecake dessert we had. Then he finished off the chocolate pudding in the refrigerator. After an hour or so, he had gone upstairs and gotten a bowl of ice cream.

Now this, I don’t get.

At his last neurologist’s appointment, he was over 200 lbs. which is the highest he’s ever been. But, of course, the doctor didn’t say a word. At his last GP appointment, his blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels were all borderline, so he’s going to be in trouble when he goes back – IN JUNE – and they’re worse. They’re going to want to put him on all sorts of medications and he’s not going to like it.

At the same time, I don’t want to be a nag. I’m not his mother. I want him to enjoy his food and be happy. I feel as though I’m walking a fine line – wanting what’s best and not sure how to get it.

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Always Hopeful

(Originally posted in Facebook on March 29, 2019)

M and I had a follow-up appointment with his neurologist yesterday – the first since his attempted lumbar puncture (spinal tap) that was unsuccessful on February 20, 2019. I was happy to see that the doctor didn’t even try to talk him into attempting the procedure again. I think he knew there was NO WAY M was up to that again. It was just too painful and stressful that one time.

He did go ahead and prescribe Aricept as the first step in treatment – such as there is available – for M. We got the prescription last night and started with a 5 mg. dosage. We’ll move up to 10 mg. next month if he tolerates this well.

I also learned of an integrative medical practice about 30 miles from here that advocates Dr. Dale Bredesen’s (“The End of Alzheimer’s”) testing and protocol. This work encourages following the Keto diet, which is what I’ve been TRYING to get M to stick to – without much success. I’m calling today to see if we can get an appointment. All the other practices that I’ve found to help with this protocol have been 2 – 3 hours away and have a 6 month waiting list.

Speaking of getting M to stick to the Keto diet – last night I came home from work and really didn’t feel well . . . I think I’m coming down with a cold. So I put my pajamas on and was in bed before 6:30 pm. I fell asleep right away, so I must have needed the rest! This morning, I opened the cabinet to throw away some trash, and there was an empty ice cream carton. Sigh. I guess I know what M was doing while I was asleep.

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That’s Not How This Works

(Originally posted in Facebook on March 18, 2019)

There are a couple of ways in which I am very envious of my husband. He has never had to be on a diet in his life. Never. I, on the other hand, feel as though I have spent my entire adult life on one diet plan or another.

So now, when we’re at a point in his life where we’re trying to manage his diet – not just to affect his weight, but to impact his health – he doesn’t have the experience I have had to get him through this process. Let me explain . . .

My understanding is, with the keto diet, you have to eat a high protein, low carb diet to force your body into ketosis (using fat rather than carbs for fuel) and it takes about three days for this to happen. If you cheat and increase your carb intake, by eating sugar or bread, then your body comes out of ketosis and you have to start the process over again.

I’ve tried to explain this to M, but he still thinks it’s okay to cheat, as long as he’s “mostly” eating a keto diet. But that’s not how this works – that’s not how any of this works. He was telling me Saturday that he had accidentally put $10 in a soft drink machine at work, rather than $1, so now he had a credit in the machine. He couldn’t understand why I was focusing on the fact that he was buying a soft drink . . . and the fact that he now had a credit to get 9 more.

We’re traveling, later this week, to see our younger son in California. Last night, M asked me when we were leaving and I told him Wednesday. Later, he asked when we were coming back, and I said Monday. He said, “Not this week.” I told him no – Monday of this week was the next day (when we were talking,) so we would be coming back Monday of next week. A friend suggested I get a big calendar and mark all the upcoming dates and events on it and I need to do that. Maybe it will help.

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Keto Diet, Anyone?

(Originally posted in Facebook on March 12, 2019)

I read somewhere, recently, that dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are starting to be thought of as type 3 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes – that’s the type that seems to start mainly in young children whose bodies don’t produce insulin at all. In type 2 diabetes, your body does produce insulin, but doesn’t seem to be able to use it effectively.

And then we come to dementia. There are so many things NOT understood about what happens in the brains of dementia patients, but diet is thought to be a contributing factor. Could it really be type 3 diabetes?

We’re still trying to keep M on a keto diet – or, I should say, I am trying to keep M on a keto diet. I don’t think he’s trying, at all. He willingly eats whatever I put in front of him, but then he goes behind my back and eats whatever he wants.

Yesterday, he said something about having forgotten to put the ice packs for his lunch in the freezer, so last night, I looked in his lunch box to make sure the ice packs weren’t in there. They weren’t – but there was a whole bag of candy in there.

Now, I can’t really say much. I should be eating a healthier diet. Summer is just around the corner – and I had a bag of powdered donuts for breakfast. I know, I know. I’ve GOT to get out of the “comfort food” mindset. Somehow, walking five miles isn’t nearly as comforting as a cup of hot cocoa. With marshmallows. And chocolate sprinkles.

But let’s get back to M – I’m trying to get his BRAIN healthier. Last week, one of his brothers sent me an email with some dietary changes, like adding green tea and carrots, recommended for dementia patients. He’s onboard with the green tea, but he gave a big THUMBS DOWN to the carrots. Sigh. I guess we’ll take this in baby steps.