Whether you have a family history of dementia or you’re just afraid your mind isn’t as sharp as it once was, you don’t have to lose your memories.

Neurodegeneration is an issue many women are concerned about as we age. This is the loss of neurological health and cognitive function, which is common in diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. As rates of these conditions continue to rise, researchers are racing to increase their understanding of neurodegeneration and provide viable solutions. Their research is giving us the ability to take more control of our brain health as we age. But before I tell you about the research, I want to tell you about Rose.

Rose is a twin that I’ve treated for about 20 years. She’s 72 years old and is very concerned about her mental health. That’s because her mother and her grandmother died of Alzheimer’s, and now her twin sister has advanced Alzheimer’s. So if anyone had reason to be concerned about a genetic predisposition, Rose did. But if you didn’t know this detail about Rose’s family history, you would think Rose has nothing to worry about. Her mind is as sharp as a tack. She’s spry, energetic, and very witty.

When she came to see me 20 years ago, her doctor had already encouraged her to change her diet. She came to see me after he passed away. Amazingly, he was a fan of resveratrol and told her to take it. I increased her dose of resveratrol and added curcumin and green tea to her regimen – along with a few other supplements. Now she’s taking Advanced Polyphenol Formula, which has more and considerably better resveratrol than she was taking.

So what’s the difference between these twin sisters? Only the way they’ve taken care of themselves. Rose changed her diet and has been taking the best supplements she can find, while her sister hasn’t done either one. This is just one anecdotal story, but I see this every day. And now there’s more evidence that the choices you make each day will impact your brain function for years to come.
Believe it or not, some of those foundational choices have to do with keeping your blood sugar under control. This can actually have an enormous impact on your cognitive health. You may remember that I’ve discussed how some researchers have relabeled Alzheimer’s disease as “type-3 diabetes.” There’s a good reason for this. Research has finally begun to uncover the strong but surprising connection between diabetes and dementia.

It’s taken a long time for scientists to recognize these links. That’s in part because it’s normal to exclude participants with a known health condition, such as diabetes, from a study of a different health condition, such as Alzheimer’s. It’s much harder to assess causes and effects if you cloud the issue at hand with other diseases. But it turns out that when it comes to diabetes, this may have been a mistake. That’s because the enzymes that break down insulin also break down the amyloid-beta plaques in the brain that are a major contributor to Alzheimer’s symptoms. When you have too much insulin floating around, those enzymes spend all their time just trying to get the insulin under control. They aren’t able to tackle the plaques building up in the brain too. Researchers speculate that keeping insulin at a healthy level could dramatically reduce the number of Alzheimer’s cases we see – and, of course, diabetes cases as well.

Foundational to keeping insulin levels under control are eating right and exercising. I know those steps aren’t groundbreaking, but it can’t be stressed enough how important they are. In particular, limit the amount of sugar in your diet and consider a supplement, such as Advanced Blood Sugar Formula (800-791-3395) that contains herbs and nutrients shown to help lower blood sugar. More research is needed, but controlling your blood sugar could turn out to be the absolute best thing you can do to avoid developing Alzheimer’s disease.

A natural outcome of eating a healthy, low-sugar diet tends to be that you consume more plant-based foods. According to research published in the journal Molecules, this is a great idea if you’re trying to maintain brain health, as plants tend to be high in phytochemicals, which have neuroprotective effects. Phytochemicals, which include polyphenols, have antioxidative, anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties that help defend the brain from dementia. You’ll find them in the variety of fruits and vegetables that you’re eating. You can also supplement with polyphenols for an extra boost of protection, by taking Advanced Polyphenol Formula (800-791-3395), which contains six of the most powerful polyphenols, including resveratrol and turmeric. These are the nutrients Rose has been taking to protect her brain.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the nutrients Rose has taken for over 20 years is resveratrol. It’s a polyphenol that can have a tremendous impact on your brain. For instance, resveratrol can inhibit the formation of beta amyloid (the plaque that leads to Alzheimer’s). Another study showed how resveratrol actually decreases these plaques in different cell lines. In other studies, resveratrol suppressed inflammation in the brain by “inhibiting NADPH oxidase activity and attenuating NF-κB-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).” That’s a scientific way of saying resveratrol protects the breakdown of healthy neurological tissue. Taken together, these studies indicate that besides its antioxidant property, resveratrol also exerts neuroprotective effects.

While less is known about the connection between blood sugar and Parkinson’s, eating a healthy diet does play a significant role in helping you avoid this condition as well. One large study conducted at the University of Virginia found a strong association between excess processed carbohydrate intake, a lack of healthy polyunsaturated fat consumption, and onset of Parkinson’s. Experiencing constipation and being overweight were associated as well.

If you want to protect your cognitive health as you age, there’s just no substitute for eating a healthy, plant-based, low-sugar diet. Even if you don’t do anything else to protect your brain, you’ll be far ahead of the curve if you eat this way. But once you’ve gotten that down, there are some other strategies you can employ to help you avoid neurodegeneration.

You know that your brain feels foggy when you don’t get enough sleep. Well, if you’re never getting high-quality rest, that fog could become your permanent state. A study conducted at Denmark’s Center for Healthy Aging and the Danish Center for Sleep Medicine found a connection between restless sleep during REM cycles and signs of Parkinson’s disease. To reduce Parkinson’s risk, you need to not just fall and stay asleep, but enjoy healthy, deep sleep. So taking a sleep medication won’t do the trick and may even make the problem worse. If you aren’t sleeping well, you may need to talk to a doctor and have your sleep evaluated to identify and address the root cause of the problem.

It’s also very important that you limit your exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Some of these chemicals may be lurking in antipsychotic medications that are far too routinely prescribed to elderly patients. Sadly, these drugs are sometimes prescribed to people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities not because they are medically needed but because they keep residents subdued. These drugs have side effects characteristic of Parkinson’s that then seem to justify their use – and the prescription of additional medication. If your loved one has been prescribed an antipsychotic, make sure you thoroughly understand the reason for the prescription. Get a second opinion, preferably a geriatric psychiatrist, not associated with the residence.

Of course, medications aren’t the only place we can be exposed to harmful chemicals, which can lurk in everything from building materials to herbicides and pesticides. You want to do all you can to avoid these by being careful about the products you use in and around your home and choosing organic foods whenever possible. You also want to keep your immune system strong so that it can do its job of detoxing your body from the chemicals you do encounter. If you’ve followed the advice outlined here of eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting good sleep, you’re well on your way.

I do want you to keep in mind that it’s normal for you to have some “senior moments” as you age. You don’t need to panic if you occasionally misplace your car keys or can’t remember the name of someone you met once. But since it can be harder to remember things as you age, you may want to put some new strategies in place to help your brain and your memory stay healthy and strong. All the standard recommendations of getting “brain exercise” – everything from doing crossword puzzles to learning a new skill or language – apply here. There are even apps for helping improve cognitive function. One very popular one is called Brain HQ. It’s just a series of games. I’ve done these and find them to be fun and helpful in other areas of focus, concentration, and memory.

There’s also a simple exercise you can do to strengthen your brain in your down time. A doctor that I studied with had all of his patients sit in a chair and draw the alphabet with their foot. They usually chose their dominant foot. Once they finished, the doctor asked them to repeat the exercise with their other foot and to continue practicing at home. He believed that this foot/brain exercise would improve mental coordination. Many of his patients agreed. They often told him that this simple exercise made a difference in how they felt in general and in their ability to concentrate, focus, and remember.

I know that neurodegeneration can be a scary topic to think about, but you have more control over your brain health than you might think. Don’t wait until you begin noticing your memory slipping to take charge. Limit your sugar, eat plenty of plants, and get enough rest, and you’ll be well on your way to good brain health in your later years.

Bi et al. 2005; Kim et al. 2006

Marambaud, Zhao, and Davies 2005

Ono et al. 2006a

Ono, Naiki, and Yamada 2006b

Finding a Truly Healthful Snack Bar Just Got a Lot Easier

It seems that everywhere we turn, there’s a new dietary restriction. Some people are avoiding dairy. Others are gluten free. Some people steer clear of soy. Plenty of people have embraced the Paleo trend, while others prefer a vegetarian or vegan diet. And of course, I have my own recommendations, such as choosing organic foods and avoiding artificial ingredients. With all of these constraints, it’s hard to know what people should eat these days.

This is especially true when it comes to snack foods. While it’s easy for me to recommend a nice big salad as a fit for all of the above restraints, that’s not exactly grab-and-go. And it’s hard to easily recommend salad toppings that provide energy and meet everyone’s requirements. Hardboiled eggs or organic chicken is off the table for vegans, while the Paleo crowd might prefer them. Cheese won’t work for the lactose-intolerant. Tofu is a no-go for the soy-free. So while I want you to eat your vegetables, I understand that they aren’t always what you reach for when you want a filling or portable solution.

It’s true that vegetables are not only an answer to the myriad of dietary restrictions, they also provide something that many of us aren’t getting enough of in our daily lives: fiber. I recommend women get approximately 25 grams a day (a little more if you’re under 50; you can get by with a little less if you’re older). Fiber has a number of benefits beyond simply helping us move food through our digestive tracts. Research has linked it to cancer prevention, improved digestive health, and a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Since many of us aren’t getting enough fiber as it is, it’s important to prioritize it at every meal, including snack time. But that still doesn’t mean we’re going to grab vegetables for every snack.
So let’s recap: the perfect snack food is high in fiber but still provides energy. It fills you up but is easy to grab on your way out the door. It’s dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. It’s organic. It’s vegan yet still Paleo-friendly. And, of course, it tastes good, which many people argue is where veggies fall short.

For years, I wasn’t sure such a product could exist. That’s an awful lot of boxes to check. But I’m pleased to announce that a friend of mine, Maria, introduced me to one. I was a little skeptical at first. She told me that it was real food, it tasted good, and it was good for you. It contains 10 grams of fiber (over one-third of your recommended daily intake) and 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving. So it will give you energy and fill you up as well. This amazing product is called a Bhu Fit Fiber Bar.

Bhu is a Sanskrit word meaning “of the earth.” The company that makes these bars is committed to making organic foods using natural ingredients through sustainable processes. Their products are certified organic and certified gluten free.

The fiber bars come in two delicious flavors: double dark chocolate chip and apple chunk + cinnamon + nutmeg. The chocolate chip bar uses Paleo-friendly egg white protein and has only 1 gram of sugar, while the vegan apple bar uses organic pea protein and has 4 grams of sugar, due in part to its real fruit content. Both bars also contain a prebiotic fiber source in the form of tapioca, which is great for keeping your gut bacteria healthy, happy, and well-fed.

These bars offer a rare combination of high protein and high fiber. In fact, I don’t know of another high-protein vegetarian snack bar that also offers this much fiber. This combination makes the bars very filling, yet they still clock in at just 180 calories. If you’re watching your calorie intake, try eating half of the bar for a morning snack and finishing it off in the afternoon.

I’m thrilled to have found a product that offers so many benefits without any unnecessary ingredients. I’m glad to be able to recommend these bars wholeheartedly to anyone who is looking for a simple, healthy way to supplement their fiber intake on the go. Just make sure you’re still eating your vegetables too! You can order Bhu bars by calling 800-791-3395. (Make sure you give them offer code WHB316).

These powerful foods protect your skin from the inside

Did you know that for decades dermatologists were taught that there was no link between your diet and your skin? Today we know that there are strong ties between what we eat and the visible signs of aging. We know that there are certain foods that contribute to a healthy glow. I have seen wrinkles, rashes, rosacea, acne even eczema and psoriasis improve with an improved diet.

For instance, we all know how good vitamin C is for our skin. While it's good to apply it topically, you'll also benefit from eating foods high in this vitamin. By doing so, you'll get the benefits of the whole foods, which typically boast a wealth of nutrients, not just one. That's the case for tomatoes, which contain not just vitamin C, but vitamin A and antioxidants as well. Antioxidants will help mop up the free radicals that can damage your skin, while vitamin A is a wrinkle-fighter. Tomatoes are also high in lycopene, which helps protect your skin from the sun. Did you know that in India, tomatoes are used topically to shrink pores? Take a tablespoon of fresh tomato juice and add two to four drops of fresh lime juice. Apply to your face with a cotton ball. Leave it on for about 15 minutes and rinse with cool water. Try this every other day for a week or two.

Watercress is also full of vitamin C, and it has iron, calcium, and sulfur as well. One small study found that 10 out of 11 women noticed a significant improvement in their skin's appearance after eating a bag of watercress a day for four weeks – that's a lot of watercress. Of course, I have to mention lemons as well. The growing popularity of drinking lemon water has some measurable benefits, helping you detoxify and produce collagen. In addition to drinking lemon water regularly, you can keep lemon wedges on hand to squeeze over salads, roasted vegetables, and anything else you think could use a flavor and health boost. In Europe, a common practice is squeezing one-half lemon into hot water and drinking first thing in the morning. The Europeans, especially the French, feel this helps them stay internally fit. I have seen a number of French women with beautiful skin – they swear by this habit.

Sweet potatoes contain not just vitamin C, but vitamins B6 and D, along with iron, magnesium, potassium, and beta-carotene. These nutrients help us maintain skin elasticity and fight the stress that can sap our glow. Although they taste sweet, these potatoes contain natural sugars that don't cause strong blood sugar spikes like refined sweeteners do. So they don't contribute to the breakdown of the skin.

Vitamin E is also essential for skin health, as it's an antioxidant that can help us avoid wrinkles and collagen damage. You'll find vitamin E in pumpkin seeds, which contain zinc, selenium, and omega fatty acids too. Pumpkin seeds not only provide vitamin E to protect your collagen, they actually supply some of the nutrients your body needs to build new collagen. And for an extra dose of vitamin E, try avocado. You can even apply avocado topically as a face mask. Mash up half an avocado with 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Let it sit on your face for about 20 minutes. Your skin will absorb a lot of the nutrition and you will be left with a moist and healthy glow.

Berries are rich in antioxidants, and blueberries in particular can support the skin by reducing inflammation and providing resveratrol to help repair sun damage. Fennel also fights free radicals, in addition to supporting your digestion and intestinal health, which will allow you to flush out toxins more quickly. Beets contain so many vitamins, including A, B, and C to beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, fiber, lycopene, and folic acid, so they're a powerhouse of nutrition and skin protection. Finally, burdock, a lesser-known root vegetable popular in Chinese herbal medicine, supports the digestive system and reduces inflammation, which can lead to skin woes, including acne and redness.

While any one of these foods can benefit your skin, eating a variety will ensure you're benefitting from a wide range of vitamins and other nutrients. I like to use this list as a starting point for salads and other side dishes. While you may not be able to get all 10 into one meal, try to incorporate them or similar foods frequently throughout your week. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much you can improve your skin without adding another product to your medicine cabinet!

And, if you want to add a little more vitamin C protection, you can use the Vitamin C Serum from Système 41 (800-791-3446). Protecting your skin from both the inside and the outside can keep it healthy and looking great for decades.

Nutrition Detective

Herbal Recipe Gets Rid of Excess Mucus

Now that the seasons have changed from summer to fall, many of us are enjoying cooler weather, football season, cozy sweaters, and all things pumpkin spice. But some people dread the change because they suffer from seasonal allergies, colds, or the flu. One of the more unpleasant side effects of these conditions is an excess of mucus. Fortunately, there’s a remedy that can help dry that mucus up.

One of my patients just called me to tell me that she’s been using this formula for three weeks, and all of her excess mucus from her allergies is gone. She admitted that it’s a bit slimy. That’s because it contains flax. (If you want to avoid the slimy feeling, you can omit the flax.) But it is effective! You can make up a large batch at a time and use it all week.

If you suffer from a thick coating on your tongue, nasal discharge, or frequent colds, give this herbal formula a try. You can make it at home and drink it twice a day for four weeks. Here’s the recipe:

• 1 teaspoon licorice root (decrease this amount to 1/8 teaspoon if you have high blood pressure)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 tablespoon nettle leaf
• 1 tablespoon flax seed
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek seed

If you like the taste of mint, you can also add some peppermint to make the formula more refreshing and mask its flavor profile. It’s not the best-tasting stuff going down, but I think it’s better than suffering from excess mucus all day long. My patients seem to agree.

Note: If this is too complicated or unappealing, an alternative is ginger/turmeric/lemon tea. Equal parts fresh ginger and preferably fresh turmeric and lemon to taste.

LETTERS

Q: I’m currently taking Venlafaxine for high blood pressure and wanted to know if your Mediterranean Cholesterol Formula was safe to take with my meds. Thank you for your time and attention to my inquiry. – Laverne J., via email

Dear Laverne,

Mediterranean Cholesterol is not a problem to use while you are taking Venlafaxine. But it’s important always to take nutritional supplements, such as Mediterranean Cholesterol Formula (800-791-3395), at least two or more hours away from prescription medications. For instance, if you’re not taking any prescription medications in the evening, you could take the Mediterranean Cholesterol Formula before dinner or before bedtime.

Q. Some time ago, you had a recommendation on helping acid reflux. I’ve been on meds for acid reflux for many years (Aciphex). You suggested vinegar and honey, but I don’t believe you said how much honey, how much vinegar, or how often. Would you please give me the instructions? – C.J.M., via email

Dear C.J.

Acid reflux is a bit complicated if you’ve been using prescription medicine. First, I would recommend that you consult with the doctor prescribing the medication and tell him/her that you would like to stop taking the medication. After your consult, there are many roads to Rome.

You would want to first look at foods that cause your issues – such as heavily spiced food, tomatoes, peppers, and/or fried food, etc. and either stop eating those foods or when you do eat them, take only small amounts.

There are several solutions and, yes, apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey is one of them. ACV works if you’re not producing enough stomach acid. A smaller percentage of individuals on PPI medication actually indeed have too much acid. It’s important to find out if you have too much or too little stomach acid. You may want to begin with a small dose of ACV and honey – such as one teaspoon of ACV and 1/2 teaspoon of honey in a small amount of warm water.

Some of my patients and readers begin using this small amount with their two largest meals of the day and see how this goes. In addition they drink peppermint tea between or after meals. You may want to discontinue your medication gradually, but be sure to discuss this with your physician.

Q. In last month's issue, you suggested taking licorice root to boost energy levels. I have high blood pressure and my doctor says I shouldn't take licorice root. Should I avoid this product? – Beth, via email

Dear Beth,

Advanced Adrenal contains a relatively small amount of licorice. If you were to use only one tablet, it’s highly unlikely that it would negatively impact your blood pressure. In fact, I have had a few female patients with high blood pressure begin using Advanced Adrenal and actually have their blood pressure lowered. But since your doctor is being very cautious, you should probably avoid it until you can discuss the matter with someone who understands how to use licorice root.