The Role of a "Healthy" Ketogenic Diet in Treating Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Decline - An Interview with Andrea Glaser, RD, LD

Kirk's video overview of his interview with Andrea Glaser, RD, LD (13:20 min)
Andrea Glaser is a licensed registered dietician at Resilient Health in Austin, Texas, working in partnership with supervising physician Sharon Hausman-Cohen, MD, on a dietary approach to improve cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease patients, with collaboration from Dale Bredesen, MD, neurologist, creator of the Bredesen Protocol™, and author of the newly released best selling book "The End of Alzheimer's Disease".

This therapeutic dietary approach creates a mild ketosis which is beneficial to cognitive function and brain repair, and maintains a significant reduction in insulin secretion and need, as well as reduced blood sugar levels. This diet differs from many popular ketogenic diets in that it strives to keep cardiovascular risk low, or in check, by keeping animal fats low (saturated fat) while increasing unprocessed plant-based fats and foods to assist in creating the ketosis.

The diet is a whole food diet with an emphasis on reducing saturated fat, especially in ApoE4 genotypes; a liberalization of "healthy" vegetable fats, and fats from nuts and fish; a reduction or elimination of complexed healthy carbohydrates (legumes, sweat potatoes, squash, except whole soy foods like edamame and tofu which can be consumed liberally if non-sensitive); elimination of all grains and processed/refined carbohydrates and free sugars; a HIGH intake of non-starchy vegetables, especially GREENS; black coffee and tea are encouraged (without sweeteners) all in an effort to maintain a mild ketosis measured as a beta-hydroxybutyrate level between .5-2.0 mM, while also maintaining fasting insulin levels below 4.5, keeping fasting blood sugars between 70-90, and a hemoglobin A1c < 5.6.

Ms. Glaser councils patients in Austin, Texas, or, by phone across the country with a steady diet transition involving 10 steps which can occur over weeks to months depending on the patient and support people's motivation and understanding.

These 10 Steps Include:

1. Elimination of all grains and processed carbohydrates
2. Transitioning Breakfast
3. Transitioning Lunch
4. Transitioning Dinner
5. Fast for 12 hours daily (at least) from the end of the evening meal to the start of breakfast the next day
6. Stop snacking between meals
7. Minimize saturated fat intake as much as possible
8. Chose their diet wisely when eating out
9. Measure urine ketone levels (sometimes this step is skipped)
10. Measure blood ketone levels using the Precision Xtra Meter (measures ketones and blood sugar, by Abbott) keeping a morning betahydroxybutyrate level between .5-2.00 mM while fasting after exercise.

Diet Coaching for Cognitive Decline & Alzheimer's Disease

Andrea Glaser, RD, LD, Resilient Health, 3410 Far West Blvd., Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731 - resilient.andrea@gmail.com, (512) 717-9775. Call the office to make an appointment with Ms. Glasser.

Sharon Hausman-Cohen, M.D. Board Certified Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine, Resilient Health Austin, 3410 Far West Blvd Suite 100 Austin, TX 78731 512.717.9775/ 512-599-5034 (FAX) ResilientHealthAustin@gmail.com

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The Blue Zones Solution: Secrets of the World’s Healthiest People – 9 Questions for Dan Buettner

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