Week's Reflections - 1/21/2012

          As always, please post in the comments if you have anything interesting you want to recommend for me and others to read/watch/whatever!

Your brain on Alzheimer's.

1.) Diet and Alzheimer's - When the Sugar Hits Your Brain

          This was an interesting article that talks about the effect of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) on our brains.  The author presents a fascinating study from Neurology that presents a very strong correlation between endogenous AGEs and a person's mental decline.  Personally I think AGEs somewhat frightening and are a really interesting topic that I am eager to start educating myself about.

          This article is well worth a read if you're at all interested in AGEs, Alzheimer's, nutrition, or mental decline.

Vitamin D - Gotta Have It

I am planning to write a post on a supplement every week or two.  I'm actually not a huge fan of large scale supplementation, but I do think there are a few things that are helpful and should be taken, particularly in certain situations.  I also think there are a few that should definitely not be taken, and I'm equally excited to write about those.

The first on the list is vitamin D, which might be my favorite supplement.  It's a close fight between Vitamin D and fish oil, but I think I have to give vitamin D the edge.  The funny thing about Vitamin D is that it technically isn't - or shouldn't be - a supplement.  We actually produce vitamin D - vitamin D3, cholecalciferol - in our skin.  The precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light - specifically UVB light - to form vitamin D (for the biochemists among us, there is a step in between, as precholecalciferol is formed first) (1).  Basically, we produce vitamin D from sunlight.

Paleo Diet

           I eat a "paleo diet," but I really don't like the term "paleo" with regards to the diet.  I think it conjures up images of a caveman, scrounging for food, wearing furs, dying when you're 30, and etc.  While many of the other paleo bloggers or writers have embraced the caveman idea, I have not.  I am getting a little ahead of myself, though.  The purpose of this post is simply to introduce the paleo diet's framework and concept, so first I need tell you what the paleo diet is.

           A paleo diet eschews grains, legumes, and dairy.  It also removes any processed foods or sugary foods.  Instead this diet encourages you to eat your veggies by the truckload, some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and some meat/seafood.  Yes, this diet requires you to remove your heart healthy whole grains, and it tells you that the reason for that is that grains simply aren't heart healthy!  Or healthy at all for that matter.