• Pollen counts are the highest early in the morning, between 5 AM and 10 AM, so do outdoor activities such as jogging in the evening or after 10 AM
• Pollen tends to stick to hair, so wash your hair more frequently.
• Keep your car windows and your windows at home closed, and put the air conditioner on. Use the recirculate button on your air conditioner so you are not bringing pollen in from outside.
• Beware of fruit. Because the proteins are similar, your body can mistake fruit for pollen and create some mild local reactions. Those who are allergic to trees should avoid apples, peaches, and pears. If you are sensitive to grass, avoid melons, celery, and kiwis because they can trigger an itchy mouth and throat.
Following these suggestions, along with carrying your inhaler if need be, will allow you to breathe easier wherever you go.
Forget Me Not
When my three kids were 4, 10, and 14, I took them on one of our weekly massive food shopping expeditions. We dutifully reloaded our shopping cart with the customary slew of bags at the checkout counter. Then off we went to load our SUV, which was parked on the street because the supermarket lot was full. After making sure that everyone was securely buckled in, we headed home.
As soon as we arrived, the boys jumped out and left me to tend to the bags in the back. (Typical!) However, there were no bags.
“Boys,” I said in the calmest tone I could muster under the circumstances, addressing the two older offspring, “what happened to the shopping bags?”
They simply shrugged disinterestedly, but my little daughter, obviously feeling bad at how frazzled I was becoming, finally chirped, “I think we left them on the ‘stweet.’” Great!
At the time, I chalked it up to my mind being overwhelmed, and therefore overstressed and forgetful. Of course, if anything like that happened today, I would fear more ominous implications. The older we get, the more we tend to worry about losing our minds—literally! And while I’m not yet at an age when statistically I should be concerned about either dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, there is a family history. So every time I can’t find my keys or I’m madly looking for my lost cell phone—only to discover that I happen to be talking on it at the time—I fear the worst.
“How do I know if I have Alzheimer’s,” I recently asked a leading Manhattan neurologist. “I tend to lose things, and it’s beginning to upset me.”
“Well,” he explained, “everyone misplaces their keys, for example, every now and then. It’s when you are actually holding them in your hand and you don’t know what to do with them that you should begin to worry.”
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is anticipated to be the largest health crisis of our lifetime. Already, it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and more than five million (one in eight) older Americans suffer from it. Happily, there is new scientific research and evidence that suggest patients may be able to delay or prevent the onset of AD with a careful diet. At the helm of this research are Harvard-trained neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson and nutrition researcher Dr. Christopher Ochner. They contend that targeted nutrients and aggressive dietary changes could improve memory in AD patients and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In fact, following a brain-healthy diet will benefit anyone who’s over age 40, has a family history of AD, or is experiencing problems with memory.
The doctors believe that nutritional interventions can indeed buy time for AD patients and their families. And thankfully, scientists have found a predictive marker for AD, a protein called amyloid beta that can be detected up to 25 years before the onset of the disease. “This gives future AD patients time to implement neuroprotective measures,” advises Dr. Isaacson. “And new research shows that specific nutritional interventions may delay the onset of AD in memory-compromised patients by two years—potentially long enough for a cure to be discovered—and improve memory function in AD and MCI (or pre-AD) patients, a win-win for the patient, family, and caregivers.”
Here are the doctors’ 10 memory-boosting dietary recommendations, based on the latest scientific research and their clinical experience treating patients with AD and MCI:
• Portion Your Macronutrients—Every day, aim for 25 percent of your total calories from fat (but less than 7 percent saturated, or “bad” fat); 30 percent to 45 percent from complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole foods that are low on the glycemic index); and 25 percent to 35 percent from high-quality lean protein.
• Wean Yourself Off High-Glycemic Carbs—These include sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, processed cereals and grains, ice cream, crackers, salty snacks, such as chips and pretzels, and anything made with refined white flour.
• Have More Good Fat and Less Bad—Brain foods high in good fats include olive oil, avocados, natural peanut butter, and certain fish. Foods high in bad or saturated fat include most fast foods, anything hydrogenated, dried coconut, butter, animal fats, milk chocolate, and cheese.
• Boost Your Omega-3 Intake—Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) are essential for memory function and brain health. Most of us don’t get enough from dietary sources (such as fish), so consider high-quality pure fish oil supplements that contain a minimum of 250 mg of DHA in each capsule, and aim for 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams (mg) of DHA daily if approved by the treating physician.
• Feed Your Brain Antioxidants—Antioxidant-rich foods are great for mental function. Some of the best are berries, kale, 100 percent pure unsweetened cocoa powder, mushrooms, onions, beans, seeds, sardines, trout, and Alaskan wild salmon.
• Consume Enough Brain Vitamins—Ensure adequate intake of folic acid, B6, B12, and vitamin D in particular. If you’re not eating vitamin-rich foods on a regular basis, it’s good to supplement as needed in pill or liquid form.
• Choose Whole Foods—In general, whole foods have only one ingredient—for example, strawberries or broccoli. If you must have a convenience (manufactured) food on occasion, find those items with the fewest ingredients, especially ingredients that you readily recognize and understand.
• Opt for Low-Fat or Non-Fat Dairy—Any recipe you make can be just as good with non-fat versions.
• Enjoy a Cup or Two of Coffee—Caffeinated coffee, one to three cups early in the day, may be beneficial over time to your brain. Studies done in Europe over several years demonstrate that men who drank coffee regularly showed less of a decline on memory tests than those who did not drink coffee.
• Fast 12 Hours at Night—If you routinely wake up at 6 AM, try to eat your last meal at 6 PM the night before. There is scientific evidence that substances called ketone bodies, which are produced when there are no carbohydrates to burn for fuel, may have a protective effect on brain cells.
It is important to note that just like the muscles in your body benefiting from a workout, exercising your brain on a daily basis is critical for successful aging. In fact, research now suggests that regularly engaging in activities that stimulate the brain, such as doing crossword puzzles, playing chess, or reading, may help improve memory, enhance motor skills, and reduce the risk of getting dementia. Above all, stop worrying that you might have Alzheimer’s! Stress takes its own toll. So relax! Just remember the next time you inadvertently place your iPhone on the roof of your car while you are fumbling for your keys and then drive off with it still there (who me?) that you can still have many memorable years ahead if you watch your diet and give your brain a regular workout.
Fighting Depression
Emotional well-being is the next rung on our ladder, but I wanted to talk about depression from a medical standpoint. Clinical depression is a serious, but treatable, illness that affects millions of people. In fact, one in eight U.S. workers has been diagnosed with depression, according to a recent Gallup poll. Many “look perfectly fine, yet are suffering tremendously on the