7 Strategies for Brain Health (Healthy Brain 7)

The core principle in treating dementia is to change daily lifestyle behavior according to a structured program.
Dr. Dale Bredesen’s ReCODE program summarizes the key lifestyle principles into 7 essential strategies:

1. Adjusting your diet to be anti-Alzheimer’s (Anti-Alzheimer’s Diet)

2. Exercise

3. Building healthy sleep habits (Sleep)

4. Brain stimulation

5. Stress reduction (Stress)

6. Detoxification (Detox)

7. Supplements

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Strategy 1

Adjusting Diet to Prevent Alzheimer’s (Anti-Alzheimer’s Diet)

According to the ReCODE principle, to shift metabolism in a way that benefits the brain—specifically to induce ketosis, where the brain can efficiently use ketones as fuel—three elements are recommended:

1. Eating in a KetoFlex style

2. Intermittent fasting (IF) to encourage the body to use ketones as an energy source. The longer the fast, the more ketones are produced.

3. Exercise, which enhances the use of ketones because blood sugar levels drop and ketone levels rise after exercise.

Metabolism is the set of chemical processes in cells that allows the body to function normally.

Ketones are acidic compounds produced when the body burns fat for fuel.

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What is the KetoFlex 12/3 Diet?

KetoFlex 12/3 is a lifestyle way of eating designed to optimize brain function.

• Keto
  Refers to ketosis – a state where the body primarily uses fat for energy and produces ketones as an energy source for the brain.

• Flex has 2 meanings:

  1. Metabolic flexibility – the brain and body can flexibly switch between glucose and fat as energy sources. This metabolic flexibility is a key goal of KetoFlex 12/3.

  2. Flexitarian – a mainly plant-based diet, focusing on vegetables and fruits that are low in starch and sugar. Animal protein and animal products are only side dishes, and intake should be limited to about 0.8–1 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

• 12/3 Means:

  • Fasting (no food) for at least 12 consecutive hours (intermittent fasting)

  • Avoiding food for at least 3 hours before bedtime