Ramble warning!
So I’m in this Keto “challenge” (that’s what I’m calling it anyway) NOT for the weight loss - I’m here for the health benefits. While my family all had weight problems I was pretty much like my dad and was never considered overweight. So thanks dad! I do have a mom and a grandma who died of Alzheimer’s and my aunt that is 5 years older than me has been diagnosed. I am a health care provider and used to buy into the no fat low fat thing. Left sugar about a year ago after ready some books and listening to podcasts - sugar is evil and the sugar industry really torques me off. My friend was doing Keto and she introduced me to 2KetoDudes and now I’m girl crushing on both the guys and Carrie Brown 
. Anyway in my study of one and Keto my goal is to eliminate brain damage aka Alzheimer’s. I really don’t care how long I live but as long as I’m here I want to be present! As a side note I’m also wondering if I can decrease the size of my knobby finger joints. Since I’m quitting all things that seem to cause inflammation I’m thinking why not? So I’ve taken Picture my hands at the beginning of this journey and will compare at 4 and 8 weeks. We will see I guess. I am really good at making a short story long. Thanks for having a community that is open and honest. Cheers. 
Why I’m Keto-ing
Welcome to the forums! A lot of people come to a ketogenic way of life for the weight loss, but to my mind the metabolic healing is the real benefit. By the time I had been eight or ten months on this diet, my metabolic numbers had all normalized, my pulse and blood pressure were the lowest they’d been in years, and 60 pounds had vanished without my even trying. Pretty good for someone whose family tree is riddled with diabetes on both sides. Goal accomplished!
Welcome and what an interesting experiment you’re undertaking. I love before and after photos of things. Do you have RA? Or just working hands? I have knobby knuckles too.
Let us know if we can help or just keep us posted on your progress!
Welcome Terry.
I can say from experience that cutting out processed foods and eating LCHF has rescued me from misery caused by inflammation. I came to lose some weight but it was a life-changing surprise to discover what I believed was metacarpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand, went away, and the chronic inflammation from my hips down to my feet all but disappeared. I went from surviving life to living it and I truly feel 20 years younger.
Keto came to my attention for the weight loss, but I ultimately started doing it after my mom died of parkinson’s complications. I had been her in-home care giver the last 5 years of her life and watching her diagnosis progress over the course of 10 years terrified me. I also watched my step dad go down the parkinson’s rabbit hole 18 years ago. I know parkinson’s all too well at this point and I am terrified that will be me, so that’s what started my keto journey. Reading different studies on how high cholestrol can reduce the risk makes sense to me because the brain is 60% fat… why would you avoid healthy fats when its what makes up the majority of your brain? Anyway… so thats what is my main driving force. So I can relate to @CopperFox.
Still working on carpal tunnel and a trigger joint in one hand, but the chronic pain in one shoulder and Achilles Tendonitis is completely gone, yay! That alone is worth it, but 40 pounds down (so far) is a big healthy bonus.
Extended fasting is not for everybody to be sure, but if you are at risk for Alzheimer due to a family history, it might be something to worth researching. Apparently the autophagy that extended water fasting induces is protective against Alzheimers disease. When I say extended fasting, I’m not talking about big 7 day fasts anything, but rather fasting for a couple days once every 3 months as a protective measure.
I read some articles about it recently and found it interesting. Just thought I’d pass it along.
I’m sorry to hear about you mom and step dad. Neurological diseases are awful. I’m glad to see you mention the cholesterols link. My thought is that when my mom and gma went on the cholesterol lowering meds that is when their Alzheimer’s started. So I’m refusing 
. Against medical advise of course
Sounds good. Right now I’m doing IF 5 hours of food 18 hours of fast. I am hoping that when I become fat adapted I will be able to do the 3 day. Thanks for your response
The best thing is to follow the research on both sides so you make a well informed decision based on the knowledge. Snap decisions based on emotion are usually tricky to navigate.
I am definitely not making snap decisions 
. Been looking at this for years
Bought it just now! My mom lives with us, Dr. calls her condition “advanced Alzheimer’s”. I keep her *moderate *low carb - at 88 I can’t just take her potatoes.
So sorry to hear this April. It’s a tough disease. Bless you for caring for your mom. At 88 I wouldn’t take her potatoes away either
Absolutely one of the reasons a high fat diet rocks! I’ll always refuse a statin.