I lost three pounds after fasting all day yesterday. I’m going to try to avoid putting any of that back on today, so I’ll be strictly adhering to what I’ve already planned to eat (even though it’s boring). My goal is to get down to 250 pounds by the end of the weekend, so I’ll have to avoid anything other than basic sustenance and avoid grazing for the next few days.

I’ve been thinking a lot about diet-related inflammation. Chronic inflammation is linked to various diseases, and I’d like to reduce my risk of developing those diseases (especially cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease). Alzheimer’s disease is a particular worry of mine given the amount of sugar (highly inflammatory) I typically consume. and I also wonder if some of my ever-present brain fog is due to inflammation (probably). A short but thorough discussion of anti-inflammatory diets and the dangers of chronic inflammation can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2fu8788k.

I know that I’ve experienced some degree of cognitive decline over the last decade or so. My brain just doesn’t seem to function that well at times, and certainly not as well as it once did. It’s hard to pinpoint the reason for this, though, as there are likely many contributing factors. Obviously, I’m getting older, but my sleep is terrible, my diet is intermittently terrible, I’m regularly afflicted by anxiety and depression, I’ve had COVID-19 twice, etc. I’m good about getting moderate physical exercise as well as mental exercise (learning new things is good for the aging brain), but keeping the brain in shape goes hand-in-hand with keeping the body in shape, so I have to try harder regarding the latter.

I have a headache today, so this post will be cut short. Hopefully I’ll have more to say tomorrow.