Quadraplegia
Happy Friday! I have a nephew who is a quadrplegic as a result of an automobile accident. Tragic though it is, in the beginning the prognosis was that he would be no better than a head on a pillow. However, while he has lost most ability to move, he can move his arms to the degree that he can use his hands to push the wheels of his wheel chair, to control his cell phone and computer, and when equipped with a hand wrap to paint and even feed himself. He exercises as directed, including some limited sit-ups and limited weight lifting with his arms in their limited range of motion. I have read that simply moving 'paralyzed' body parts stimulates nerve connections, growth and rewiring, but as I am not in the field I am not sure how much of this is accurate. My question is, what does the latest research say that he should be doing to improve his situation?
Depression, carbs & tryptophan
In your podcast on depression, you mentioned that some individuals respond to tryptophan, which as you say, is not surprising, given that we often have cravings for carbs when we are in a depressive state. However, you also mentioned in the same podcast that a keto diet is often beneficial for those who are experiencing major depression. Isn’t the advice to follow a keto diet - in other words, a low carb diet - contradictory to the advice that tryptophan can be beneficial. If the latter is true, shouldn’t we be trying to consume carbs for the tryptophan effect?