If you feel like your work performance is at an all-time peak, getting dementia may be the last thing on your mind.
But take a look at your older relatives, particularly your own parents or grandparents, and you may have cause for concern.
When reading the book Brain Rules for Aging Well, I was alerted to a new diet (or healthy eating plan as I like to think of it) that has shown promising results in warding off dementia.
It’s called the MIND diet, and according to the National Institute on Aging, it emphasizes natural, plant-based foods, limits foods that are high in animal and saturated fats, and specifies eating green leafy vegetables and berries daily.
I found this awesome PDF on the internet about the MIND diet put together by the South Denver (Colorado) Cardiology Associates. One of the contributors is Dr. Richard Collins, also known as the Cooking Cardiologist. (You gotta love that moniker.)
Too many people suffer from dementia
My dad had dementia before he passed five years ago, and my mother has it now. So naturally, I’m concerned about my own brain health, especially because scientists have yet to come up with any medication to treat dementia effectively, and a staggering number of older people have some form of it. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 5.7 million Americans currently have the disease and that number is expected to grow to nearly 14 million by 2050. About two-thirds of the sufferers are women.
The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago developed it, and they found that people who adhered closely to it lowered their risk of Alzheimer’s Disease by 53 percent, and those who adhered to it moderately lowered their risk by 35 percent. It’s terrific news that if you only follow the MIND plan moderately, you can still significantly reduce your risk of getting dementia. And if you do follow it, you’re also going to reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.
I wouldn’t say there are big surprises in the MIND diet but here are five tips that focus on brain health and seem reasonably easy to adopt into your eating plan. I’ve been told that the best thing to do is incorporate one change at at time for a few weeks, then when that’s successful, pick a second thing to change.
Eat three servings of whole grains daily
This one surprised me in terms of the quantity. Of course, we know that whole grains are better than white bread or white rice or white pasta. One serving would be the equivalent of a piece of bread.
Blueberries rock!
Blueberries are the only specific fruit mentioned in the MIND diet and are singled out for being one of the more potent foods to protect the brain. I’m vowing to add them frequently to my breakfast routine.
Green, leafy vegetables are a must
The diet advocates one salad per day. Given the abundance of various leafy greens at our local markets, this should be easy to do. We just need to avoid the fatty toppings like cheese and certain dressings.
Fill up on beans
Three times a week is a good measurement of whether you’re getting enough. Remember to rinse a can of beans, too, to reduce the sodium, if you’re going that route.
Nuts about nuts?
If you love cashews and almonds like I do, the MIND diet is perfect. It advocates for one serving daily and a serving is about what fits into a woman’s hand. I love to just eat a couple of these nuts several times throughout the day for a quick pick-me-up.
Other items to eat in the MIND diet are poultry (twice a week); fish (once a week); olive oil for cooking; and a glass of wine a day — hurrah! But preferably red wine.
My biggest challenge? Cutting back on cheese. Only one serving per week is recommended. Oy, this is going to be a hard one for me.
What are you doing to keep your brain healthy to prevent getting dementia? I’d love to hear about your efforts.
To read more about the MIND diet, click here.
