Eating can make such a major impact on our overall health. It is proven that if we surround ourselves with healthy food, this can help keep our brains healthy and prevent brain-related illnesses like dementia.
Thanks to WedMD, we have some tips to share with you on foods that can help you improve the health of your brain & prevent dementia –
- Following the MIND diet – a combination of two diets that have well-known health benefits — Mediterranean and DASH. It’s designed to prevent or slow brain decline. Early studies show that it lowers risk of Alzheimer’s by 53% in those who follow it closely and by 35% in those who follow more loosely. The name is short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The MIND diet has 10 groups: green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine. You have to love a diet that has wine as a food group.
- Protein – eating beans every other day, poultry twice a week, and fish once a week. All these foods are high in protein and low in saturated fats, making them good for your overall health as well as for your brain health.
- Eat your veggies & grains – a suggestion is a salad, one other vegetable, and three servings of whole grains every day. Any vegetable will do, but collard greens, kale, and spinach are especially good.
- Choose healthy snacks – nuts and berries are ideal snacks — both have been linked to better brain health. Blueberries and strawberries, in particular, help keep your brain working at its best and may slow symptoms linked to Alzheimer’s.
- Drink wine – wine has been shown to improve brain health and help protect against Alzheimer’s in several studies. But the key is moderation. Typically, that’s one glass a day for women and two for men.
- Choose and use olive oil – it’s been shown to improve brain function over the long term and protect against dementia.
- Limit unhealthy groups – the MIND diet specifically limits red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food. You should have fewer than 4 servings a week of red meat, less than a tablespoon of butter a day, and less than a serving a week of each of the following: whole-fat cheese, fried food, and fast food.
So start following the MIND diet to keep your body and brain healthy and prevent the development of dementia.