The MIND Diet
The MIND Diet is a hybrid combination of the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). It is showing excellent results for cognitive health, even with only partial adherence. Let me say that again, even moderate adherence to the MIND Diet is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4532650/
If making more broad-reaching lifestyle changes feels daunting and un-doable, but cognitive health is still a priority, I encourage you to consider movement toward the MIND Diet recommendations. Here is what they they recommend for optimal brain health and cognitive wellness:
Green, leafy vegetables: At least six servings per week. This includes kale, spinach, cooked greens and salads.
All other vegetables: At least one other veggie daily.
Berries: Eat berries at least two servings weekly.
Nuts: Try to get five servings of nuts or more each week.
Olive oil: Use olive oil as your main cooking oil.
Whole grains: Aim for at least three servings daily. Choose whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and 100% whole-wheat bread.
Fish: Eat one serving of fish per week. They recommend fatty fish like salmon, sardines, trout, tuna and mackerel for their high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. They also suggest that you don’t fry the fish.
Beans: Eat beans three to four times a week. This includes all beans, lentils, and soybeans.
Poultry: No more than two servings a week. Fried chicken is not encouraged on the MIND diet.
Wine: Aim for no more than one glass daily. Both red and white wine may benefit the brain. However, much research has focused on the red wine compound resveratrol, which may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease. If you don't drink, you don’t need to start. Eat grapes or other foods high in resveratrol, such as peanuts, pistachios, and dark chocolate.
Here is a handy-dandy checklist for tracking your adherence:
The key aspects of the diet appear to be the leafy greens (shoot for eating something leafy daily), the whole grains (3 servings a day), other veggies, berries, nuts, resveratrol, and omega-3 fats. You don’t need to go totally plant based, you can have a drink a day, you can use olive oil for cooking, and you can even eat fish and poultry (just limit your servings and try not to fry it).
This program is flexible, and allows for enjoyment of a broad array of foods. You CAN improve your cognitive health, lower your overall disease risk, and reduce your likelihood of dementia or cognitive impairment without completely overhauling your life. Lifestyle and dietary changes don’t need to be perfect or all-encompassing to be meaningful. Just consistently striving to hit the goals outlined in the MIND Diet (even if you frequently miss), will take you a long way to achieving your cognitive health goals.
You’ve got this!
Now, I’m off to eat my brown rice and spinach salad with peach, mango, blueberries, and walnuts. I will top this with a little maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. What a delicious way to improve my brain health!
Wishing you optimal health!
🌱💕
For more information on the MIND Diet, please see:
www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04258-9#Sec21
www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33989093/