For years, health gurus and nutritionists have preached that what you eat directly effects your heart health, and now that theory has expanded to include your brain. Neurologists researching Alzheimer’s disease have taken this to heart and come up with a unique diet called the MIND diet. Recent research suggests that it has the potential to lower your risk of developing dementia by as much as 53%.
The MIND diet recommends breaking food into two distinct categories:
- 10 “brain healthy food groups” that you should eat.
- 5 “unhealthy food groups” to avoid.
It synthesizes these categories with two other very popular diet plans that are known for improving heart health: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet. But instead of focusing on heart health, the MIND diet focuses on improving your brain health and lowering your risk of obtaining Alzheimer’s disease.
10 Foods You Should Eat
- Green leafy vegetables
- Other vegetables
- Nuts
- Berries
- Beans
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Poultry
- Olive Oil
- Wine
5 Foods You Should Avoid
- Red meat
- Butter and stick margarine
- Cheese
- Pastries and Sweets
- Fried foods and fast foods
A close inspection of these two lists should reveal their roots in the Mediterranean and DASH diet. They focus on eating foods high in essential vitamins, dietary fiber, good protein, and healthy fats. They try to avoid foods that have unhealthy saturated fats, high carbohydrates, and lots of excess sugar. It may be difficult to adjust to this diet at first, but you will be grateful once you begin to feel the benefits of the MIND diet. It will not only keep your brain functioning optimally, but it will help your heart stay strong, overall improving your quality of life.