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Leafy Greens
Any genuinely healthy eating plan is going to be heavy on
veggies. The MIND diet places a special emphasis on leafy greens, for
good reason: Two large-scale studies of older adults found that eating
more than two servings of veggies a day was associated with slower
cognitive decline overall, with leafy greens having the strongest
effect. Participants in one of the studies who consumed more than two
servings of vegetables daily appeared to have a level of brain function
equivalent to that of people five years younger. Leafy greens generally
contain more vitamin E than other vegetables, and the nutrient is a
powerful antioxidant that may help keep neurons healthy. For an extra
boost, drizzle some olive oil on your salad. Its healthy fats increase
absorption of vitamin E.
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Berries
If you like to add fruit to your cereal or yogurt, go for
blueberries and strawberries -- they're clear winners. A study of
roughly 16,000 women age 70 and older revealed that eating at least one
serving of blueberries or two servings of strawberries a week delayed
cognitive aging by up to two and a half years compared with those who
ate less of either fruit. The antiaging effects may be attributed to
anthocyanins, antioxidants that may help protect neurons in regions of
the brain related to learning and memory.
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Fish
The Mediterranean diet can include a whopping six servings of
fish a week, but if that's too much for you, don't stress: The
scientists behind the MIND diet found that eating fish even once a week
can help lower the risk of Alzheimer's. And according to a recent study
in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine,
consuming baked or broiled fish at least once a week may increase gray
matter, a type of brain tissue that diminishes with the disease.
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Wine
Multiple studies have found that drinking vino in moderation may
help your heart, but the good news doesn't stop there. New research
suggests it may also help prevent cognitive decline. A 2014 British Journal of Nutrition study,
which followed healthy subjects ages 43 to 70 for five years,
discovered that red wine drinkers who consumed about one and a half
glasses per day experienced the least memory loss compared with those
who drank less. Cheers!
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Your Brain-Boosting Grocery List
The MIND diet includes ten brain-healthy food groups, but you don't need to eat each daily.
Every day:
□ Whole grains (three or more servings)
□ Leafy greens (one serving)
□ Other veggies (one or more servings)
□ Glass of wine (opt for red)
Most days:
□ Nuts (like almonds and walnuts)
□ Olive oil (as main cooking oil)
Every other day:
□ Beans
Twice a week or more:
□ Blueberries or strawberries
□ Poultry
At least once a week:
□ Fish
Limit these foods:
Butter (less than one tablespoon per day)
Fast food and fried food (less than one serving per week)
Full-fat cheese (less than one serving per week)
Red meat (less than four times per week)
Pastries and sweets (less than five servings per week)
Interesting.Easy to achieve except for the veggies part
ReplyDeleteInteresting especially the wine.
ReplyDeleteNice one
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Matty x