Wellness

[Love to Run]

People who consumed foods from the plant-based Mediterranean and brain-focused MIND diets had fewer of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s — sticky beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain — when autopsied, a new study found.

The MIND diet is short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.

In fact, people who most closely followed either of the diets had “almost 40% lower odds” of having enough plaques and tangles in brain tissue to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, according to the study.

Mediterranean diet may prevent memory loss and dementia, study finds

“People who scored highest for adhering to the Mediterranean diet had average plaque and tangle amounts in their brains similar to being 18 years younger than people who scored lowest,” according to a statement on the study. “Researchers also found people who scored highest for adhering to the MIND diet had average plaque and tangle amounts similar to being 12 years younger than those who scored lowest.”

That’s not all. Adding just one food category from either diet — such as eating recommended amounts of vegetables or fruits — reduced amyloid buildup in the brain to a level similar to being about four years younger, the study said.

I've posted the link to the actual study for those wanting to do a deep dive.

https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2023/03/08/WNL.0000000000207176

[shoesnbags]

@Love to Run 

My husband's neurologist strongly recommends the Mediterranean diet.

[bmorechick]

Yes, a lot of folks have know that for a long time but it's hard to get away from your old menu!! At least it is for us. Well we really try to eat as healthy as we can. We already exercise our tails off so yeah, eating right most times should be included. With that said, I just ordered from Amazon the Americas Test Kitchen Mediterranean Cookbook, hardback version.  I'm anxious to try some new things, especially with summer coming and lighter meals more desirable.  

There's a reason folks in "blue zones" live to be 100 and beyond 🥗😉

[Spacrazy]

I heard the new study results this morning and am very pleased. 

[phoenixbrd]

Kudos to the fresh fruits and veggies!

[Still Raining]

For me it is easier to check labels and never buy added salt, added sugar, any artificial sweetener, or added fat.  Maybe rules work better for me?

The effect is much the same.  So many less aisles to walk down.  Jaw dropping amount of junk out there.

Another interesting read is the NOVA way of ranking processed food.  Get much the same results.  Their listing of no nos reads like a nightmare inventory of a convenience store.

[mimomof4]

Yes it completely makes since because you are eating whole real foods.  Taking the highly processed foods out of your diet helps all functions of your body.

[Sooner]

@Love to Run I can personally attest to what it has done for us.  We have always more or less followed that type of diet, but in the last year have followed it very closely.  Sorry this is long, but our experience is:

Our main items consist of beans, peas, whole grains, rice (mostly brown basmati organic from Lundberg), salads with vinegar dressing, with some salmon, eggs, white fish, good tuna and sardines, shrimp, chicken, beef once a week, and fresh veggies and fruit every day.  Some fruit and veggies are frozen, some canned, but 80 percent at least--fresh. 

We make whole wheat bread in the bread machine, buy organic always when we can, and cook mostly from scratch which we have always done, and with olive oil which we've done for many years.  We're big tea drinkers, so that helps.

We cut more fats (have never been much to user mayo, sour cream, cream cheese etc), almost all sugar, processed carbs, and really made the effort to follow this, keep a food diary and strictly adhere to it.  We said yesterday we enjoy food more than ever, aren't hungry, don't crave sweets so much, and are almost never out of ideas about what to fix.

 Maybe this is helpful to some.

[Love to Run]

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@Sooner wrote:

@Love to Run I can personally attest to what it has done for us.  We have always more or less followed that type of diet, but in the last year have followed it very closely.  Sorry this is long, but our experience is:

Our main items consist of beans, peas, whole grains, rice (mostly brown basmati organic from Lundberg), salads with vinegar dressing, with some salmon, eggs, white fish, good tuna and sardines, shrimp, chicken, beef once a week, and fresh veggies and fruit every day.  Some fruit and veggies are frozen, some canned, but 80 percent at least--fresh. 

We make whole wheat bread in the bread machine, buy organic always when we can, and cook mostly from scratch which we have always done, and with olive oil which we've done for many years.  We're big tea drinkers, so that helps.

We cut more fats (have never been much to user mayo, sour cream, cream cheese etc), almost all sugar, processed carbs, and really made the effort to follow this, keep a food diary and strictly adhere to it.  We said yesterday we enjoy food more than ever, aren't hungry, don't crave sweets so much, and are almost never out of ideas about what to fix.

 Maybe this is helpful to some.

---

@Sooner Thanks for taking the time to share your tips and routine😊

Too many think that eating a healthy diet is boring or unsatisfying, nothing could be farther from the truth.

[Sooner]

@Love to Run 

Too many think that eating a healthy diet is boring or unsatisfying, nothing could be farther from the truth.

What you just said!  We both have lost some weight (me more significant) without really trying and feel so much better.  We do salads, grain salads, roasted and steamed veggies, lots of vegetarian soups and chilis (with ground turkey usually), etc.  

We combine these standards, change them around, and love fruits and yogurt (plain, simple and made by me) and nuts for snacks.  

With these basics and good protein in the fridge (made for more than one meal), pantry and freezer--soup in a pinch--we find eating easier now too.