What is the MIND Diet?

Home Care Services in Little Falls MN: What is the MIND Diet?

The MIND Diet is gaining attention as it’s designed to help lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Have you heard of it? Here is everything you need to know about this trending diet.

Benefits of the MIND Diet

In studying people who loosely followed the MIND Diet for 54 months, researchers found that the participants cut their Alzheimer’s risk by 35 percent. Those who followed the diet carefully cut their risk by 53 percent.

Experts feel that even if you don’t follow it exactly, there are still benefits to be gained. As the diet gives you categories to eat from, you have a lot of variation in what you eat. You pick what you like to eat from the groups and create your own meal plans.

How Does the MIND Diet Work?

With the MIND Diet, you pick foods from 10 types of foods that research finds help with brain health. These foods are:

• Beans
• Berries
• Leafy Greens
• Non-Starchy Vegetables
• Nuts
• Olive Oil
• Poultry
• Red Wine
• Seafood
• Whole Grains

Each day, people following the MIND Diet should eat three servings of whole grains, a 5-ounce glass of wine, olive oil, three servings of leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables like tomatoes or zucchini, and a handful of nuts. Every other day, you eat a half cup of beans. Twice a week, you eat poultry and fresh berries. Once a week, you enjoy seafood.

With the MIND Diet, you don’t worry about cutting calories. You focus on eating the right foods each week and avoid foods like cheese, red meats, and sugary treats.

Here’s a sample daily meal plan:

Breakfast:

½ cup cooked steel cut oats topped with ¼ cup fresh blueberries and ¼ cup walnuts
Glass of water with lemon slices

Lunch:

Spinach salad tossed with an olive oil dressing and ¼ cup sliced strawberries
Handful of almonds
Herbal tea or seltzer

Dinner:

Vegetable and cashew stir-fry served on brown rice
Glass of wine

Snacks:

Raw vegetables
Nuts

To make sure your elderly mom or dad is eating well, call a home care agency. You may notice your parents sticking to freezer meals and takeout. The MIND Diet is easy to incorporate, but they may prefer having someone else handle their meal preparation. Call a home care agency today to discuss the benefits of hiring a caregiver to prepare your mom or dad’s meals each day.

Source:
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/mind-diet

If you or an aging loved-one are considering home care services in Little Falls, MN, please contact the caring staff at Alternative Senior Care today. Providing Home Care in Central Minnesota and Surrounding Communities. Call us Today (320) 352-3350.