Don't look now, but there's another diet running wild, and this one may finally make some sense for seniors.
It's called the "MIND" diet (what else?). "MIND" stands for "Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay" and it was born out of research from Harvard's School of Public Health and Rush University in Chicago. The "DASH" part stands for a separate diet - Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. If you followed all that, your mind is still working pretty well.
The MIND diet has gained significant attention for its potential to keep the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease at arm's length, but even if someone doesn't suffer from those issues, it's not a bad diet for anyone who hopes to live long enough to see 90 or 100.
A number of studies and experts have highlighted the MIND diet's effectiveness in promoting cognitive function. Professor June Andrews has been very vocal about the diet, underscoring its emphasis on consuming whole, unprocessed foods - like plants and seeds - while minimizing red meat, sweets, and the saturated fats that have been falling out of favor lately.
MIND (or DASH for that matter) may be news to you, but the Alzheimer's Association has been rolling that ball up the hill for nearly 10 years after a study found that participants who dedicatedly followed the MIND diet experienced a 53% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Even those who moderately adhered to the diet had a 35% reduction in risk. Either way, it's still a win.
And if anyone needs another small victory, because the MIND diet has a higher emphasis on produce and lean proteins, you may see the bonus of weight loss if your overall calorie intake decreases with the change in approach to eating.
Franciscan Health registered dietitian Yu-Han Huang explains how MIND may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Ready to bite?
If being smarter and living longer sounds like something you'd like to shoot for, the rules are considerably simpler - and more manageable - than most diets. No portioning things out by the ounce, no strict meal plans, and to get started, people can easily build on their current habits.
Huang laid out how anyone interested should put MIND into action. The three basics are:
Plenty of leafy-green vegetables and other vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots or zucchini daily
Enjoying certain fruits like berries at least twice a week, nuts every day, and whole grains three times per day
Focusing on lean proteins such poultry and fish
10 type of foods to eat in the MIND diet
With the MIND diet, Huang places importance on eating these types of foods:
Green leafy vegetables - 6 servings or more per week
Whole grains - 3 or more servings per day
Other vegetables - 1 serving per day
Nuts - 5 servings per week
Berries - 2 or more servings per week
Beans or legumes - 3 or more servings per week
Fish - 1 or more serving per week
Poultry - 2 or more servings per week
Wine - up to 1 serving per day
Olive oil as the main cooking oil
"A very potent antioxidant associated with brain health," she said. "B vitamins and vitamin C found in berries and whole grains, both have been found to help neurons cope with aging. Vegetables, berries and nuts are very easy to add to your diet, because they're easily made into a morning smoothie mixed into a salad or a good mid afternoon snack."
5 groups of foods to avoid in the mind diet
Huang said that researchers recommend people who are on the MIND diet avoid or limit these foods:
Sweets - less than 5 servings per week
Red meat - less than 4 servings per week
Cheese - less than 1 serving per week
Fried or fast food - less than 1 serving per week
Butter or margarine - less than 1 tablespoon per day
But don't lose your mind over losing those savory favorites. "Reducing your saturated fatty acid intake is not as difficult as it seems," Huang contends "Focus on a healthy, balanced diet and treat pastries and desserts as special food that you enjoy occasionally."