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528 Chama, N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108 http://www.cbass.com |
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THE MIND DIET The MIND diet takes two proven diets - DASH and Mediterranean - and focuses on the foods that improve brain health and lower the risk of mental decline. The Mediterranean diet is focused on overall health, while the Dash diet was developed to lower blood pressure. In a side by side comparison, they vary slightly in whole grains, fruit, and vegetable servings per day. Both diets have whole grains, vegetables, and fruit in the forefront. The Mediterranean diet, however, differs substantially in the amount of fish, lean meat, and sweets consumed. The DASH diet allows more servings of fish and lean meat. Another difference is that the DASH diet discourages sweets and strictly limits salt intake. Both diets are discussed online in great detail. The combination is basically a whole food diet that emphasizes the intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans--and little in the way of sugar sweetened foods, red meat, processed foods, pastries and added fat. Fried and fast foods are, of course, discouraged. What's new is the impact on the mind. The Research We will summarize the findings--and then provide a link which goes deeper into the details. A team at Rush University Medical Center, led by nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, worked to created the MIND diet. As indicated above, the Mind diet emphasizes the intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, and legumes. The Mind diet also includes specific foods, such as leafy greens and berries, that have been scientifically shown to slow cognitive decline. Recent research has shown that the MIND diet may be more effective at reducing cognitive decline than either the Mediterranean or DASH diet alone. The cause and effect relationship, however, has yet to be nailed down. Additional testing has shown that the level of adherence to the MIND diet also impacts the diet's neuro-protective effects. Specifically, the inclusion of leafy greens and berries have been shown in separate human and rodents studies to protect against cognitive decline. The MIND study was also validated through several studies referenced in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Once again, the cause and effect relationship between the diet and cognitive decline could not be decisively established. As expected, lifestyle recommendations also included physical activity and coping mechanisms. We are providing a link to Wikipedia which includes a two-page list of references and suggested reading on this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIND_diet * * * A controlled diet intervention study would be necessary to determine cause and effect. When designing diets it is necessary to show the impacts of individual nutrients on the human body. It would also be good to use diets that are culturally appropriate. If people don't enjoy the diet, the benefits are likely to be limited. That takes me to what Carol and I eat. My Take
I'm feeling good about my diet. It tracks the MIND diet pretty well. Carol prepares a healthy and enjoyable evening meal for us, which I will describe later. I begin my day with a mixture of nuts, beans, yogurt, berries, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots--topped with steel-cut oatmeal (which Carol prepares for me in an electric pressure cooker) and whole milk. Sounds time-consuming, but it's not. You'll find frozen vegetable mixtures in most large food markets. Carol buys ours in Costco. Sounds like a lot of food, but it fits in a medium size bowl, which I wash and put back on our counter for breakfast the next day. Moving on to lunch: I have my famous nut butter sandwich or Carol will prepares a cheddar cheese and tomato sandwich for my lunch--using sprouted whole grain bread--which I eat and enjoy with a glass of whole milk. Our evening meal is next. Carol prepares something different every day. The only thing that doesn't change is the large and filling lettuce and vegetable salad, which keeps me from overdoing on the main course, which is usually fish, chicken, eggs, a plant-based entree or (in the winter) a hearty soup. I get up feeling full and satisfied every evening. I sometimes have a snack before bedtime, but almost never overdo. * * * We go to the ice cream shop from time to time on weekends, where we share a small chocolate shake (my favorite). "Sharing" is a bit of an exaggeration, because I consume the lion's share. Carol has a few sips of "my" shake. I'm the one who wants to go to the ice cream shop (we've been going to the same shop for decades); she just goes along for the ride. She is, however, the instigator on occasion--but not because she has a craving for ice cream. She heard about a new ice cream shop, which we checked out this past weekend. It was fun kibitzing with the new owners--and having my small chocolate shake in a new shop. An opportunity like that doesn't come along very often. * * * Going to the ice cream shop every once and a while keeps me from feeling deprived--and satisfied with healthy eating most of the time. Not good to force yourself to do something you really don't want to do. I almost never do. Eat healthy most of the time AND splurge from time to time to let off steam. That works better than forcing yourself to walk the straight line all the time. Give yourself a treat from time to time and your overall results will meet expectations and more. * * * We enjoyed learning about the MIND diet. It gives Carol and I another reason to keep training and eating healthy--doing all we can to stay healthy in mind and body. We hope and trust that our visitors will also learn and benefit. April 1, 2024 Comment on this article: FEEDBACK Ripped Enterprises, P.O. Box 51236, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87181-1236 Home | Products Index | Ripped Bks | Lean Adv. Bks | Lean For Life | Recommended Bks | |Consultations | Tapes | To Order | Feedback] Copyright © 2024 Clarence and Carol Bass. All rights reserved.
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