Food can impact our weight, cholesterol, and blood sugarbut new research suggests our diet can also affect our mind. Your lifestyle and what you eat can actually impact your future development of cognition issues or memory issues, so with the increase in Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative issues, it brings hope that lifestyle really has an impact here, explained Carrie Bloemers, a registered dietitian with Lee Health.
The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The MIND diet is a research-based protocol for nutrients that are beneficial to our brain So it can help to protect against memory and cognition issues as we age, she said.
Using principles from the Mediterranean diet, the MIND diet encourages fish that are high in omega threes, nuts and seeds, vegetables, whole grains, and berries. Foods high in saturated fats, foods high in extra salt and sodium, high blood pressure is a risk for some of these memory type issues, just because it will break down the vascular system and therefore the blood flow to our brain as we age, Bloemers said.
When it comes to keeping our memory and cognition strong, health experts also encourage an active and social lifestyle. Theres been research about even just daily walking and staying active and how thats protective, she said.
Other things like puzzles, games, reading, and social activities can also help to keep your brain stimulated.
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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, weve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health Caring People. Inspiring Care.
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Health Matters: The Mind Diet - NBC2 News
