With its focus on eating a variety of plant-based foods like leafy greens, vegetables and fruit, along with limiting sugar and saturated fat, many experts agree that the MIND diet is a healthy eating plan with a number of benefits.
Michele Rudolphi, a registered dietitian in Fort Wayne, Ind., recommends the diet to her clients. Not only is this diet whole-foods based, it is high in plant foods (specifically vegetables) which are typically lacking in the typical American diet With my clients, I also find that not only does it help to stabilize their blood sugar throughout the day, preventing cravings, it also helps them enjoy the flavors found in whole foods again, Rudolphi explained.
Dr. Susan Fox, a vascular surgeon in Hollywood, Florida, also encourages her patients to adopt the MIND diet. Fox explained that the diet is high in vitamins and minerals naturally occurring in beans, legumes and vegetables which promote a brain-healthy diet without the peaks and valleys of insulin and sugar disruption.
She also pointed to the diets benefits to both gut health and mental health. "There is definitely a link between what we eat, [and] how we feel, Fox said.
Whether you go all in, or take a slow and steady approach, the MIND diet may be a great first step towards adopting healthier eating habits.
Start by adding in more color in your diet, especially green, blue, red and purple fruits and vegetables. Swap refined grain foods with more whole grains like quinoa, brown rice and 100% whole grain bread. Limit your consumption of red and red processed meat to no more than once a week and cut down on sweets by eliminating sugar-sweetened beverages.
If your lifestyle goals include better brain health, along with maintaining healthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels, the MIND diet is a good option to try.
Kristin Kirkpatrick
Kristin Kirkpatrick is the lead dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a best-selling author and an award winning dietitian.
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MIND diet plan and foods to eat: What is the MIND diet? - TODAY
