Stay Mind Healthy with the MIND Diet

You are what you eat! Healthy dietary choices can help improve a person’s overall well-being and reduce the risk of diseases. There are a lot of diets for each health condition like diabetes, hypertension and to lose weight. How about a diet for your mind and brain health? Yes, you read that right. It is called “The MIND Diet.” The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, which helps improve brain health.


The MIND diet was developed by a nutritional epidemiologist, Martha Clare Morris, at Rush University Medical Center, to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and improve brain health. The MIND diet consists of plant-based foods (fruits and vegetables), nuts and healthy fats. It limits the consumption of animal-based foods and foods containing unhealthy fats.


The Mediterranean diet recommends high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and good quality protein. Replace animal fat like butter with olive and canola oil. Limit the consumption of red meat and include fish and poultry in your diet. The Mediterranean diet also recommends that you tone down the consumption of wine. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is designed to treat high blood pressure. The diet reduces the intake of sodium, and increases the intake of potassium and magnesium that helps normalize blood pressure.


The MIND diet, which is a combination of Mediterranean and DASH diet, helps improve brain cells, enhance memory and improve concentration. So follow the MIND diet to not only reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but also to improve cognitive function, fight inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease. Remember, a sound mind in a sound body is the best way to go!


Read more on MIND Diet on Medindia http://www.medindia.net/dietandnutrition/mind-diet.htm