Go Inside the MIND Diet

New research from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicates that people who follow the MIND diet as they age may be at a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Get all the details of the study in the post MIND Your Eating Pattern for Better Brain Health, then come back here to see how you can help your clients implement this eating pattern.To stick to and benefit from the MIND diet, an individual would need to consume at least three servings of whole grains, one leafy green vegetable, and other vegetables every day in addition to a glass of wine and a snack of nuts. Beans should be eaten every other day or more often. Poultry, berries, and fish should be eaten at least once per week. Unhealthy foods such as butter should be limited to less than 1 ½ teaspoons per day and sweets, full fat cheese, fried and fast foods should be consumed less than once per week.Health providers can help their clients try the MIND diet with these simple eating pattern adjustments:

• Swap out butter and margarine with olive, avocado, or canola oil.
• Add frozen spinach or other greens to soups, stews, sauces, or casseroles.
• Include beans or lentils as part of Meatless Monday meals.
• Snack on dried fruit and nuts instead of chips or candy.
• Reduce red meat and include fish at least once or twice per week.
• Replace processed grains like white pasta or rice with whole grain spaghetti or brown rice.
• Eat salad or other green vegetable at least once a day.
• Add chopped nuts and frozen fruit to yogurt in place of sugary granola.

By Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LDJournal Reference:

1. Klodian Dhana, Bryan D. James, Puja Agarwal, Neelum T. Aggarwal, Laurel J. Cherian, Sue E. Leurgans, Lisa L. Barnes, David A. Bennett, Julie A. Schneider. MIND Diet, Common Brain Pathologies, and Cognition in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2021; 83 (2): 683 DOI: 10.3233/JAD-210107