Mediterranean Foods that May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s
The Mediterranean diet has been recognized for years as one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. To add to the list of benefits that the Mediterranean diet provides, such as lowering one’s risk of heart disease and cancer, studies now indicate that eating traditional Mediterranean foods may also help reduce one’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This anti Alzheimer diet is delicious, nutritious, and beneficial to one’s health in a variety of ways.
Staying healthy with Mediterranean foods
Elderly people may have heard the hype about foods that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Combined with regular exercise, the Mediterranean diet may compose the ideal Alzheimer’s prevention food.
The Mediterranean diet is typically very low in red meat and poultry, but very high in fish, nuts, and healthy oils such as olive oils. This means that, instead of the unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol found in foods such as beef or pork, a person adhering to a Mediterranean diet would consume many of the unsaturated fats that the body needs.
For one who is looking for ways to reduce his or her risk of Alzheimer’s, cholesterol levels are a key factor in maintaining healthy brain function. Saturated fats have also been shown to possibly contribute to brain damage by blocking vital arteries that normally supply the brain with the blood and nutrients that it requires.
Conversely, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and olive oils have been found to help preserve the brain’s cell membranes. Additionally, the Mediterranean diet is composed largely of fruits and vegetables, providing an excellent source of fiber and a healthy dose of Alzheimer’s prevention vitamins.
How much to eat?
For a person looking to improve his or her health with anti Alzheimer foods, the Mediterranean diet is surely an excellent choice. However, switching to this diet is not so simple as trading in one’s steak for olive oil and fish. One must keep track of his or her caloric intake and Alzheimer’s prevention nutrition.
Women should eat between about 1,600 and 1,800 calories per day on this diet, with men eating between 2,000 and 2,200 calories per day. Keep in mind that these numbers are highly approximated and will vary greatly based on one’s personal age, weight, and height.
Serving portions should also be monitored. Typically, a serving portion of fish should be about 3 ounces, a portion of olive oil should be about one tablespoon, and a portion of nuts should be about 1/4 cup. Each meal should be composed of as many vegetables as possible, with fruits also being eaten in larger proportions than that of high-fat foods.
A sample meal
Some people have difficulty making the switch to a Mediterranean diet, as this cuisine is foreign to many people. The following are sample meal plans that will hopefully inspire ideas for more dishes that uphold this healthy Alzheimer’s prevention diet plan:
1. 3 oz flounder baked with olive oil, white wine, fennel, oregano, and basil
2. Couscous with garlic, parsley, squash, and tomatoes
3. Greek salad with low-fat vinaigrette and Kalamata olives
