For those afraid of dementia, brain diseases, loss of brain functions, or diseases like Alzheimer's today We will present to you in Fitness Garage A diet plan to protect against dementia diseases, and also helps activate the brain. We always advise you to follow healthy diets to keep your health.
What is a diet plan to protect against dementia?
This plan aims to prevent dementia diseases. Doctors recommend it for the elderly. Also, you can suggest the DASH diet for high blood pressure. It depends on some foods that activate brain cells, like certain fruits such as berries. In the following lines we will learn about Foods allowed and not allowed.
10 foods you should eat in this diet:
This plan encourages eating:
- Leafy greens: You should have at least 6 servings of leafy greens a week, like spinach, kale, and arugula.
- Other veggies: Always try to add non-starchy vegetables because they have lots of nutrients and are low in calories.
- Berries: Eat berries or strawberries at least twice a week.
- Nuts: You should get 5 servings a week of nuts (any kind of nuts).
- Olive oil: It should be a main part of your cooking and used as a healthy fat source.
- Whole grains: You need to eat at least 3 times daily, split between quinoa, brown rice, oats, and oat pasta.
- Fish: Eat fish once a week because it has a high omega-3 content.
- Grains: You should eat it 4 times a week, and grains like lentils and beans.
- Poultry: You should eat poultry at least twice a week.
If you can't meet the required amounts at first, try to reach them gradually. These foods give better results but eating some of them protects you from dementia and Alzheimer's.
5 types of food to avoid in this diet:
This diet recommends cutting down on some foods like:
- Butter: Try to take less than 14 grams of butter daily, and you can replace it with olive oil as a spread before cooking.
- Cheese: We should cut down on cheese in our meals, and it's best to have it only once a week.
- Red meat: It shouldn't go over three servings a week, including lamb and meat products like pastrami.
- Fried foods: You should reduce fried food, especially ones from fast food places. It should be less than once every two weeks.
- Sweets: Cookies and ready biscuits shouldn't be eaten more than twice a week.
Experts recommend cutting down on saturated fats and trans fats because reducing them not only helps prevent Alzheimer's disease but also protects against many illnesses like heart disease.
This plan lowers oxidative stress:
Doctors didn’t say exactly how this plan works but it's known to reduce oxidative stress and the inflammation in the body. Oxidative stress happens when too many free radicals build up in the body, and this happens most of the time because many cells in the body get damaged.
Oxidative stress and inflammation harm many brain cells which is why they often cause Alzheimer's disease, and it is believed specialists say that vitamin E in berries and nuts and leafy greens helps activate the brain, and besides vitamin E, there isomega-3 fish oils that boost mental abilities.
One week plan:
This plan is totally simple but it will give you some ideas to base your meal prep on, for example:
Saturday:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with some berries and a few almonds
Lunch: Mediterranean salad with olive oil dressing, grilled chicken, and some whole wheat bread.
Dinner: Burrito plate with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, grilled chicken, and some sauce
Sunday:
Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with almond butter and scrambled eggs
Lunch: Mexican salad with mixed veggies, red onion, corn, and grilled chicken.
Dinner: Brown rice, stir-fried veggies, and grilled chicken.
Monday:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt, almond butter, and a banana
Lunch: Salmon, cabbage, peas
Dinner: Whole wheat pasta, green salad with turkey meatballs.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with avocado
Lunch: Turkey meat with some hot pepper
Dinner: Baked potatoes with some chicken, salad.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with strawberries.
Lunch: Fish tacos with beans.
Dinner: Tomato salad, grilled chicken, and whole wheat bread.
Thursday:
Breakfast: Apple slices with peanut butter.
Food: Tuna salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, with some celery, carrots, and chickpeas.
Dinner: Chicken curry, brown rice, and lentils
You can always have nuts as a salty snack Try to explore many meals and dishes That fit your diet so you don’t get bored and turn to fast food and unhealthy meals.
