We have all heard that diet is important in our cardiovascular health, weight loss and so forth. However, what we really need to focus on is whether or not your diet is a major contributor to your mental health. As we age, our brains start to shrink, but by having a good diet we can help maintain our brain health and overall awareness.
Many studies show that the Mediterranean diet is the most beneficial in not only overall health, but also brain health. This diet is associated with a high consumption of seafood as well as plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, and legumes. The Mediterranean diet also replaces butter with healthy fats like olive oil and limits your dairy and red meat.
Eating healthy foods helps our brains stay healthy and fit.
Not only is the Mediterranean diet helpful, but others are as well. Consuming more Omega 3- fatty acids in your diet can help improve the functioning of your brain. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in a number of foods like salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed, and they can help improve cognitive performance and help reduce mental disorder such as dementia.
Another diet improvement to indulge in is drinking green tea. Green tea helps reduce free radicals and can also improve cognitive function–particularly helping boost our memory. Not to mention it is great for the diet by burning fat, too!
Remember, eating healthy is only part of the plan to better brain health. We must also imbibe in foods that are know to be brain fuel. Nuts, broccoli, blueberries, dark chocolate, and leafy greens are few of the known foods that boost brain health.
Improving our diet for brain health is not only necessary but also very easy to do. However, it cannot be the only thing we do. We must also continue to exercise and enjoy good music upon occasion to keep our brains and bodies healthy as we age.
No one said aging is easy, but eating the right foods along with exercise and some good music, you can build a strong, healthy mind and age gracefully.
For more information on aging gracefully and senior care, contact us at Senior Living Options by giving us a call at (203)-359-5777.
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Author: Ann Jamison
Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.
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