Food for your brain!

Just as there is no magic pill to prevent cognitive decline, no single almighty brain food can ensure a sharp brain as you age. Nutritionists emphasize that the most important strategy is to follow a healthy dietary pattern that includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Try to get protein from plant sources and fish and choose health fats, such as olive or canola oil, rather than saturated fats.

Research shows that the best brain foods are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels, including green veggies, fatty fish, berries, tea & coffee, and walnuts. These foods match up with the Mediterranean Diet. When we think of a “diet” these days we usually think of some kind of restriction that will help us reach a specific outcome, such as weight loss. The Mediterranean diet couldn’t be further from that. Rather, it encourages an eating pattern that includes food staples of people who live in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. It also focuses on community when eating – think meals with family and friends and enjoyable conversation.

The Mediterranean diet tends to emphasize a plant-based eating approach loaded with healthy fats and vegetables. When you look at a plate it should be full of color. Produce becomes the main event and meat becomes more of a side dish in comparison. It’s a diet known for being heart and brain healthy.