I wear many hats- I have children, I manage my home, I have a business, I have driven carpool, I schedule appts, and the list goes on. I am always keeping my “to-do” list nearby. And I try not to forget to take it when I go out! And the correlation between what we eat affects not only our moods, but also our memory. And I promise, I will not forget this fact!
Eating a healthy diet can not only improve your shape but it can improve your cognitive fitness. Research suggests that what we eat might have an impact on our ability to remember and our likelihood of developing dementia as we age. So, why not be proactive and eat a healthy balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and trans fat. I am not an advocate of fad diets but if I could advocate for one “diet” it would be the Mediterranean diet (a diet rich in olive oil, fish and beans and nuts, grains, fruits and veggies, limited red meat, and limited alcohol. ). This diet includes several components that might promote brain health:
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil help improve the health of blood vessels, reducing the risk for a memory-damaging stroke.
Fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to lower levels of beta-amyloid proteins in the blood and better vascular health.
Moderate alcohol consumption raises levels of healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Alcohol also lowers our cells' resistance to insulin, allowing it to lower blood sugar more effectively. Insulin resistance has been linked to dementia.
Daily exercise and healthy eating are undoubtedly important to better long term mental and physical health and for more information and guidance and support, feel free to contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com
And for a healthy easy recipe, click here!