Have you heard of the MIND diet? This acronym comes from the Mediterranean/DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet. It was designed to lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and was found to be highly effective (1).
The MIND Diet was conceived as a way to reduce dementia. At the time of research at the Rush University Medical Center and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Alzheimer’s was the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. (It is currently seventh due to the effects of the pandemic (2).)
This balanced and healthy way of eating resulted in up to 53% lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease for participants. Over 1,000 older people participated in the study for 9 years and two cognitive examinations. The MIND diet was found to be even more effective than the (already quite helpful) Mediterranean and DASH diets (3).
This book explains the key concepts of the diet, including what to eat and what not to eat. Examples of what to eat include: green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, blueberries, whole grains, beans, fish, poultry, olive oil, and red wine. The list of foods which should be avoided contains the usual culprits: red meat, butter, margarine, cheese, desserts, added sugar, fried foods, and fast food (1).
Author Christy Ellingsworth also explains other benefits of MIND DIET. Of course, most healthy programs will benefit your weight maintenance and health. The pluses of the MIND diet include reducing blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as reducing inflammation, improving immune response, and benefitting your heart.
Lifestyle changes are also suggested which are recommended with all healthy eating regimens. These include all forms of self-care from exercise to adequate sleep. Sound familiar?
The majority of The Everything Guide to the MIND Diet, nearly 300 pages, is basically a cookbook. This is very refreshing for a “diet” book, as food preparation is key to succeeding in our long term weight maintenance journeys. Recipe categories include: breakfast, appetizers, salad, soups, vegetables, legumes, poultry, vegetarian, vegan, sauces, drinks, desserts, and occasional foods.
There is a great deal of information as well as hundreds of recipes. Unfortunately, there are no photos of any of the dishes. This is quite unusual for a book which is mainly recipes. It is not the most entertaining read. However, the recipes are well explained and include the following nutritional information on a per serving basis: calories, fat, protein, sodium, fiber, carbohydrates, and sugar.
I chose a recipe to use ingredients that I already had in my kitchen. This book has an index to facilitate that habit of mine. The Spinach and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms were tasty and easy to make. I won’t deny that you could tell that this was a low cal recipe, but we still really enjoyed the dish. The author also made suggestions for substitutions, and I did use those ideas. These yummy shrooms would be perfect as an appetizer, or to serve with other sides for a meal as shown.
Have you tried the MIND Diet, or the similar Mediterranean and DASH Diets? Which works best for you?
(1). The Everything Guide to the MIND Diet. Christy Ellingsworth, Murdoc Khaleghi, MD. 2016.
(2). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
(3). https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mind-diet/
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