Evidence that eating nuts and fish and veggies keeps you sharp as a tack !
HOLD up! We already knew that peeps at the Med tend to live longer than the rest of us and their diets have cardio-protective effects BUT NOW, as of yesterday, we also have hardcore first-level evidence that following a Mediterranean-type diet, with extra fat, is closely related to better cognitive function and a reduced risk of dementia.
Which is way cool. If you have a birthday every year and are into the idea of keeping, or maybe even improving, your brain power as you age.
A Med diet Pyramid
The 4-year study, conducted at the University of Barcelona in Spain followed and tested 447 cognitively healthy participants aged 55-80 years, who were put on a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds) or olive oil (five tabelspoons of extra virgin) versus a control group on a low-fat diet. Memory function, frontal (attention and executive function) and general global cognition (assessed by a Mini-Mental State Examination) all significantly benefited in the Mediterranean diet plus fats group.
Viva Preventative Medicine!
Here is a simplified 1-day Med diet food plan example for you:
BreakF: What I just had:
Gluten-free steel cut oats, crushed raw walnuts, raw farm honey, cinnamon, organic dried berries with a cup of green tea.
Lunch: All Of The Greens (the darkest, freshest, funkiest greens you can get your paws on) covered with 3 of your favourite/ seasonal chopped fresh veg (sugar snap peas, radishes, mushrooms, beets) with a fist-size portion of grilled salmon OR 3 skin-and-bone tinned sardines covered in this dressing: olive oil, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, pepper, a bit of mustard, a dash of raw honey.
Snack: fresh-cut carrot sticks dipped in creamy hummus / a palm-full of mixed raw nuts and a bowl of fresh cherries / apple dipped in almond butter / a freshly-pressed veggie juice.
Dinner: Egg-Fried Quinoa (pan-fried green onions and finely chopped veggies, cooked quinoa, scrambled eggs, fresh herbs) with a glass of your best red wine.
And then: 2 blocks of the world's velvetiest, darkest chocolate on earth.
(side note: this is a generalised suggested meal plan and unfortunately doesn't take into consideration your personal health history, health goals, food intolerances or specific style of life. Still, it's summin. Email me your questions).
(second side note: lets also adopt other Med-like habits for health i.e. outdoors, ocean play, family time, siestas) Deal.
Follow my Eat This board on Pinterest for more brain-boosting cooking inspo, yo!
