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THE MIND DIET for healthy ageing

WWW.GOODNESSMENUTRITION.COM.AU

SCIENCE OF THE MIND DIET The MIND diet was formulated by researchers based on many years of studies into which eating patterns resulted in people living longer, healthier lives.

The helpful elements of these diets seems to be their ability to help keep blood pressure down, avoiding plaque build up in the blood vessels but also keeping the gut microbiome healthy and providing the body with a large array of antioxidants which combat the effects of oxidative stress and inflammation.

The MIND diet is designed to prevent or slow cognitive decline. It has been formulated by scientists specifically to target brain heath. It is a variation of the Mediterranean diet but incorporates elements of the DASH diet (which is aimed at blood pressure lowering) too.

The MIND diet focusses on plant foods linked to dementia prevention but importantly also includes fish; possibly the food with the strongest link to higher cognitive function and slower cognitive decline. This may be due to the omega three fatty acids in fish which are potent anti-inflammatories.

What it doesn't include are typical Western diet foods such as highly processed foods, a lot of red and processed meat, (salami, sausages, ham etc), fried foods, cheap vegetable oils (rather then extra virgin olive oil) and fast food.

Research suggests that it is the phytochemicals in plant foods which make them good for the brain.

There are thousands of them and they give plants foods their distinctive colours, flavours and smells.

THE BASICS OF THE MIND DIET Leafy greens - at least 6 serves/week Other vegetables - at least 1 serve/day Whole grains - at least 3 serves/day Berries - at least 2 serves/week Fish- at least 1 serve/week Poultry - 2 serves/week Beans - 3 serves/week Nuts - 5 serves/week Wine (preferably red) - 1 glass/day Use Olive oil

MEAL PLAN EXAMPLE Breakfast

Lunch

Home made muesli (includes nuts, seeds, psyllium husk, oats, rye flakes, barley flakes, rolled quinoa, oat bran). Milk, natural yoghurt, berries.

Tuesday

Overnight oats with banana, Cold chicken salad. Add leftover cinnamon, chopped pecans and a rice and Mediterranean veg, top dollop of natural yoghurt. with pesto.

Strawberries.

Wholemeal spaghetti with tomato, olive and caper sauce.

Grated parmesan, green salad, olive oil vinegar dressing, or a serve of green beans.

2 pieces wholemeal or rye toast with nut butter and sliced apple/banana.

Berries and natural yoghurt.

Vegetable and lentil soup. 1 piece wholemeal toast with hummus.

2 kiwi fruits.

Grilled swordfish with lemon and parsley on Greek salad. Chat potatoes. 1 glass red wine.

Home made muesli (includes nuts, seeds, psyllium husk, oats, rye flakes, barley flakes, rolled quinoa, oat bran). Milk, natural yoghurt, berries.

Toasted wholemeal cheese, pesto, tomato, avocado sandwich. Green salad on the side.

Yoghurt with berries.

Vegetable and red kidney bean curry with brown rice. Raita of natural yoghurt, cucumber and mint. Spinach, lemon and red onion salad. Olive oil vinegar dressing

Fruit salad with natural yoghurt and chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans. 1 piece wholemeal toast with nut butter, hummus or ricotta.

Vegetable and lentil soup. 1 piece wholemeal toast with hummus.

1 apple.

2 poached eggs, grilled tomato, wilted spinach, avocado, mushrooms. 1 piece wholemeal toast.

Salad with lots of raw vegetables, falafels, hummus, avocado, tomato and tahini or yoghurt dressing. Handful of nuts. 1 pear.

Chicken chasseur- cooked in red wine with capsicum, onions, garlic, mushrooms. Serve with wholemeal cous cous or quinoa plus steamed green veg. 1 glass red wine.

Wholemeal ricotta pancakes with berries and yoghurt. A little drizzle of maple syrup if you must!

Sharing platter of hummus, wholemeal pita bread, dolmades, olives, hot smoked salmon, raw veg sticks, fetta cheese, nuts.

1 pear.

Wednesday Thursday

Monday

Tuna wholegrain sandwich, mixed salad on the side. Olive oil and wine vinegar or lemon juice dressing. 1 pear.

Dinner Roast chicken with lemon, rosemary & garlic. Brown and wild rice, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, topped with rocket.

Friday Saturday

Fragrant spiced lentils wth grilled salmon. Green vegetables 1 glass red wine..

Sunday

Grilled steak or roast beef. Roast potatoes with herbs, fill half the plate with steamed veg - carrots, broccoli, kale, spinach, peas....

1 glass red wine.

what else matters Our whole lifestyle contributes to a healthy old age

Don't smoke Exercise every day. Include exercise that makes you breathe hard (eg walking up hills, running, swimming fast, cycling fast, playing tennis...) resistance or weight bearing exercise, flexibility and balance exercises.

Get at least 7 hours sleep a night.

Watch your weight, but don't expect to weigh what you did at 18!

Practice something that helps you to de-stress- meditation, listening to music, prayer, yoga, deep breathing....

Minimise your use of salt. Switch to herbs and spices for flavour.

Stay social. Meet friends, eat together, exercise together, laugh.

Practice a hobby that keeps your mind sharp- reading, crosswords, sudoku, scrabble, solitaire, bridge....

Cultivate an optimistic attitude Practice lifelong learning.

Be gentle with yourself. Every time you feel you are not living up to these habits, forgive yourself, brush yourself off and start again!

THE RECIPES As you grow in confidence you can make additions and adjustments or find your own recipes. This is just to get you started.

Directions

MUESLI

Ingredients 2 kg Rolled Oats

1 2

This makes.a large quantity but it keeps well . I keep my back up supply in the fridge to keep the nuts tasting fresher.

Locate 2 large airtight containers.

Put the oats, barley, rye, oat bran, psyllium, fruit medley and chia seeds into the containers (half of each ingredient in each container). Mix together with a large spoon.

500g Rolled Barley 500g Rolled Rice 500g Rolled/Flaked Quinoa 300g Pepitas 300g Sunflower Kernels 250g Oat Bran

3

Heat the oven to about 180 C. On large trays spread out the seeds and roast until lightly coloured. Add to the muesli mix.

4

Repeat the roasting process with the nuts and the coconut.

Watch the coconut like a hawk as it colours then burns very quickly. (4-5 minutes?) Chop the nuts (I use a very quick pulse in a food processor) before adding to the muesli.

250g Chia Seeds

Chop the prunes and any other dried fruit which is in large pieces. Add to the muesli.

500g Dried, Pitted Prunes

5 6

Mix everything together well. Keep in airtight continaers.

250g Psyllium Husk

1kg Fruit Medley (chopped dried apricot, apple, sultanas)

Other dried fruit to tastedried figs, cranberries, dates 400g Almonds (skin on) 250g Pecans or walnuts 350g Shredded Ccoonut

OVERNIGHT OATS There are so many variations that you can make on this recipe. Invent your own seasonal fruit/nut/seed combinations. You can even add cocoa powder for chocolate oats.

Directions

Ingredients

1

1/3 Cup Rolled Oats,

2

In a bowl or wide necked jar, combine the oats or muesli, cinnamon, chia seeds and nut butter .Add a splash of milk and work the nut butter through the oats.

orMuesli 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Add the rest of the milk and mix to combine.

1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds 1 Tablespoon Almond or

3 4 5

Top with sliced fruit. If you're using banana, pear or apple, do this just before serving so they don't discolour.

Store, covered, in the fridge overnight or for up to 5 days.

To finish, add the banana (or other fruit), chopped pecans and a dollop of yoghurt.

Drizzle with honey or maple syrup if you have a sweet tooth!

Peanut Butter 1/2- 2/3 Cup Milk (dairy or plant based) 1/2 Cup Fruit- Bananas here.

1 Tablespoon Pecans, or other nuts 1 Heaped Tablespoon Natural Yoghurt Drizzle of Maple Syrup or Honey if desired

SALAD DRESSING Extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar make a simple but perfect dressing for salad.

If you are watching calories, increase the proportion of vinegar to oil and use sparingly.

Directions

Ingredients

1

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive

2

This dressing keeps for weeks at room temperature, so no need to make it each time you make salad. I make a batch every couple of weeks. Shake to recombine before serving.

Oil 1/2 Cup White or Red Wine

Put all the ingredients in a jar. Put the lid on tightly.

Vinegar 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard

3

Shake gently to combine. It will separate out again between uses.

4

For a variation you could add a clove of garlic to the dressing(whole, peeled) which will infuse it with garlic flavour. Don't keep that variation too long in case of botulism from the garlic as it gets old.

or Wholegrain Mustard

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baking recipes for beginners Part 1 of the Home Chef Series