>The Mediterranean Diet: A Recipe for Cognitive Health
The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets in the world. It is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, and has been shown to have many benefits for cognitive health. Studies have shown that people who follow a Mediterranean diet are less likely to experience cognitive decline as they age and may even be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or dementia. If you are looking for a way to improve your cognitive health, the Mediterranean diet may be the perfect solution!
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a diet that has many different benefits, but one of the biggest benefits it has is that it can support brain health, improve memory, and slow cognitive decline. Besides living a healthy lifestyle, the diet will improve all aspects of your health, especially mental function. In this article, we are going to discuss the origins of the diet, the many benefits of the diet, and brain-healthy foods that you can eat on the diet.
Mediterranean Diet Benefits
The Mediterranean Diet has been voted the best overall diet due to its endless health benefits. The diet focuses on whole, all-natural foods which is what our microbiome within our body needs. Removing all processed foods and chemical additives ensures that the body is less likely to develop a chronic condition or disease.
The diet itself focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean protein, and lots of healthy fats. Olive oil, avocados, and white fatty fish are the main sources of obtaining the omega-3 fatty acids that the diet revolves around. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for heart health and brain health, which is why the diet was founded in the first place.
Mediterranean Diet Origins
Dr. Ancel Keys founded the Mediterranean Diet after his 7-year study where he studied the daily life of people from 7 different countries around the world. He concluded that the people who lived on the Mediterranean Sea lived the longest and healthiest lives due to their diet and exercise regimen.
He established the Mediterranean Diet as an official diet and or lifestyle that he promoted in the United States. The Mediterranean Diet was needed and is still needed in the United States due to the rise of chronic conditions and weight issues caused by our food intake. According to John Hopkins University, adopting the Mediterranean Diet would help decrease the risk of neurodegenerative disorders as well as heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, and obesity.
Mediterranean Diet & Brain Healthy Foods
As we mentioned above, the Mediterranean Diet is great for promoting brain function, can counteract cognitive decline, and can even improve memory. The main reason all these amazing feats are possible is because of the focus on all-natural foods and omega-3 fatty acids.
The Mediterranean diet completely removes all processed foods and chemical additives from your diet, which many Americans rely on. Even American children suffer from brain development issues from an early age due to the processed foods they are introduced to at an early age. The Mediterranean diet puts a major emphasis on fruits and vegetables, such as leafy greens, which are full of valuable vitamins and nutrients that our body needs like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Potassium.
The diet also highly promotes whole grains and lean proteins which are full of Vitamin B. This is another essential vitamin that many processed foods lack. Certain foods are better than others for providing the vitamins and nutrients that our body needs, but if you focus on removing processed foods and chemical additives from your diet then your body will be healthier overall.
Cognitive Decline
The decline of brain function is something that happens as someone gets older but can happen more abruptly and earlier if someone has one of the few neurological diseases that more and more people suffer from. It is important to practice a healthy diet and daily exercise to delay cognitive decline.
Mild cognitive impairment happens as we get older, but brain diseases and age-related brain degenerative disorders can appear earlier on if you do not practice a healthy diet during your life. Many processed foods and chemical additives that are approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have had no long-term studies conducted on their effects on our bodies.
An increasing number of people in America suffer from chronic conditions such as heart disease and type II diabetes as well as Alzheimer's and dementia. This is not a coincidence! This is happening because of the foods that we are eating daily as well as a lack of exercise. If we want to ensure a healthy brain and maintain proper brain function into our older age, then we need to do something now before it is too late.
Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia
Alzheimer's Disease & dementia are both age-related neurodegenerative diseases that many doctors and scientists attribute to poor diet and lack of exercise throughout life. Also, other factors like smoking and alcohol are said to have some effect on cognitive function at an older age. There are also some theories that chemical additives in processed foods could be leading to quicker loss of brain function due to the chemicals not being properly broken down by the microbiome within our stomachs.
Alzheimer's disease and dementia are terribly similar neurodegenerative diseases that have the following symptoms:
- Short-term memory loss
- Difficulty speaking and communicating
- Disorientation
- Mood swings and behavioral changes
Brain Foods & Brain Health
There are tons of brain foods within the Mediterranean diet that are proven to improve and maintain overall brain health.
Here is a list of the best foods for brain health that you can eat on the Mediterranean Diet:
- Green Vegetables (Vitamin K & Beta Carotene)
- Fatty Fish (Omega-3 Fatty Acids)
- Fruits and Berries (Vitamin A, B, & C)
- Nuts, Seeds, & Legumes (Proteins & Omega-3 Fatty Acids)
- Dark Chocolate (Flavonoids & antioxidants)
- Whole Grains (Vitamin E)
Why You Need to Follow the Mediterranean Diet
There are many reasons why people should follow the Mediterranean Diet, but here are the top reasons that we believe make this diet unbeatable.
Life Longevity
The Mediterranean diet will help you live a longer and healthier life. Many of the world's centurions (people who live to be 100 years old) are from the Mediterranean region and live the Mediterranean diet lifestyle. If you want to live longer then the Mediterranean diet is your best bet due to its ability to combat chronic conditions and diseases.
Improved Overall Health and Wellness
The Mediterranean diet will improve your overall health and wellness. Many people use the diet to ensure they are eating healthy, feeling their best, and maintaining a healthy weight. The diet also ensures that your brain and nerve cells are functioning at their highest function due to the number of vitamins and nutrients that your body will be getting from the Mediterranean diet.
Improved Brain Health
If you have made it this far through the blog, then you know the Mediterranean diet is the best diet for improving and maintaining brain health. Our brain health is especially important for every aspect of life, which is why it is important to take in massive amounts of omega-3 fatty acids daily. The Mediterranean diet is chock full of omega-3 fatty acids as well as tons of other valuable vitamins and nutrients.
Improved Heart Health
Another major aspect of the Mediterranean diet is that it improves not only brain health but as well as heart health. The diet is the number one diet recommended by cardiologists for improving all heart conditions such as hypertension and heart disease. The Mediterranean diet will improve brain function as well as heart function. What more could you ask for from a diet?
Are you ready to start the Mediterranean Diet?
If you are ready to start the Mediterranean diet but do not know where to start then we recommend starting with a Mediterranean diet meal delivery service. This Mediterranean diet meal delivery service will ensure you are getting brain-boosting foods on a consistent basis while you learn a new way to shop and cook.
ModifyHealth is the only company that has a menu of 30+ delicious Mediterranean diet meals. They also deliver nationwide with free shipping so you will have new Mediterranean diet meals in your fridge on a weekly basis.
Are you ready to learn more? Click the following link to explore meal plans: Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan
