Senior Care Huntersville NC
What you eat is important for keeping weight down and staying physically fit. But it’s also important for keeping your brain sharp. The foods you eat, especially if they’re high in antioxidants, can help ward off dementia and improve your overall brain health, according to some studies.
If you’re providing senior care for someone, you may be doing grocery shopping or preparing some meals for them. Why not incorporate some of these brain-smart foods into their diet?
- Blueberries have been shown to improve one’s learning capacity and motor skills. Other foods that can help accomplish the same thing include grapes, dark chocolate and coffee. U.S. News & World Report says that research has shown that blueberries helped lab rats better navigate through mazes. And a Nurses’ Health Study conducted on 16,000 women age 70 and older showed that respondents who ate blueberries had slower mental reduction than those who didn’t. Also, various studies have shown that regular coffee drinkers seem less at risk of suffering from dementia as non-coffee drinkers.
- Lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit all help keep a brain healthy and prevent cognitive decline. Whether they’re eaten by themselves, squeezed into a beverage, or mixed into a salad dressing, they will provide some positive benefit for your loved one.
- Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, are great foods for brain health. Almonds help preserve memory and prevent cognitive decline. In addition, a 2014 study in the Journal of Nutrition claimed that eating walnuts can improve your brain cell communication and growth.
- Fish that have an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, including tuna, mackerel, salmon, halibut, sardines, herring, or any other cold water fish are important for brain health. Eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can also help reduce inflammation in the body.
- Tomatoes, beets and avocados help protect against radical damage to brain cells, according to a study by the Kahn Academy and reported by BBC Good Foods. But be careful not to eat too many avocados, as they are highly caloric. Leafy greens like cabbage, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, and kale are also important for preserving brain cells.
- Greek yogurt can help prevent age-related memory loss and general cognitive decline. At the same time the vitamins and minerals in Greek yogurt can also help relieve stress and provide more energy for both your body and brain.
- Eggs, including the yolks, help support memory and stimulate communication between brain cells.
- Oats not only help fuel the brain, but clears the arteries as well by removing cholesterol from the body, which in turn help prevent strokes and reduces the risk of dementia.
- Dark-skinned fruits can help. The Alzheimer’s Association says that the ones with the most impact, besides blueberries mentioned above, are blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes, and cherries.
The Alzheimer’s Association says a brain-healthy diet is much like a heart-healthy diet because, among other benefits, it encourages good blood flow to the brain. Consider that when shopping and cooking for your senior—even yourself.
