What is MIND Diet?
The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. This popular diet plan was created by Martha Clare.
Martha is a renowned nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center. She developed this diet through a study with the National Institute of Ageing. This study was published in 2015.
This diet takes the best parts of two well known and popular diet, DASH and the Mediterranean diet. The diet put its focus on those foods from these two diets, that affect brain health.
This diet plan aims to lower the risk of mental deterioration as per their research findings.
In the present time, there is still no sure way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but according to the MIND diet, eating a healthy and balanced diet consisting of green leafy vegetables, nuts and berries can reduce the risk of developing this disease.
The study done by Martha Clare found that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is lowered by 35% in people who this diet moderately. But the same risk was lowered up to 53% for people if they rigorously followed the diet.
Her team also claimed that the MIND diet is far better than DASH and Mediterranean diets when it comes to lowering cognitive decay. But the long-term effects of this diet are still not known and need more study.
The diet is a low-carb diet as it allows the consumption of lesser carbs than government-recommended guidelines. This diet is specifically good for those aiming at faster weight loss.
As this diet mixes the best part of two proven diet plans, it is known to increase brain health. But on the other side, there are not many resources and recipes available for the diet and it lacks some important details also.
How does it work?
The diet recommends consuming a salad, along with three servings of whole grains and vegetables. You can also consume a glass of wine along with the food. A little alcohol can be beneficial for brain health, but it is not necessary to add wine to daily consumption.
Nuts are used as everyday snacks and a half cup of beans is recommended every other day. Poultry products half a cup of blueberries can be taken twice a week. Fish can be consumed once a week. Olive oil is much recommended in this diet.
The cost of having this diet can be high as its main components like olive oil, berries, fresh vegetables, and fruits can be pricier than the packaged foods.
MIND Diet for weight loss
The diet also helps in weight loss. The study that proposed the diet was not done weight loss effects, but it is seen that the foods prohibited in the diet such as sweets, fried items, and whole dairy products, are also responsible for weight gain. So when you avoid these foods following the diet, it is possible to lose some extra pounds of weight as well.
This diet is based on the two diets. The Mediterranean diet research has already shown good results for weight loss. If the diet plan is designed with a calorie deficit, using the DASH diet, the MIND diet can be used to lose weight also.
The diet is quite easy to follow as it recommended broader food groups and guidelines for this diet are not that strict as well. You can easily build your meals and also eat out but the consumption of alcohol should be moderated. You can also find and adapt recipes for the diet. When eating outside, but avoid fast foods, fried food, and foods rich in butter and cheese.
Exercise is not an integral part of a this diet. However, if you are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, some physical activity will be helpful. Moderate exercises like walking, or muscle strengthening exercises for two hours per week are beneficial to get good benefits of the MIND diet.