What you eat should be part of your strategy to minimize memory loss, according to neurologist Richard S Isaacson. Everyone doesn’t respond the same to the same diet, but there’s data on memory and diet and Mr. Isaacson and Christopher N. Ochner, a leading researcher on nutrition and the brain, have identified a 10 point dietary plan that may prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. Check with your doctor before starting any new diet for an Alzheimer’s patient or if you’re on medication.
- Eat a Mediterranean style nutrient mix of very little red meat or processed foods. East more fruits, vegetables and lean protein like fish, chicken, turkey (not fried), low fat yogurt and cheeses, nuts and seeds
- Eat complex carbohydrates; they keep your blood sugar and energy steady. Simple carbs and high glycemic carbs (sugars, high fructose corn syrup, processed cereals and grains, baked goods, ice cream and sorbet, crackers, salty snacks like chips and pretzels and anything made with white flour) burn quickly through your body; reducing these types of carbs reduces brain inflammation; a low carb diet can improve verbal memory performance.
- There are some good fats. Good fats raise your HDL cholesterol levels. Good fats are mono saturated and polyunsaturated. Bad fats are saturated fats and trans fats. Foods with good fats are olive oil, avocados, natural peanut butter, certain nuts, certain seeds, and certain fish (see #4).
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids, called DHA and EPA, are essential for brain health and memory function. Eat more fish like mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, albacore tuna, wild stream salmon (not farmed salmon; it has less DHA and more toxins)
- Eat foods rich in antioxidants, like blueberries, kale, unsweetened cocoa, mushrooms, onions and beans. Antioxidants prevent oxidation (cell damage)
- Take your vitamins, especially B6, B12, D.
- Whole Foods is not just the name of a popular food market. Whole foods are a category of foods. Whole foods have only 1 ingredient, foods like broccoli, barley, eggs, etc; most whole foods are found on the perimeter of your supermarket. The outer isles have the fresh, whole ingeredients like produce, dairy, fish and lean meat.
- Better Option: low or non fat dairy. Try mixing your whole milk with skim milk; this will increase the proportion of no fat to high fat.
- Coffee? Yes! 1 or 2 cups of caffeinated coffee; according to researchers, men that drank coffee regularly showed less of a decline on memory tests.
10- A 12 hour night fast. Eating your last meal of the day 12 hours before the next morning breakfast may help save your memory
