Brain Healthy Mediterranean-Style Menu Options Benefit Seniors Health
Several large scale scientific studies of the Mediterranean Diet, as well as smaller studies on specific foods and spices, point to the important role played by diet in the cause, prevention and management of Alzheimer’s disease. A healthful diet is now widely acknowledged to boost overall brain health and cognitive function and even potentially delay the onset of dementia symptoms and Alzheimer’s. The Mediterranean Diet has also been proven to reduce strokes, heart attacks and deaths due to heart disease. Finally, because it helps to regulate blood sugar, it’s great for seniors managing diabetes.
At Senior Living Residences, we are proud to be the first Assisted Living company in the nation to create a research-based nutrition program focused on the documented connection between diet and brain health. Our program was in development for three years and launched in 2009, just as the first widely reported large scale study on the Mediterranean Diet was concluded!
The Wholesome Foods You Love ARE Brain Healthy!
The wide variety of “brain healthy foods” on our menus include fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, spices, nuts, olive oil, eggs, lean meats, fish, seafood and other foods high in omega three fatty acids. All of these foods in the right combinations provide the body with potent antioxidants and nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties, essential to brain health, heart health and overall body health.
In addition to creating and serving brain healthy recipes, our executive chefs also tweak our residents’ favorite traditional and regional recipes to make them more healthy by substituting natural sweeteners for refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup, replacing saturated and trans fats with healthy fats, and using delicious spices to cut back on the need for salt.
Brain Healthy Cooking Is For Everyone At Any Age!
Our Brain Healthy Cooking Program is designed to improve cognitive function for people of any age whether or not you have memory loss. Scientists researching Alzheimer’s disease now know that changes and damage in the brain begins well before – sometimes decades before – there are any symptoms. Following a brain healthy diet can be an important step to take to protect your own brain health – even if you are not noticing changes to your memory.
Because Senior Living Residences is an industry leader in Alzheimer’s care with a special expertise in brain healthy nutrition, we consider it a responsibility to advocate on the issue of brain healthy cooking and eating for everyone. Find Mediterranean-style recipes and helpful eating tips at BrainHealthyCooking.com
Get started on the road to a healthier brain and body with these resources:
- BrainHealthyCooking.com, our award winning website, features mouthwatering Mediterranean Recipes, cooking tips, information on spices, and the latest research.
- AgeRight.org (another of our award winning web sites!) features more recipes and blogs about brain healthy foods from contributing authors
- From the Kitchen of SLR, download our useful Brain Healthy Foods Shopping List and Mediterranean Diet Nutrition Guidelines
- Check out the Mediterranean Foods Alliance web site
- Understand how the MIND Diet Compares to the Mediterranean Diet