Question

Develop a one-day food plan that incorporates the MIND diet characteristics . Discuss how close your current eating habits reflect the food plan you created and 2 simple step you can take to include foods that meet the MIND diet criteria.

Answer 1

Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay Diet (MIND DIET).

The MIND diet is a hybrid diet which combines already existing and beneficial eating syles named as DASH diet and Mediterranean diet. Researches suggest that this diet can effectly impact the brain health in a good way and thus help is delaying the neurodegenerative disorders occurances like Alzhiemers. The main focus of this diet plan is to improve and maintain good and optimum levels of brain-health of an individual.

{ NOTE: DASH DIET= Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. }

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MIND DIET CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE:

• DASH diet as well as Mediterranean diet advise plenty of fruits intake. For example, fruits like berries have been found to be beneficial due to their high antioxdidant contents. Due to this, the MIND diet recommends taking berries as fruits.
• The individual is needs to take more quantities of the foods advised in MIND diet plans.
• 10 foods are recommended to eat and 5 are to be avoided.

10 foods to include/eat:

1. Eat more than six servings of green leafy vegetables per week. Examples, kale, salads, spinach etc in cooked form.
2. Add any other seasonal non-starchy, nutrient filled vegetable with the above per day.
3. Five or more servings of nuts per week.
4. Berries should be eaten often, minimum is twice a week.
5. Primary cooking oil should be olive oil.
6. MInimum three servings of whole grains every single day need to be consumed.
7. Fish for their omega-3 fatty acid content must be taken.
8. Beans must be consumed at a minimum rate of four times per week.
9. Poultry twice a week.
10. Wine. Limit it to one glass per day for either red wine or white wine.

5 foods to avoid or limit:

1. Cheese
2. Butter/margarine
3. Red meat
4. Fried foods
5. Sweets, desserts, pastries.

Avoid foods which contain saturated fats and trans-fats in direct or indirect forms.

• It helps prevent dementia and also improves the brain functionality.
• It helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
• It reduces beta-amyloid protein which are considered as harmful for the brain as they can cause plaque formationa and lead to brain cell death. These plaques are causative factors behind Alzheimer;s disease.
• Including the above characteristic points, below is the one example of one day diet plan.

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ONE DAY FOOD PLAN WITH MIND DIET CHARACTERISTICS:

• For Breakfast: Whole wheat toast, peanut butter and scrambled eggs.
• Mid-day snack: Nuts or berries shakes (either of the two).
• Lunch: Mexican style mixed green vegetables salad,chickpeas/beans, red onion, tomatoes, corns, grilled chicken and olive oil based dressing.
• Dinner: Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, grilled salmon with brown rice.

* A glass of red wine can be added for its benefits per day with dinner.

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• The current eating habits are 70-75 percent close to this diet plan, but it also includes plenty of easy to find snacks and fast food. Regularity and routine are also an important factors to focus on to avoid lack of proper nutrition.
• Hence, there is a scope of adding better and more nutritious food items with better regularity of consumption by following the MIND diet.

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The two steps that can be taken to include more foods which meet the MIND diet criteria in my opinion would be:

1. Including more greens, vegetables and involving regular whole grains intake.
2. Fast food snacks and desserts can be replaced with the healthier alternatives above and berries etc which are tasteful as well as full of health benefits.

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Hence, above are the detailed answers and explanation to this question.