Another Reason Why The Mediterranean Diet is Just So Great

From Medscape News, January 13, 2011
Older adults who stick close to a traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) experience slower rates of cognitive decline as they age, new research suggests.

"...adherence to a Mediterranean diet is not only a heart healthy diet plan but also one that fosters a healthier functioning brain,” Christine C. Tangney, of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.  Their results were published online December 22, 2010, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The researchers used a modified version of the Harvard food-frequency questionnaire to assess level of adherence to 2 dietary patterns. One was the traditional MedDiet pattern, which is rich in olive oil, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and moderate amounts of wine and is low in dairy foods and red meat. The other was the Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-2005), which is based on recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The maximum score for the MedDiet, which would mean complete adherence, is 55, and participants' mean score was 28.2. The maximum score for the HEI-2005 is 100, and participants' mean score was 61.2.
Participants most likely to adhere to the MedDiet were white, nonsmokers, and multivitamin users, with higher educational levels and lower body mass index. Those with higher MedDiet scores had lower prevalence of stroke, hypertension, and depression and higher baseline global cognitive scores.
According to the investigators, a higher MedDiet score indicating closer adherence to this eating pattern was associated with slower rates of cognitive decline over time, after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, participation in cognitive activities, and energy.
"If we were comparing 2 persons with MedDiet scores or MedDiet wine scores that were 10 points apart, the person with the higher scores would appear to perform as if she or he were 3 years younger cognitively," the study authors note.
 
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  You don't have to be a professional chef, nor do you need to be a good cook to adopt a delicious and nutritious Mediterranean diet.  All you need to do is do a little research, go to the grocer and produce stores, and not be lazy about your meals.  Modern medicine will have us all living a lot longer than we previously thought possible and I don't know about you, but I'd like to have my wits about me as I move along that timeline!  If anyone would like to share some recipes, please do post them and help out other folks who wouldn't normally create their own meals!

Daily Nutrition Numbers and YOU

Ok...Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  don't make me feel like I've wasted my time giving you the following information....it took quite a bit of time to type, so save it in your mobile unit, your computer and print out a copy.  Refer to the following information and see where you're at!

According to Cooking Light Magazine, the following is a daily nutritional numbers chart.  It's a pretty simple guideline to daily intake of certain important elements to good health.  Of course, individual health issues should be taken into consideration, such as pregnancy and lactating women.

Women ages 25-50
calories:  2,000
protein:  50g
fat:  65g or less
saturated fat:  20g or less
carbohydrates:  304g
fiber:  25g to 35g
cholesterol:  300mg or less
iron:  18mg
sodium:  2,300mg or less
calcium:  1,000mg

Women over 50
calories:  2,000 or less
protein  50g or less
fat:  65g or less
saturated fat:  20g or less
carohydrates:  304g
fiber:  25g to 35g
cholesterol:  300mg or less
iron:  8mg
sodium: 1,500mg or less
calcium:  1,000mg

Men over 24
calories:  2,700
protein:  63g
fat:  88g or less
saturated fat:  27g or less
carbohydrates:  410g
fiber:  25 to 35g
cholesterol:  300mg or less
iron:  8mg
sodium:  2,300mg or less
calcium:  1,000mg

Beans, Beans and Beans

I've always enjoyed various bean dishes and coming from a background of Mediterranean cooking, there are gazillions of ways to prepare and enjoy these low-fat, high in protein wonderful foods.  Sad to say, for the past 10 years, I have experienced a food sensitivity to legumes - let's put it this way...if you've ever seen the 'Alien' film trio where the beast rips itself from the chest cavities of humans, that was how I felt after eating beans!  There's not enough Beano in the world to save me from two tablespoons of black beans or lentils until....
I ran into a neighbor of mine who is a fab nutritionist and whined to her about my legume issue.  She suggested that instead of soaking my beans for just 12 hours, that I soak them for over 24 hours in cold water, continuously changing the water.  An added bonus would be to add seaweed to the cooking process.  So, I thought I'd try it.  At least, if the technique didn't work, I'd know what I was in for and had no patients scheduled for the next morning (this had possibilities of becoming ugly!).
Viola!!  It worked!!  Black beans, Cuban style with brown sweet rice, red snapper and green snow peas from a friend's garden.  Meal of meals....yummy in my tummy!!!!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Legumes are really heart healthy, low fat and high in protein.  They're cheap eats too!  When preparing any legumes, do what I did - soak those suckers for over 48 hours (yes, I soaked them for 2 DAYS) and keep changing the cold water.  You and your guests will have no ill effects from the legumes and you won't have to say 'pass the Beano, please'!  I can't wait to make an herb-infused butter bean puree that I used to enjoy so much!!  I'm off to the market to get me some beans!!