The MIND diet 'reduces risk of Alzheimer's'

The MIND diet may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by up to 53%.

What is it?

The MIND diet is an acronym for Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay, fusing the acclaimed Med diet and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension).

Strictly following the MIND diet could markedly drop the odds of developing Alzheimer's disease according to journal Alzheimer's & Dementia. A study showed that the diet reduced the risk of Alzheimer's by up to 53 per cent in strict adherents and 35 per cent in moderate followers.

Try it

The MIND diet has 15 dietary components including 10 brain-healthy food groups – green leafy veg, other vegies, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine.

• At least three servings of whole grains
• A salad
• One other vegetable
• A glass of wine
• Nuts as snacks
• Beans on alternate days
• Poultry and berries at least twice a week
• Fish at least once a week
• Limit butter to less than a tablespoon per day
• No more than a serving a week of cheese and fried or fast food
• Eat blueberries, which have been found to be brain-protective. Strawberries also rate in past studies of food for cognitive function

Off the menu: Red meats, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets and fried or fast food.

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Why Go Paleo?

The paleo diet a.k.a. caveman diet has recently become a hot topic of conversation and debate among many. Some experts (such as Loren Cordain) swear by paleo, and others (such as Marlene Zuk Ph.D) have voiced their criticisms.

Nonetheless, many people still have questions about paleo. To help address (and answer) some of those questions, the team at LIVESTRONG created the infographic below.

The cavemen appear to have gotten a few things right — art and their diet — and it is the latter which is the basis for the Paleo Diet. It is an animal protein, low-carb lifestyle like that of our pre-tech ancestors. Foods shunned for their inflammatory qualities include dairy, grains, refined sugars and legumes.

The Premise of the Paleo Diet

Since our genetics, anatomy and nutritional requirements have changed very little since the start of agriculture 10,000 years ago, eating and exercising in the same way our Paleolithic-era ancestors did can help control weight and help prevent diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer that our contemporary way of eating may cause (or at the very least contribute to).

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Get Your Body Ready For Spring!

Time passes so quickly sometimes that seasons often take us by surprise. Never is that more apparent than the arrival of spring and that first hint of warm weather that reminds us just how long it’s been since we’ve tried on those shorts we have stuffed in the bottom of the drawer. Warm weather also brings a renewed interest in those New Year’s resolutions we made so long ago and, perhaps, stopped working towards sometime during the dreary winter months. As a result, many people find they’re starting all over again, eager to get their bodies ready for spring. While you can’t make drastic changes in just a few weeks, it is possible to get back on the workout track and make some progress before you box up the sweaters and head outside. So here are some tips to get you ready for your best spring/summer yet! 

1. Don’t diet. Yep, that’s what it says. Diets actually slow down your metabolism, which causes you to gain weight. When you lose weight by dieting alone, you also lose muscle mass. The loss of your muscle will slow down your metabolism. Instead, eat at least four to five small meals a day. This will help your body burn the fuel most efficiently. 
2. Don’t drink your calories. Unless you are juicing your own fruits and vegetables, soft drinks and many juices have very little nutritional value. These extra calories are added to your day and the first ones you should drop. If you were to replace just one caloric drink a day with water, you can lose two pounds a month. 
3. Change it up. Chances are you wouldn’t have even started reading this article if what you’re currently doing was working for you. You’ve hit a plateau from doing that same old routine over and over. It’s time to change it up! It is crucial to always confuse your muscles to ensure you get the most out of your workout. If muscle confusion confuses you, you might consider consulting a fitness expert, like the ones at Dolphins Health Precinct. 
4. Incorporate high-intensity interval workouts. We all have busy schedules and group fitness workouts can be an effective way to tone and get into shape, choose RIPPLE EFFX programs two to three times a week. With R.E workouts, you get the most bang for your buck. You’ll get more out of your workout in 20 minutes of interval training than most people on the elliptical for an hour. 
5. Pass on the salt. High-salt foods cause your body to retain water, which gives you a bloated belly. To get rid of excess salt and water weight, actually drink more water. Water helps flush the salt from your system. You can shed that bloat with this one tip. 
6. Make a small change — and stick to it. Make one goal to yourself at a time. Maybe it’s removing soft drink from your lunch or moving for five minutes a day. Just make it attainable and commit to it. Once you master that first goal, you can add another to it, and so on 
7. Be realistic. As much as we’d all love to drop 3 to 5 kilos in a week — especially as summer approaches — it’s not very doable without going to extreme measures. Instead, strive to lose 1 per cent of your body weight a week that’s a healthy goal. 
8. Eat real food. Forget the packaged diet dinners and low-fat snacks. Fresh fruits and vegetables are higher in nutrients than processed meals — plus, they’re rich in fibre, which will keep you feeling fuller longer. Lean meats like chicken and fish are high in protein and will help you burn more fat while building muscle mass. And yes, you can put some steak on the BBQ — just eat it in moderation. The calorie count is higher in red meat, so opt for palm-sized portions instead of the four ounces you would eat of chicken or fish. 
9. Don’t skip carbs. Just remember that not all carbohydrates are created equal: White bread, rice and sweets are nutritionally poor, but sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats and whole-grain bread are both delicious and healthy. 
10. Join a gym. Train at a place with people who care and will support you. Dolphins Health Precinct has programs and variety for all ages and fitness levels. As always, be sure to exercise responsibly and consult with a fitness expert to ensure you use proper form. Summer and warmer weather will be here before you know it, so get started right away to show off your physical fitness and summer-ready body. Call Dolphins Health Precinct now.

10 Tips to Make Your Diet Stick

1. Try new foods. It’s the new year so choose one a month. Try it 10 times and you will like it. Become familiar with smell, taste, texture and flavour. The wider the range of foods you eat, the more nutrients you will be ingesting.

2. Reward and recognise your achievements. Focus on the positive. Use the strategies that kept you on track to help implement the next challenge.

3. Get started straight away. Ban procrastination. This time next year you'll have wish you started sooner!

4. Set yourself up to succeed. Identify the challenges and find the solutions to overcome them. Write down the strategies you will use. Don’t leave it to chance.

5. Choose a time and day to shop. Write it down in your diary so you don’t end up with a bare fridge.

6. Divide up tasks. Take it in turns to cook, shop and wash up so it isn’t an overwhelming task.

7. Have frozen meals ready to defrost. That way you won’t have to resort to unhealthy takeaway options.

8. Allow some treats. But don’t go overboard. Have one scoop of ice-cream rather than two, gourmet yoghurt on berries rather than cream, fresh fruit with a few squares of dark chocolate.

9. Modify your cooking methods. For example, try oven-baked potatoes brushed with oil rather than deep-fried chips. Crumb your schnitzel and brown in the pan with a little oil, then finish dry-baking in the oven.

10. Make an appointment with yourself for activity. Start at a pace you can continue with, for example, walk three days a week at lunchtime and twice a week after work rather than walking every day at 5am, which you know you won’t continue in winter.

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The Importance of Fibre

Dietary fibre is found in cereals, fruits and vegetables. Fibre is made up of the indigestible parts or compounds of plants, which pass relatively unchanged through our stomach and intestines. The main role of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy.

Other terms for dietary fibre include ‘bulk’ and ‘roughage’, which can be misleading since some forms of fibre are water soluble and aren’t bulky or rough at all.

Fibre keeps the digestive system healthy

Dietary fibre is mainly needed to keep the digestive system healthy. It also contributes to other processes, such as stabilising glucose and cholesterol levels. In countries with traditionally high fibre diets, diseases such as bowel cancer, diabetes and coronary heart disease are much less common than in the West. 

Most Australians don’t consume enough fibre. On average, most Australians consume 18-25g of fibre daily. The Heart Foundation recommends that adults should consume approximately 30g daily. Australian experts suggest that children should eat 10g of fibre a day plus an additional gram for every year of age. For instance, a 10 year old child should eat 15-20g of fibre per day. 

Disorders that can arise from a low fibre diet include:

• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Diverticulitis
• Heart disease
• Some cancers

Two types of fibre

There are broadly two categories of fibre and we need to eat both in our daily diets:

• Soluble fibre - includes pectins, gums and mucilage, which are found mainly in plant cells. One of its major roles is to lower blood cholesterol levels. Good sources of soluble fibre include fruits, vegetables, oat bran, barley, seed husks, flaxseed, psyllium, dried beans, lentils, peas, soymilk and soy products. Soluble fibre can also help with constipation.
• Insoluble fibre - includes cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, which make up the structural parts of plant cell walls. A major role of insoluble fibre is to add bulk to faeces and to prevent constipation and associated problems such as haemorrhoids. Good sources include wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, the skins of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried beans and wholegrain foods.Both types of fibre are beneficial to the body and most plant foods contain a mixture of both types.

Ways to increase your fibre intake

Simple suggestions for increasing your daily fibre intake include:

• Eat breakfast cereals that contain barley, wheat or oats.
• Switch to wholemeal or multigrain breads and brown rice.
• Add an extra vegetable to every evening meal.
• Snack on fruit, dried fruit, nuts or wholemeal crackers.A daily intake of more than 30g can be easily achieved if you eat wholegrain cereal products, more fruit, vegetables and legumes and, instead of low fibre cakes and biscuits, have nuts or seeds as a snack or use in meals.

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Protein helps girls drop 10% of their body weight (study)

More protein could be the key for overweight women trying to slim down

Young women who want to lose weight should eat 300g of protein-rich food a day, including three to four serves of lean red meat a week, according to new research.

A 12-month study by The University of Sydney found that overweight women aged 18 to 25 will, on average, lose almost 10 per cent of their initial body weight after spending a year on a protein-rich diet.

“Losing 10 per cent of your body weight is like the holy grail for weight-loss studies,” says lead study author Dr Helen O’Connor, a lecturer in exercise and sports science at The University of Sydney. “Many of the women also achieved this loss after just six months, which surprised us.”

Why protein works

Melanie McGrice, spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA), says that protein is essential for weightloss for two reasons: it makes us feel fuller for longer, and it keeps our metabolisms ticking along. “Protein is the macronutrient with the highest satiety ranking. It also requires more energy to break down in our body, and keeps our blood sugar levels balanced, both of which are beneficial for our metabolism.”

Protein is particularly beneficial for significantly overweight or obese people wanting to lose weight.

“Because overweight people have more total body weight, they need higher levels of protein to support muscle mass and metabolism,” McGrice says. “If you’re not meeting your protein requirements, which often happens when following a fad diet, then the body has to break down muscle instead, which lowers metabolism, and it’s really hard to rebuild that again.”

O’Connor and McGrice agree that a protein rich diet does not have to be low in carbs. “The protein-rich diet followed in the study still contained four serves of carbohydrates a day, which is not low at all,” O’Connor says. Participants were encouraged to choose wholegrain and low-GI types. “These types of carbs help you feel fuller for longer, and keep blood sugar levels in check, just like protein does,” O’Connor says.

Protein-rich meal plan:

Breakfast: porridge (made with 1/2 cup rolled oats, 250ml low fat milk, 20g sultanas, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp honey).

Lunch: Beef and pasta salad

Dinner: 200g salmon fillet, steamed, with 1/3 cup cooked brown rice, 2 cups steamed vegetables (e.g. carrot, bok choy, broccoli) and 1 tsp oil.

Snacks: 1 piece of fresh fruit; tub of low-fat yoghurt with handful berries; or 1 chopped carrot with tablespoon of fresh hummus.

Read the full article here.

Modified Detox Diet - The Standard Process

Detoxification, or detox, diets are purported to remove toxins from the body. The exact requirements for a detox diet vary but the process often involves a strict fasting period. You can modify a detox diet in any number of ways, but you still should follow some general guidelines.

Identification

In most detox diets, the first phase is a period of fasting or severe calorie restriction. Many of these diets recommend that you only drink specific concoctions for a certain period. For example, the Master Cleanse instructs followers to drink lemon juice mixed with maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper as well as a laxative tea for the first 10 days. Other plans recommend different fluids but all involve a very low-calorie diet. Some detox plans include a colon cleanse, supposedly to further remove toxins from your body.

Modifications

You can change a detox diet in numerous ways to fit your lifestyle. For instance, you may want to include low-calorie foods, such as vegetables, lean protein and whole grains or other unprocessed foods. You also might opt to forgo a colon cleanse or other supplements, instead focusing on eating healthy. Some detox dieters simply eliminate processed foods and refined sugars.

Research

There has been limited scientific research on the effects of detoxification diets. Certain components of these types of diets, such as reducing caloric intake and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, are boons for any type of diet program. There are health benefits that many supporters attribute to detoxification diets, such as fewer headaches, better complexion, weight loss and less bloating. However, critics note that the body naturally removes toxins effectively and does not need detoxification.

Precautions

Consult your physician before you start any new diet, especially a detox program. Certain people should not try this type of diet because of health concerns; they include children, pregnant women and diabetics. Because detox diets usually severely limit calories, strenuous exercise should be avoided while using the plan. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre recommends that dieters make long-lasting changes, such as reducing sodium, caffeine and alcohol consumption and eating a more plant-based diet, instead of resorting to a short-term detox diet.

By Ireland Wolfe

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