Vegetarian Diet For Dementia

Posted by SusanEllen66 @SusanEllen66, Feb 27 12:36pm

Hi all
I was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia.
My research is pointing to diet and exercise as part of the healing process. Problem is it requires a vegetarian diet, and I have IBS.
Too much salad and vegetables wreck my digestive tract.
I’ve looked at the FODMAP diet, but it has a lot of meat.

If anyone has any recommendations for food plans for brain health that are vegetarian, please let me know.

Thanks

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I’ve done a lot of research as well. It all keeps pointing back to a Mediterranean diet. Now I don’t pretend to have a lot of knowledge, but it seems to me it uses meat as an accent ingredient rather than the star attraction. Veggies can be cooked because I too have a form of colitis and again small portions. The secret sauce seems to be A Lot of variety of smaller portions of any one thing. Like rice and grilled or steamed or Baked fish and poached veggies and fresh fruit. All very fresh and low fat. Sounds awesome but it also sounds like a full time job.
I’m seeking a chef would make x meals a week that I can pickup. And not having luck.

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Simplest and fast food is whole wheat toasts with all-peanut butter and some variety of greens (bell peppers and lettuce work for me) -- and I take a few varieties of seasonal fruits. Usually I fry two large onions in a large frying pan and canned beans and/or peas good for two large meals. Of course seeds and nuts with a few cookies/pies/cakes!

The Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, targets the health of the aging brain. This is what Harvard Health says which I suppose isn't different than what Mayo would.
Counting calories methinks is a sure way to hate food -- something that needs to be Enjoyed not used as a medicine with trepidation. Our bodies developed its signals to tell us when we are no longer hungry. Let's keep that instinct intact.

For your IBS, I'd talk to my doc, tho most veggies can be light steamed (I do often the hard ones collard/kale) Good luck!
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mind-diet/

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@sisyphus

Simplest and fast food is whole wheat toasts with all-peanut butter and some variety of greens (bell peppers and lettuce work for me) -- and I take a few varieties of seasonal fruits. Usually I fry two large onions in a large frying pan and canned beans and/or peas good for two large meals. Of course seeds and nuts with a few cookies/pies/cakes!

The Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, targets the health of the aging brain. This is what Harvard Health says which I suppose isn't different than what Mayo would.
Counting calories methinks is a sure way to hate food -- something that needs to be Enjoyed not used as a medicine with trepidation. Our bodies developed its signals to tell us when we are no longer hungry. Let's keep that instinct intact.

For your IBS, I'd talk to my doc, tho most veggies can be light steamed (I do often the hard ones collard/kale) Good luck!
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mind-diet/

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Baked sweet potato and a frozen green giant anti oxidant veggie mix has become my go to meal. Sometimes I add a small white meat medallion - lean pork or chicken or fish.

I have 3 breakfast options - yogurt, a cup of plain grits with a couple of turkey sausage links, or toast with peanut butter 🙂

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My research has shown that a vegan or vegetarian diet has shown benefit in preventing Alzheimer’s disease but not in treating it. Research is still going on looking for a drug that reverses Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9738978/

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Yea. That said. Given the length of time symptoms persist, I’m after anything that might extend or improve that early and middle phase. I’m not keen on the new med that might slow down progression by less than a year- at the price of multiple risks. That’s just me. But if a good diet can have any impact at all, it’s a cheap and easy effort. Gotta eat something. Might as well be fruits and veggies and a few whole grains as fresh as you can manage.

There’s a great trial in west VA where they are actually reversing amyloid. I was not a candidate because I have APOE 3&4 genes and APOE4 and one of the drugs in the trial each introduce risk of brain bleeds - and in combination excluded me. That’s the only trial I’m aware of where PET evidence shows brain that had amyloid and then one where that was just gone.
They’re gonna get there. This doc was smart. He avoided the big cancer center research programs for a small but respected one where he didn’t have to fight for available funding. He can be the big dog in West VA.

Progress is progress.

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I will add that the PhD who did my recent neuropsych testing for MCI suggested the MIND diet.

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