According to an article from the New York Times, titled "Aging: Mediterranean Diet as Brain Food", a Mediterranean Diet that is heavy on vegetables, fish, and olive oil may actually be associated with a slower mental decline in the elderly.
While previous research has done little to help prove that the diet is beneficial to the brain, the article talks about current evidence that helped to progress the research in the field. Starting in 1993, over 3,000 Chicago women over the age of 65 participated in a continuing study that tested the subjects' mental acuity in three-year intervals while adhering to the Mediterranean diet. The researchers recorded both their scores on mental acuity as well as tracked how closely the women stuck to the Mediterranean diet, based on a 55 point scale.
They found that high scores on adherence to the diet were associated with "slower rates of cognitive decline, even after controlling for smoking, education, obesity, hypertension, and other factors."
According to the lead author on the research and associate professor of nutrition at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Christine C. Tangney, sticking to the Mediterranean diet made a big difference. She says that those who scored in the top third were cognitively 2 years younger than those who scored in the bottom third!
The research article was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The Abstract can be viewed for free, but the whole article must be purchased in order to view.
Exercise: Still sick… Just as a heads up, I am not going to be working out at all this week. I've decided I need a full week off to gain a full recovery from this blasted strep throat. But I will still put up the ideas for the day. Since today is Sunday, I suggest either doing the usual bike ride or going for a nice long run. I would like to get back into running again. Maybe when I'm better!
Eat: "Shop for Bargains". Keep track of your local grocery stores' weekly pamphlets that tell all about their deals. Not only will it help you know when there are sales on items you need/want that can help you stock up on them. But also comparing prices from different grocery stores will help guarantee you the best possible deals on your grocery items!
Relax: I really didn't do much more today than I did yesterday. Basically just lied around and slept as much as possible to get better. However, I was experiencing intense neck pains in the back of my neck, causing big headaches and muscle aches. My mom came up with a brilliant idea that I wanted to share. With the continuation of the showy weather we've had here, we can put the snow to some good use… Take a gallon sized bag and stuff some snow into it. Then you can lay the bag on a pillow with a towel over it and use it to "ice" whatever pains you (aka my neck). The wonderful thing about it is that the snow molds to your body and will get everything chilled evenly.
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