1. Wholegrain Foods
2. Walnuts
3. Cashews
4. Almonds
5. Pecans
6. Blueberries
7. Strawberries
8. Blackberries
9. Sunflower Seeds
10. Pumpkin Seeds
11. Green Tea
12. Eggs
13. Avocados
14. Tomatoes
15. Brocolli
16. Red Cabbage
17. Eggplant
18. Spinach
19. Yoghurt
20. Chocolate

Want to know why and how these foods feed the brain. Then head over to Life of Zen read all about them.

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Food for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.

My hubby made blueberry buckwheat pancakes for breakfast this morning.  He’s the pancake specialist in our family.  His pancake breakfasts are always a hit.

Blueberry memories go back to my childhood, when Mother took us children berry picking on Blueberry Hill.  We paid the owner of the property and picked our pails full of these tasty morsels.  Then brought them home to eat with milk and sugar, in pie, on cereal, as blueberry dumplings, and blueberry cake.

My husband and I have helped a friend rake low bush blueberries and winnow them to separate out the twigs and leaves.  That’s back breaking work, so really makes one appreciate the blueberries we buy ready picked.

So….I’m pleased to find there’s so much value in eating blueberries and that they may play a role in combating Alzheimer’s.

Do you have blueberry memories or recipes you’d like to share?

Post from: Blisstree

Shall I Combat Alzheimer’s With Blueberries?

For instance, Auntie developed a greater craving for sweets than she ever had.  Mother, who never overate on sweets, wanted them more frequently. 

I wonder what these ladies would have thought about Deep-Fried Oreos, a variation of this famous black and white cookie I recently heard about at Sara’s Health Bolt blog.  She even refers you to a blog containing the instructions for making them!

Let me know what you think…of the idea or the recipe, if you try it.

                           I wonder, would an Alzheimer’s patient enjoy looking at this picture book?  Would it bring back memories or stimulate conversation? 

Post from: Blisstree

Would Alzheimer’s Patients Like Deep-Fried Oreos?!

 

Also, what about yourself? Caregivers need to care for themselves with proper nutrition.  Sometimes life seems so hectic that good eating habits for ourselves are neglected. 

Try some of the food ideas found at Jul’s Veggie Chic.  She’s hosting the Vegetarian Carnival #4 with Summer in the Kitchen. 

“….enjoy the delicious vegetarian delacacies being served up around the interwebs.  Today we have a variety of summer treats for your enjoyment”

Also, at the Science and Health Channel, you’ll find recommendations from Kendra James at Diabetes Notes that Fruit is a Welcome Choice for Diabetics.  Some Alzheimer’s patients are diabetic (like my aunt) or simply enjoy fruit (like Mother).  Kendra has some good food suggestions and mentions that each diabetic has to find what works for them.

“Fruit is often thought of as ’scary’ for dibetics when truth be told, it is a great way to get what you need in your  daily diet naturally,” says Kendra.

My mom always enjoyed fruit and vegetables throughout her life, more than meat although she wasn’t a vegetarian.  I recall once at the nursing home, when I visited at supper time, a nurse remarked, “Your mother isn’t eating well tonight.”

I inquired, “What are you feeding her?”

“Pureed roast beef.” 

(At that stage Mother couldn’t chew so they had to mash or puree her food.)

Then I asked what else they had and found pureed green beans and mashed pears on the menu.

“Try some of the beans and pears,” I said.  “Mother never was much of a meat eater.”

Sure enough, Mother willingly ate those, although she consumer more of the pears than the beans.  So find out what your Alzheimer’s patient will eat…try some new ideas and enjoy fruits and vegetables on the summer menu for yourself, too.

Post from: Blisstree

Summer Food Ideas for Alzheimer’s Caregivers & Patients

According to Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, “Obesity is a huge risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. People who are obese at 60 are twice as likely to develop dementia by the time they are 75. If we’re not careful, it might be 2m or 2.5 m who have dementia in 50 years.” (more…)

This connection between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease is not new. Check out these related articles:

Obesity may lead to Alzheimer’s(2003)

Scientists Discover Mechanism Tying Obesity To Alzheimer’s Disease (2005)

Midlife Obesity Raises Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease Later (2006)

Post from: Blisstree

A link between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

Some researchers think that this is because of the everyday use of the spice Turmeric. Tumeric is a powerful antioxident which also has anti-inflammatory powers.

Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have been using it for centuries to treat inflammatory disorders. But it is only in recent years that scientists have been studying it’s effects on the brain.

Resources:

- Tumeric Shows Promise in Treatment of Alzheimer’s
- Popular Curry Spice is a Brain Booster
- Out of the Spice Box, into the Lab
- Chemical found in Curry may help immune system clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer’s Disease

(photo by ballookeys)

Post from: Blisstree

A Curry a day to keep Alzheimer’s away?

“What are you feeding her?”

The aide explained it was pureed roast beef with gravy.  I also noticed some mashed potatoes and squash on the plate.

“She never ate much meat,” I said, “although she wasn’t a vegetarian.  Try some mashed potatoes and squash.  She always liked them.”

True, when the aide gave her these vegetables, she didn’t refuse and clamp her lips closed.  However, when the aide tried to mix some meat with the mashed potatoes, Mother spit it out.

“She always liked canned fruit and puddings,” I added.

Then the aide gave a spoonful of pureed pears, also on the menu that night.  Mother readily ate them.

This happened a number of times.  Mother apparently could taste the difference in her foods, even when she could no longer feed herself nor tell us in words what she liked and disliked.  Those that she’d never enjoyed, for instance anything with tuna, she wouldn’t eat at all.  Others that had been her favorites, she enjoyed.

As a result, I made a list of foods she liked and disliked, hoping to make feeding easier for the staff and dining more enjoyable for Mother.

The 36-Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins offers information about diets for and feeding of the Alzheimer’s patient.  I found this helpful when caring for my mom.

Post from: Blisstree

Food Likes & Dislikes for Alzheimer’s Patients

This tasty berry came out has having the third highest antioxident concentration among all the foods tested.  Blackberries and walnuts ranked higher, with artichoke hearts and cranberries following closely behind.

Since antioxidents destroy harmful free radicals that seem to contribute to the development of cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, among others, much research seems to be concentrated on foods containing these.

More information about this study can be found at Alzheimer’s Daily News, (Sept. 8 issue):  http://alznews.org

Strawberries are one of my husband’s and my favorite foods.  We enjoy them in many ways, especially fresh in fruit salads (I ate a dish of strawberries and pineapple for breakfast this morning) and served as toppings over pancakes and waffles.

One of my “Country Kichen” columns (which I write for print and online publications) concerns strawberries.  Check it out at: http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/kitchen57.html/ 

Post from: Blisstree

Try Strawberries to Combat Alzheimer’s

Thus, according the their newsletter, this research gives indications that black currants with these qualities fight the ”free redicals that can lead to premature aging, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.”

The Currant Company raise these berries and is in the process of developing currant products, the first of which is a black currant nectar. 

For more information, consult The Currant Company web site; also you can subscribe their e-newsletter.  They are located in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.

Post from: Blisstree

Will Black Currants Aid Alzheimer’s Sufferers?