Proper nutrition is the building block for which our bodies fight disease. Therefore, it only stands to reason that knowing what NOT to eat as well as how NOT to prepare your food is the first step in fighting the affects of Dementia. These eight steps can assist you in deciding what you should and shouldn’t put in your mouth.
1) Say No to Milk – Anyone with Dementia should avoid dairy milk. Instead, they should seek out their dairy needs from other sources such as soy, rice, goats and almonds.
2) Where’s the Beef? – Eliminate red meat and all processed (i.e., sausages, hot dogs, etc.) meats. Instead, pull your protein from plant-based sources (soy, alfalfa sprouts, etc.) or from fish. Salmon, cod, tuna or sardines are best because they carry high quality omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial to the body.
3) No Fried Foods – KFc, McDonalds, Burger King and all the other fast food restaurants serve up delectable foods. However, they are prepared in saturated fats which contain free radicals that are not good for the body.
4) Beer or Wine – All alcohol consumption should be limited. In France, a recent study showed that those partaking in one or two glasses of red wine per day were able to fight stress more diligently. The reason for this beneficial reaction is the antioxidant activity in theoligomeric proanthocyanidin substances found in the wine.
5) No Sugar! – Eliminate refined sugars from foods such as cakes, donuts, cookies, brownies, etc. Also eliminate foods containing aspartame/Nutrasweet/Equal or saccharine.
6) No More Red Vines – Licorice is an old fashioned favorite candy treat. However, it should be eliminated from the diet as it potentiates cortisol which leads to compromised potassium intake, thus leading to hypokalemia.
7) Don’t Worry, Be Happy! – Avoid stress at all times, for cortisol, as mentioned above, compromises potassium intake. Speaking of stress, dont place undue stress on the immune system by consuming alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, white sugar, processed foods and red meat.
Ban Aluminum – There has been some significant speculation that the ingestion of aluminum from cookware, antiperspirants, antacids and foods contributes highly to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, a cortical type of dementia.
