Throughout your lifetime, doctors and various health care providers will stress the importance of a nutritious diet to maintain a healthy weight, stay energized, and prevent conditions like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. What you eat can also impact your brain function, particularly for senior citizens. If you or a loved one is in elderly care and you’re wondering how diet can impact memory and general cognitive ability, here’s some helpful information. 

Understanding the Connection Between Nutrition & Brain Health

Why Is it Important for Individuals in Elderly Care to Eat Well?

Studies have found that eating healthy is directly linked to overall brain health. When you fail to eat foods rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats, the body produces toxins that can build up, causing inflammation and plaque within the brain. This inflammation can induce memory loss and lead to Alzheimer’s. As such, individuals in assisted living communities or nursing homes should always have access to fresh, nutrient-rich meals. 

What Foods Should Be Avoided & Prioritized to Maximize Cognitive Function?

When it comes to fueling your brain, doctors and elderly care providers recommend maintaining a diet primarily composed of fresh, nutrient-packed green vegetables, lean proteins like salmon and tuna, and fruits rich in antioxidants like berries, plums, and cherries. Medical researchers are also proponents of the Mediterranean or MIND diet that encourages sticking to the food groups noted above as well as nuts, extra virgin olive oil, coffee, dark chocolate, and coconut oil. To maintain overall wellness and a sharp mind, avoid processed foods like cold cuts, sausages, American cheese, white sugar, soda, syrups, flour, pasta, and nitrates as they promote toxins and inflammation. 

Hillview Health Care Center is known throughout La Crosse County, WI, for providing affordable, quality elderly care in a family environment. If you or a loved one is looking for an assisted living community that provides dedicated memory care and skilled nursing alongside top-notch amenities, social functions, and nutritious meal planning, call (608) 789-4800 to schedule a tour of this 160 capacity facility. For more information on their multiple living areas, nutritional resources, and commitment to providing compassionate service that adds value to each resident’s quality of life, visit their website.