“Alzheimer’s manifests as a disease of the elderly, but like
heart disease and most cancers, it’s a disease that may take decades to
develop.”
--from
How Not to Die by
Michael Greger, MD (2015)
What you eat can either feed disease or health.
I always
ask kids if they have family members with Alzheimer’s. Hands go up in the air in every Nutrition Scientist Training Program class.
More than 5 million Americans are living with
Alzheimer’s. By 2050, this number could
reach more than 16 million. In 2017, the cost of Alzheimer’s is about $259 billion.
By 2050, this cost is projected to be about $1.1 trillion. There are too many people diagnosed with - and family members affected by - Alzheimer’s to continue down the same path of simply diagnosing it and learning to live with it. We need to actively work to prevent it, especially in children.
It is vital that we teach parents that Alzheimer’s develops over decades and that what they feed their kids now can determine the future course of their kids’ health.
The added sugar, salt, and bad (saturated) fats found in processed foods like Pop Tarts, Kraft macaroni and cheese, Honey Buns, and McDonald's hamburgers are not
good for our brain health. All foods from
animals (such as meat, chicken, milk, and cheese) contain saturated fats, which
clog cells and prevent insulin from doing its job of allowing sugar to pass from the bloodstream into cells, where it acts as our fuel. Try driving your car with a clogged fuel filter.
The human body contains 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Holy cow! It is only 24,000 miles to travel around the
Earth. It is logical that
maintaining healthy blood vessels is key to a healthy brain. Eating plant-based whole foods (fruits,
vegetables, legumes and whole grains) is what I have always chosen to do to keep my own blood vessels and cardiovascular system healthy. How about you?
Still not convinced that eating primarily plant-based whole
foods can help protect you and your children from developing Alzheimer’s and
other memory disorders? Take a look
at this list of 7 guidelines published in the article, "Dietary and lifestyle guidelines
for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease," by Neal Barnard, et al. (Neurobiology of Aging, September 2014):
1. Minimize your intake of saturated fats and trans fats.
Saturated fat is found primarily in dairy products, meats, and certain oils
(coconut and palm oils). Trans fats are found in many snack pastries and fried
foods and are listed on labels as “partially hydrogenated oils.”
2. Vegetables, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), fruits,
and whole grains should replace meats and dairy products as primary staples of
the diet.
3. Vitamin E should come from foods, rather than
supplements. Healthful food sources of vitamin E include seeds, nuts, green
leafy vegetables, and whole grains. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for
vitamin E is 15 mg per day.
4. A reliable source of vitamin B12, such as fortified foods
or a supplement providing at least the recommended daily allowance (2.4 μg per
day for adults), should be part of your daily diet. Have your blood levels of
vitamin B12 checked regularly as many factors, including age, may impair
absorption.
5. If using multiple vitamins, choose those without iron and
copper and consume iron supplements only when directed by your physician.
6. Although aluminum's role in Alzheimer's disease remains a
matter of investigation, those who desire to minimize their exposure can avoid
the use of cookware, antacids, baking powder, or other products that contain
aluminum.
7. Include aerobic exercise in your routine, equivalent to
40 minutes of brisk walking 3 times per week.
Using food as medicine to prevent disease is a core belief in the work of Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. We teach children and parents how to prevent and reverse childhood obesity and obesity-related diseases. The food we eat can either feed diseases or our health. The evidence is mounting about the power of eating plant-based whole foods.
Eat real food. Exercise regularly. Repeat.
Please pass the sunflower seeds.
With love and gratitude,
Nancy L Heinrich, MPH
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
