Australian Yoga Journal – August 2019

Mediterranean diet is rich in powerful

antioxidants like vitamin C in oranges

and tomatoes, carotenoids in spinach

and rock melon, vitamin E in olive oil

and almonds, and anti-inflammatory

compounds like omega-3 fatty acids in

fish,” says Catherine Féart, PhD,

researcher in epidemiology and

nutrition at INSERM (the French

national institute of health and medical

research) and at the University of

Bordeaux, France. “These nutrients

protect the arteries leading to the brain,

as well as the brain itself. The earlier

you adopt this way of eating, the

better —although it can benefit you even

if you start it in old age.”

Féart’s research found that this diet

appears to preserve white matter, which

makes up half of your brain. White

matter includes protective sheaths

around brain cells and is involved in

learning and behaviour. For nine years,

she tracked a group of Bordeaux

residents who began the study

around age 65. Those with the most-

Mediterranean eating pattern not only

had more white matter intact, they had

the brain power of someone ten years

their junior.

Bottom line: what’s on your plate

directly correlates to how you feel,

think, and age. To help you stay sharp

and happy, we’ve loaded up recipes

with multiple nutrients that are critical

to healthy brain function. It’s a

flavourful, smart way to feed your

hungry brain.

84

august/september

2019

yogajournal.com.au

AGRA

fact, it’s been linked to a smaller

hippocampus—the area of the brain

involved in memory and regulating

emotions.”

Among the top ways diet can help

your noodle is by warding off two of its

mortal enemies: chronic inflammation

(when your immune system is amped up

and always on the attack) and vascular

disease (a condition in which blood

vessels become damaged and can

interrupt or limit blood supply,

including to the brain). Both of these

conditions can lead to depression,

dementia, and stroke. Short-term

inflammation is a good thing—immune

cells in the brain called microglia fire off

substances that zap infection and in

other ways protect the brain. But with

chronic inflammation, microglia go

awry and release inflammatory

compounds, even when there is no

infection. Over time, these substances

destroy healthy tissue, such as brain

tissue, instead of protecting it.

Fortunately for us, one of the

world’s most delicious diets—the

Mediterranean-style of eating—has the

best research creds when it comes to

brain health (see “Mediterranean Diet

Basics,”). Eating this way makes it 40

percent less likely you’ll develop

Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia;

the diet also cuts your risk of depression

and stroke by about a third, according to

a 2013 review in the journal Annals of

Neurology. “The traditional

Spinach salad with crab and yogurt ranch dressing

Deficiencies in magnesium (found in cashews), folate (spinach), and zinc

(crab) have all been linked to depression. Get a healthy dose of these

mood-supporting nutrients to feel, and think, your best.

SERVES 4

1/4 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

200 grams (about 5 cups) baby

spinach

200 grams cooked crabmeat

8 stalks celery, diced

1 apple, diced

1/4 cup dried cherries or blueberries

2 tbsp cashew pieces

To make ranch dressing: In a bowl, whisk

together yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, 2

tbsp water, black pepper, and garlic salt.

Arrange the spinach, crabmeat, celery,

apple, cherries, and cashews on a platter.

Drizzle with dressing and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

256 calories per serving, 13 g fat (2 g saturated),

19 g carbs, 5 g fibre, 14 g protein, 491 mg

sodium

Mediterranean diet is rich in powerful continued from page 39

antioxidants like vitamin C in oranges

and tomatoes, carotenoids in spinach

and rock melon, vitamin E in olive oil

and almonds, and anti-inflammatory

compounds like omega-3 fatty acids in

fish,” says Catherine Féart, PhD,

researcher in epidemiology and

nutrition at INSERM (the French

national institute of health and medical

research) and at the University of

Bordeaux, France. “These nutrients

protect the arteries leading to the brain,

aswellasthebrainitself.Theearlier

youadoptthiswayofeating,the

better—although it can benefit you even

if you start it in old age.”

Féart’s research found that this diet

appears to preserve white matter, which

makes up half of your brain. White

matter includes protective sheaths

around brain cells and is involved in

learning and behaviour. For nine years,

she tracked a group of Bordeaux

residents who began the study

around age 65. Those with the most-

Mediterranean eating pattern not only

had more white matter intact, they had

the brain power of someone ten years

their junior.

Bottom line: what’s on your plate

directly correlates to how you feel,

think, and age. To help you stay sharp

and happy, we’ve loaded up recipes

with multiple nutrients that are critical

to healthy brainfunction. It’s a

flavourful,smartway to feed your

hungry brain.

84

august/september

2019

yogajournal.com.au

AGRA

fact,it’sbeenlinkedtoa smaller

hippocampus—the area of the brain

involved in memory and regulating

emotions.”

Among the top ways diet can help

your noodle is by warding off two of its

mortal enemies: chronic inflammation

(when your immune system is amped up

and always on the attack) and vascular

disease (a condition in which blood

vessels become damaged and can

interrupt or limit blood supply,

including to the brain). Both of these

conditions can lead to depression,

dementia, and stroke. Short-term

inflammation is a good thing—immune

cells in the brain called microglia fire off

substances that zap infection and in

other ways protect the brain. But with

chronic inflammation, microglia go

awry and release inflammatory

compounds, even when there is no

infection. Over time, these substances

destroy healthy tissue, such as brain

tissue, instead of protecting it.

Fortunately for us, one of the

world’s most delicious diets—the

Mediterranean-style of eating—has the

best research creds when it comes to

brain health (see “Mediterranean Diet

Basics,”). Eating this way makes it 40

percent less likely you’ll develop

Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia;

the diet also cuts your risk of depression

and stroke by about a third, according to

a 2013 review in the journal Annals of

Neurology. “The traditional

Spinach salad with crab and yogurt ranch dressing

Deficiencies in magnesium (found in cashews), folate (spinach), and zinc

(crab) have all been linked to depression. Get a healthy dose of these

mood-supporting nutrients to feel, and think, your best.

SERVES 4

1/4 cup2 percentGreek yogurt

1/4 cupmayonnaise

1/4 cupchoppedchives

1/4 tspfreshlyground black pepper

1/4 tspgarlicsalt

200 grams (about 5 cups) baby

spinach

200 gramscookedcrabmeat

8 stalkscelery,diced

1 apple,diced

1/4 cupdriedcherriesorblueberries

2 tbsp cashew pieces

To make ranch dressing: In a bowl, whisk

together yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, 2

tbsp water, black pepper, and garlic salt.

Arrange the spinach, crabmeat, celery,

apple, cherries, and cashews on a platter.

Drizzle with dressing and serve.

NUTRITIONALINFO

256 calories per serving, 13 g fat (2 g saturated),

19 g carbs, 5 g fibre, 14 g protein, 491 mg

sodium

continued from page 39