Lasting memories often revolve around food; your grandmother’s perfume of garlic, the way chocolate stained your mother’s hands, laughing over late-night tubs of ice cream with your sisters. So it is fitting that food is a driving force in the battle to save the memories and minds of women everywhere.
KNOW THE FACTS…
70% of new Alzheimer’s patients will be women, with twice as many women being diagnosed as men. Women face greater risk for unsuccessful brain aging, just by dint of their sex. Little is known about sex differences and the aging process. Women of Baycrest wants to change that and ensure women’s brain health is at the forefront of research and study.
BE MINDFULL…
60% of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is attributed to lifestyle choices; poor eating habits and a lack of physical and intellectual stimulation are stronger drivers for dementia than genetics alone. Conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease and stroke, significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s, but may be prevented with the healthy lifestyle choices outlined in this book.
Keep your mind full of memories. Mindfull is a tool for busy cooks to sustain a brain-healthy diet. Recipes range from dining room dinners to purse-portable snacks, all with a fast, easy and fresh approach to cooking for health. Scientists, foodies and celebrity chefs from across Canada have collaborated for this monumental project. The result, is a baked, roasted, sifted and sautéed education on the keys to a Mindfull diet:
- Pace food intake steadily throughout the day
- Understand how ingredients combat conditions associated with dementia, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity
- Identify when ingredients can be helpful to the rhythms of your biological clock – Did you know that consuming carbohydrates in the morning provides the brain with a much-needed boost? Or a complex carbohydrate in the late afternoon may give you that extra mental surge you need to carry you through that last meeting at 4:00 pm?
Most importantly, Mindfull supports the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s prescription for “painting” your meals with a rainbow of ingredients. Readers are challenged to make their plate as colourful as their wardrobe in two simple steps:
- Replace damaging ingredients such as salt, by seasoning with the bright colours and flavours of citrus, chilies, vinegars and herbs.
- Embrace the benefits of vibrantly coloured foods. Green produce such as avocados, spinach and pears, benefit the brain. Deep red and purple ingredients such as berries or cabbages are anti-oxidant rich for the body.
Armed with the tools to make brain-healthy choices throughout the day, Mindfull readers will be fuelled for a busy schedule while advancing women’s brain research. All proceeds from Mindfull sales support the Women’s Brain Health Research Fund pioneered by Women of Baycrest, a conscientious network of women who believe together they can make a difference in the way women age.
Some of our greatest memories are in the kitchen, around the table and straight out of the oven. This project is one more tool to help women everywhere and at every age preserve their brain health so they can continue to create precious memories.
Stay tuned for more information and details on when Mindfull will be available!