A pretty interesting read with some really useful information, especially for anyone with a loved one with cognitive decline. Anyone can benefit from ensuring better eating and better brain health though!

Diet For The Mind by Martha Clare Morris is a book I desired to read to learn more about food and how it affects the brain. I know people who are affected by dementia and other things like that so I have a desire to learn more about this. This book is broken down into 2 parts with 15 separate chapters that seem to meet all the needs to learn more about how food affects our brains. To go along with her research she included 80 recipes.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A excellent dietary guide to eating to prevent cognitive decline in our later years. The author has given the reader wonderful recipes with great health advice with sensible changes we can all make. I highly recommend all the advice within this book to improve ones health and ensure a healthier future without mental decline. This is a health book to refer to and utilize continually as it serves to improve your health.

DIET FOR THE MIND by Martha Clare Morris is subtitled "The Latest Science on What to Eat to Prevent Alzheimer's and Cognitive Decline." It is generally shelved with books about the brain's functioning rather than with cookbooks which, given its content, is appropriate; however, I would have liked to have seen more pictures and at least a few simpler recipes. Morris has split the book into two parts, and the first, mind-healthy science, explains cognitive decline and essential nutrients. She also lists foods for everyday (leafy greens, vegetables, whole grains, and vegetable oils) and for every week (berries, nuts, seafood, poultry, and beans). Then, in Part II she describes a mind-healthy lifestyle and provides 80 recipes. Obviously healthy, but those seemed to have at least seven ingredients and many involved more because of an accompanying sauce. How can we make recipes simpler (for shopping and for preparing) so as to more actively encourage changes in eating habits?

This book is a very comprehensive look at cognitive decline and the latest research that shows things we can do to make our golden years as healthy as possible. The author explains the changes in peoples brains when they have dementia or Alzheimer's, and studies that have been done that provide answers as to what steps we can do with our diet to prevent or at least prolong our good years. Approximately half the book is filled with recipes, and there are easy to copy lists throughout with the best foods to eat.

While this is a good bit like some of the recommendations for healthy eating I have seen over the years, the author does recommend severely cutting fatty dairy products such as whole milk and cheese. I have seen many recent reports saying that it is better to have the full-fat versions; although, then again, this is the first book I have looked at for a diet for the mind.

It’s definitely worth looking at this one.

Cognitive Decline Does Not Have To Be Your Destiny

In DIET FOR THE MIND, Dr. Martha Clare Morris says that we can do much to fend-off dementia: “It is possible to delay the symptoms of dementia in later life by taking control of your health.”

Before spending much time reading this book, I wanted to know WHY I should believe the author—that is, how is she qualified to give advice on this subject? Well, it turns out the author’s credentials are stellar. Dr. Morris is a professor of Epidemiology at Rush University and has a doctorate from Harvard. She has been researching cognitive decline for 20 years.

Here’s the key to the professor’s findings: The same good practices that help your physical health also improve your brain. It comes down to what we eat, and how much we move: “Diet and physical activity are at the root of nearly all major chronic conditions and diseases. Focusing on these two basic components of daily living is key to aging healthfully.”

Much of the book is dedicated to guidelines for eating. In Chapter 3: “Foods For Everyday Eating,” we are exhorted to eat lots of leafy green vegetables: “Among all the different types of vegetables out there, the leafy green variety has shown to be among the most important for protecting cognitive abilities. . .” Here’s something I didn’t know: Go for the DARK-leaved veggies: “The darker the leaves, the greater the source of brain-healthy nutrients.”

In Chapter 4: “Foods to Eat Every Week,” I was delighted to find that walnuts take the prize for best nut: “If you had to pick a winner for brain-enhancing nuts, walnuts would take first prize. . . two to five servings of this brain food per week were associated with 37 percent fewer deaths from coronary heart disease.”

The author not only suggests what we SHOULD eat—she says what we should AVOID. So, we read in Chapter 5 about “Brainless Foods That Harm the Mind.” The foods here are pretty much what you would expect: fried food, fast food, fatty food, sugary food.

Luckily for me, chocolate is NOT listed as one of the “Brainless Foods.” I was encouraged by the small section on chocolate, entitled, “Is Chocolate A Brain Food?” The author notes that some studies show a link between cocoa and increased blood flow to the brain. (I hope more studies will show that!)

So all in all, I found DIET FOR THE MIND to be a credible book with lots of practical ideas. Dr. Morris writes clearly, making the book easy to read. She also cites lots of research studies to back up her claims. The latter part of the book contains suggestions and recipes for putting into practice the lifestyle and dietary changes recommended by the author.

One interesting observation: The author is currently running a study to confirm how well her recommended diet regimen protects again cognitive decline. It will be interesting to see how well the results of this study support her dietary recommendations.

For further reading on this subject, I also recommend, The Alzheimer's Solution: A Breakthrough Program by Dean Sherzai and Ayesha Sherzai. The physician-authors reach a nearly identical conclusions as in this book.


Advance Review Copy courtesy of the Publisher.