Key Reasons To Start Your Day The Mediterranean Way For Brain Health
Updated 2nd October 2023
Are you looking for ways to keep your brain in top condition? What if we told you that the key may lie in what you eat for breakfast? Studies show that a Mediterranean Diet breakfast, including extra virgin olive oil, can change how quickly your body ages – and it can potentially reduce cognitive decline.
In this post, we’ll explore all the amazing benefits of starting your day with a Mediterranean-style breakfast. We’ll explain which foods are rich in antioxidants and discuss why reducing inflammation is so important to prolonged mental health. With this information, eating a healthy breakfast will become second nature!
Contents:
- What Does A Mediterranean Breakfast Look Like?
- Why Ditch Saturated Fat And Processed Food For Cognitive Health
- The Mediterranean Diet and Reduced Risk Of Brain Shrinkage: A Study
- Why Breakfast Choices Can Affect Ageing
- Practical And Simple Recipes For a Brain Healthy Mediterranean Diet
- Why Polyphenols In Extra Virgin Olive Oil Boost Brain Health
What Does A Mediterranean Breakfast Look Like?
When it comes to starting your day with a wholesome meal, a Mediterranean style breakfast is an excellent choice. The flavors and ingredients of the Mediterranean region offer a variety of options that can please even the pickiest of eaters. A typical Mediterranean breakfast includes freshly baked bread, eggs, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, and of course, a fair amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Whether you prefer a savory frittata with spinach and feta cheese or a fruit salad drizzled with honey and nuts, there are popular choices that cater for all tastes. But the best part of a Mediterranean style breakfast is that it promotes healthy eating by providing you with essential nutrients and good fats that will keep you energized and satisfied throughout your morning.
Why Ditch Saturated Fat And Processed Food For Cognitive Health?
Saturated fat and processed foods have been linked to the acceleration of brain ageing. Research shows that consuming too much saturated fat could lead to cognitive decline and even increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Processed foods are often high in saturated fat and added sugars, which can cause inflammation in the brain and damage neurons.
As we age, our brain’s ability to repair and replace neurons slows down, making it more vulnerable to damage. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful of what we eat and ensure we’re consuming a healthy, balanced diet that prioritises whole, unprocessed foods.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating pattern that has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Breakfast provides the body and brain with the energy and nutrients needed to function properly – a great opportunity to follow the mediterranean diet – based on the traditional foods eaten in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy, Greece, Spain, and Morocco. Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet can also help to reduce brain ageing.
A quality extra virgin olive oil such as Morocco Gold is a stable part of The Mediterranean Diet and an excellent source of healthy fat.
The Mediterranean Diet and Reduced Risk Of Brain Shrinkage: A Study
A study published in the journal Neurology found that people who ate a Mediterranean-style breakfast had significantly less brain shrinkage than those who ate a Western-style breakfast. The study participants were all over the age of 65 and did not have any signs of dementia. The breakfast foods included in the Mediterranean diet are typically high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins. These nutrients are known to protect against cognitive decline and improve brain health. To make sure you’re getting all the benefits of a Mediterranean breakfast, avoid processed meats, full-fat dairy products, refined grains, and sugary breakfast cereals. Instead, choose fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and fish.
Why Breakfast Choices Can Affect Ageing
As we age, our brain’s cognitive functions decline at a faster rate, and it’s essential to take small steps to keep them in top shape. A Mediterranean-style breakfast is one such small step that could help you reduce brain ageing. This mode of eating includes highly nutritious food that is recommended for their overall health-giving benefits.
Recently, researchers discovered that adding at least one tablespoonful of extra virgin olive oil to your breakfast meal every day could have a positive impact on increasing the grey matter volume within the brain that leads to cognitive decline. So, next time you’re considering having toast and coffee for breakfast, consider adding some fresh olives, avocado, and extra virgin olive oil to your plate – your brain will thank you!
According to a fascinating report in Timesownnews, the choices we make at breakfast time can have a direct impact on our long term ageing.
It says:
Just as it can improve health, eating the wrong foods [at breakfast time] could wreak serious havoc by resulting in blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol spikes. What’s worse, they could also contribute to cognitive decline.
The pace at which the brain ages rely on comorbidities and lifestyle choices ranging from diet to workouts. And talk of breakfast choices, there are many that could speed up ageing significantly – the worst one is eating too much sugar and saturated fat.
Timesownnews
The article goes on to recommend incorporating the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay ) diet in to our breakfast choices. It says:
A first, it is recommended to avoid sugar and saturated fats such as biscuits, croissants, bacon, scones, crepes and muffins. Alternatively, try eating the following:
- Oatmeal
- Berries
- Omelette
- Boiled eggs
- Nuts
- Whole-grain cereal
- Grilled vegetables
- Whole-wheat sandwiches
Practical And Simple Recipes For a Brain Healthy Mediterranean Diet
So, you know the benefits to your brain health from incorporating The Mediterranean Diet in to your breakfast habits, but what are some of the easiest ways to do so;
There’s no shortage of inspiration out there online to get you preparing up a healthy start to the day and we loved the selection of the 30 Best Mediterranean Breakfast Recipes from Insanelygoodrecipes.com. Among it’s top suggestions are;
And the really good news for lovers of Morocco Gold? More often than not, the healthy fat choice in these and other breakfast recipes is a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Why Polyphenols Boost Brain Health
Polyphenols are a type of micronutrient found in many fruits and vegetables and are found in large numbers in the best extra virgin olive oils. They have numerous health benefits, including the promotion of brain health. Polyphenols help to protect the brain from damage caused by free radicals, and they also help to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation. Additionally, polyphenols have been shown to improve cognitive function and decrease the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Because of their many potential benefits, polyphenols are an important part of a healthy diet. Including plenty of polyphenol-rich foods in your diet may help to keep your brain healthy and functioning at its best.
So, why not try our new harvest and bring some anti-ageing health to your breakfast table?