Saved by the Spinach! Leafy Greens Are Good for Brain Health, Study Says
If there was one food that I hated as a little girl, it was spinach.
I don’t know if I really disliked the taste or just the fact that my mom said it was healthy. Or, maybe, I subconsciously resented the fact that they needed an entire cartoon to sell spinach to kids. How could something that adults pushed so hard actually taste good?
Popeye propaganda aside, there is an increasing amount of evidence that eating leafy greens really is good for you. Ironically, it may be older adults, not kids, who can benefit most from eating their spinach.
According to researchers at the Rush University Medical Center, eating leafy greens every day may help to protect your brain against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They found that:
People who ate one or two portions of leafy greens every day had the cognitive abilities of a person 11 years younger who did not eat leafy greens regularly.
Investing in Your Brain Health Starts Today
Most baby boomers don’t worry that much about Alzheimer’s and other age-related brain diseases. We may have our occasional forgetful moment, but, we realize that any potential problems are probably decades away.
At the same time, the fact that we are in good health now is all the more reason to invest in ourselves. By establishing healthy eating habits, getting in great shape and investing in strong social relationships, we can help to ensure that our later years are comfortable, productive and happy.
Why Not Try a Green Smoothie?
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve never been a big fan of eating my greens. But, I am a huge fan of green smoothies. There are so many amazing recipes out there, but, to get you started, here’s a short video on how to create your own.
Please watch the video. Then, let’s start a conversation at the end of this article.
What is your favorite way to eat your greens? Do you love to have a tasty salad every day? Or, like me, do you prefer to drink green smoothies? Please join the conversation.
LEARN MORE
Here’s a short video that I recorded on the topic of brain health. I hope you find it useful.
