The Mediterranean Diet: A Smart Choice For Seniors

The Mediterranean diet was originally conceived in the mid 1900s to reflect eating habits of countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece. Popularized in the 1990s by Harvard University’s School of Public Health, the diet features healthful ingredients like olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Following the diet has had scientifically-proven benefits to cognitive and cardiovascular health. It is also enormously popular, ranked the #1 diet in the world by US News & World Report for multiple years.

The Mediterranean Diet’s extensive health benefits and convenience make it perfect for seniors.

1. Following the diet’s food guidelines, especially when combined with regular physical and social activity, mitigates risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and makes a condition less severe if it appears.
2. The diet has also been shown to slow cognitive decline; how many popular diets can claim that outcome?
3. The diet’s accompanying lifestyle elements which include both physical activity and eating socially, also work to enhance a senior’s quality of life. As a population vulnerable to loneliness, isolation, and depression, it is vital that seniors remain active and social. These activities also help reduce the risk and can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

It can be hard for a senior living alone to cook nutritious meals for just him or herself and equally challenging to find quality opportunities for interaction and activity. These are reasons why Assisted Living can be a healthful and brain-boosting decision, especially if the assisted living community, like Brookmeadow at Cobb Corner, happens to offer Mediterranean-style menu options! With a wide range of social opportunities, assisted living helps seniors fill their days with group exercise, meals with friends, and enriching activities like trivia and art, all mainstays of the Mediterranean Diet. Research has shown that seniors thrive in communities that offer engaging and stimulating activities and services.

While the Mediterranean Diet can be a great option for seniors, Brookmeadow at Cobb Corner’s Brain Healthy Cooking Program tweaks the diet to better benefit New England seniors, with modifications such as meals featuring locally abundant vegetables, low-fat dairy options for heart health, and whole grain breads made from white whole wheat to best resemble what seniors are accustomed to eating. Changes like these make the diet more accessible to seniors and more appealing. Seniors and their families can find sample recipes from this program at AgeRight.org.

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Brookmeadow at Cobb Corner offers local seniors quality assisted living and a secure Compass Memory Support Neighborhood® for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Conveniently located off Rte 27 where Stoughton, Canton and Sharon meet, the newly renovated Brookmeadow community offers engaging programs, restaurant-style dining and dedicated care staff. Learn more online at www.BrookmeadowSLR.com.