Eight Things People with Dementia Should Avoid

Proper nutrition is the building block for which our bodies fight disease. Therefore, it only stands to reason that knowing what NOT to eat as well as how NOT to prepare your food is the first step in fighting the affects of Dementia. These eight steps can assist you in deciding what you should and shouldn’t put in your mouth.

1) DON’T Drink Milk! – Dementia patients should eliminate all dairy milk from the diet and instead, consume milk made from goats, soy, rice or almonds.

2) No Beef – People with Dementia should eliminate red meat as well as all processed meats such as sausage and hot dogs. In their place, you can partake in plant based sources such as soy or alfalfa sprouts and fish. Fish like tuna, sardines, salmon and cod carry high quality Omega 3 Fatty Acids which are beneficial to the body.

3) No Fast Food – While we all enjoy fried chicken, French fries and other deep fried delectables, these should all be eliminated from the diet. Not only are they high in fat, the saturated oil they are fried in contains free radical agents that affect the body in a negative way.

4) Alcohol – Partaking in alcoholic beverages should be extremely limited. A recent research study in France suggested that having a glass of red wine once or twice a day was extremely beneficial in fighting stress. The reason for this is the antioxidant activity of the oligomeric proanthocyanidin substances found in the wine.

5) No Sugar! – Eliminate refined sugars from foods such as cakes, donuts, cookies, brownies, etc. Also eliminate foods containing aspartame/Nutrasweet/Equal or saccharine.

6) No More Red Vines – Licorice is an old fashioned favorite candy treat. However, it should be eliminated from the diet as it potentiates cortisol which leads to compromised potassium intake, thus leading to hypokalemia.

7) No Stress – Stress leads to cortisol, which mentioned above leads to compromised potassium intake. In addition, it is very important not to induce undue stress with things such as refined sugars, nicotine, caffeine, processed foods or red meat.
No Aluminum! – Don’t cook with any materials made from aluminum. That means no pots, pans or ladles made with aluminum. There has been significant speculation that an intake of aluminum from foods, antacids, cookware or antiperspirants may play a role in contracting Alzheimers disease, a cortical type of dementia.