How what your loved one eats fits into AlestaCare’s approach to brain health.
In our last post, we introduced AlestaLiving, AlestaCare’s approach to brain and heart health built into every visit of participating clients. Nutrition is one of the areas behind brain health and it deserves a closer look on its own.
What Does Research Indicate
A growing body of research points to a connection between brain-healthy eating patterns and better cognitive outcomes as people age. The Alzheimer’s Association’s U.S. POINTER study, for example, found that participants following a multicomponent lifestyle program — combining the MIND diet with physical activity, cognitive engagement, and social connection — showed meaningful improvements in cognition over two years. Diet appears to work best as one part of a connected lifestyle approach, not as a stand-alone fix.
What We Encourage
AlestaCare encourages brain-healthy eating patterns, including the MIND diet. In addition to the apparent brain health benefits, other heart healthy outcomes may follow as well. Changing dietary habits takes time and is not always easy. AlestaCare will help facilitate* nutritious meals and encourage healthier choices where a client is receptive to them.
How This Looks in Daily Care
A shared meal is also an opportunity for social engagement and nutritional support. When a caregiver prepares food, that is also a chance to incorporate brain-healthy ingredients in a way that fits a client’s personal taste. Nutrition support, like the rest of AlestaLiving, is built into the visit itself rather than treated as a separate task.
One Part of a Connected Approach
Nutrition works alongside physical activity, mental stimulation, and social connection as part of AlestaLiving. Each one reinforces the others. A walk before a meal, a conversation during it, a sense of routine around it: this is what it looks like when brain health is built into care rather than added on top of it.
* This content is for general informational purposes and isn’t medical advice. AlestaCare is a non-medical home care provider; always consult a physician or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to diet or care routines.
Ready to talk through what you’re seeing? Call AlestaCare at (843) 800-2332 or schedule a free consultation at alestacare.com. We’re here when you’re ready.
Are you a care professional or community connector? If you work with seniors or families in the Charleston area, we’d welcome the opportunity to introduce ourselves. AlestaCare accepts referrals from physicians, discharge planners, social workers, senior living communities, and community organizations, among others. Call us or contact us to start a relationship.