The popularity of Nordic diet has greatly increased world over in the last few years. Nordic diet is not only beneficial for cardiac health and fighting cancer, but is also helpful in boosting brain health. To know why the Nordic diet is so good for your brain, continue reading.
What is the Nordic diet?
Like its name suggests, the Nordic diet is a dietary regime in which the followers are suppose to only eat foods from traditional Nordic countries like Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland. Devised in 2004 by a group of nutritionists, Nordic diet primarily aimed at managing obesity rates and unsustainable farming in Nordic countries. This technique later spread to the west. Compared to most of the typical western diets, Nordic diet contains lesser sugar and fat, and includes twice as much fibre, seafood and healthy fish for improving health and promoting weight loss. Nordic diet emphasises on eating vegetables, fruits, seafood and seeds, frequently. Eggs, cheese and meat can be consumed in moderation, while processed meats, sugar, fast foods, and additives should be avoided entirely.
What is an ideal Nordic Diet?
The followers of a Nordic diet should avoid sugars and processed foods at all costs, and must try to cook all their meals from scratch. A slightly modified version of the Mediterranean diet, Nordic diet uses canola oil instead of olive oil. This oil should; however, be used in moderation since just a tablespoon of canola oil contains 120 calories. An ideal Nordic diet breakfast can include whole grain cereals like rye or oats with fruits, berries like bilberries, rose hip, and lingonberries and a simple jam. For lunch, followers of Nordic diet can have root vegetables like beetroots and turnips with Brussels sprouts. Broccoli can also be cooked with seafood like mackerel, herring, and salmon to create a healthy lunch. Meats in Nordic diet, including pork, beef, lamb and reindeer can be eaten with cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and a whole wheat bread for a simple dinner. Though sweets need to be avoided in Nordic diet, baked goods with oats and fruits like pears and apples can be eaten as desserts or snacks during the day.
Why is Nordic Diet Good for Your Brain?
Nordic diet offers excellent results for those who wish to lose weight, without restricting them to any calorie count. It can also help to control blood pressure, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Nordic diet can also boost brain health, help the brain work later in life and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Certain specific foods in the general Swedish eating habits are known to have a significant impact on cognition and brain health. Nordic diet can decrease the risk of dementia by up to one third. Researchers observed the eating habits of 2,223 dementia-free Swedish adults who followed a Nordic diet over 6 years and they found that those people who followed Nordic diet at a moderate or high level faced a lower risk of suffering from significant memory loss and decreased cognitive function, than those who ate fatty and processed foods. Even people who did not follow Nordic diet religiously were still 18% less likely to experience impairment. By eating more of healthy plant-based foods in a Nordic diet, a person can improve their cognitive function and lower the risk of cognitive impairment during elder years to around 30 to 35%. So all these factors make Nordic diet very good for your brain health and function.
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