Cooking for the MIND with Dr. Martha Clare Morris
Dr. Martha Clare Morris, the lead researcher of the MIND diet study, was in my community last week to give two talks about her research on nutrition and the brain. What better way to welcome her to Jackson Hole? We put together a very special cooking class packed with MIND-ful foods and featuring a recipe from her book, Diet For the MIND.
Many of the students were alumni of the Brain Works Boot Camp dementia prevention program in Jackson. You can read more about this program, created by Dr. Martha Stearn, here. Other students were new to the concept of eating for brain health. So I started the class with a review of the MIND diet and the 10 brain healthy food groups.
Leafy greens,
Vegetables
Nuts
Berries
Olive oil
Fish (not fried)
Chicken (not fried)
Whole grains
Beans
Red wine
Dr. Morris, who has been studying the impact of nutrition on the brain for over 20 years, came up with the MIND diet concept. For years we have known that those who follow the Mediterranean diet have less cardiovascular disease and enjoy more dementia-free longevity.
Then Dr. Morris asked the question: What if you took the Mediterranean diet, combined it with another evidence-based diet called the DASH diet, and incorporated all that we know about which nutrients and foods are neuro-protective of the brain? The result was the MIND diet — the first brain-specific, science-based way of eating.
The results of the MIND diet study, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia in 2015, astounded everyone in the brain health world. After 4.5 years, those who followed the MIND diet most closely ended up getting 53% less Alzheimer’s. Even more amazing, those that followed the diet sometimes but not strictly still had 35% less Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Morris goes into the science behind the MIND diet in her book Diet for The MIND, which she cowrote with her daughter Laura Morris. Laura, a trained chef, created the Spicy Salmon Summer Salad recipe that we all loved. Instead of cooking individual filets in a pan, as is called for in the recipe, we slow-roasted a side of salmon, then served it atop the bed of greens all drizzled in the addictive olive oil, maple syrup, and lime juice dressing.
For the rest of the menu, I chose flavor-packed ingredients and vibrant spices for a spring into summer MIND feast:
Watermelon Aloe Vera Spritzers
Socca Chickpea Crackers with Curried Lentils and Cilantro Chutney
Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Walnut Parm
Citrusy Strawberry Avocado Salad
Zoodles with Mushroom Bolognese
Bison Lettuce Wraps with Curried Cashew Cream
Broccoli Caesar Salad with Pickled Blueberries
Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad
Lemony Blueberry Chia Seed Tart
Almond Coco Gelato
The Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Walnut Parm could not have been easier. It’s a great dish to introduce the nutty, cheese-like, yet non-dairy topping Walnut Parm. This dish came together quickly and all on one pan with our team of stellar brain health students.
Another class favorite was a new spin on zoodles: the Zoodles with Mushroom Bolognese. We spiralized yellow and green zucchini and piled the zoodles into little nest. The meatless bolognese, rich in umami flavors from the miso paste, tamari and mushrooms, can be simmered for hours in a slow cooker, or for just 10 minutes in an Instant Pot. Yes, we had a little Instant Pot jam session too.
There’s always a moment in each cooking class I give when I’m not sure if we’ll ever sit down to eat. That moment came and went, and before I knew it my students were plating their dishes and setting them down on the long table.
We feasted, family-style, and reveled in each and every dish. Meanwhile, the class peppered Dr. Morris with questions about everything from the mercury in fish to the polyphenols in our olive oil. We were interested to learn about the ongoing MIND diet trial. Dr. Morris and her team modified the 10 brain healthy food groups slightly for this randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the MIND diet and its impact on cognitive health. If you are a cheese lover, you’ll be happy to learn that the amount of cheese was increased from 1 ounce per week to 2 ounces per week. But sorry red wine lovers: red wine is no longer included as a brain healthy food group. Stay tuned — results are due out in 2021.
As we all tucked into the last bites, my dessert students disappeared back into the kitchen to prepare the dessert: a Lemony blueberry chia seed tart and an easy 3-ingredient Almond Coco Gelato (recipe coming soon). Prepared by the two Marthas, Dr. Stearn and Dr. Morris, this tart came together quickly and wooed everyone with its nutty crust and bright citrusy ping of blueberries. And my gelato expert Dave created a creamy, not-too-sweet vegan gelato as good as any I’d tasted in Italy.
Thank you to Dr. Martha Clare Morris for sharing her wisdom and her recipes with us. To learn more about the science behind the MIND diet study, check out Dr. Morris’ book, Diet For The MIND, and try some of her daughter’s easy and delicious recipes.
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