The Mind Diet Plan and Cookbook is a comprehensive 4-week meal plan that eases you into the MIND diet. Plan your own meals with detailed serving guides and tons of brain-boosting recipes—including Cherry Oat Smoothies, Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw, Moroccan Chicken Tagine, and Crustless Apple Pie. Discover simple lifestyle changes that promote a healthier brain.

Easy to follow instructions and plans make this a book I highly recommend.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

So it’s a bit of a hobby of mine to read cookbooks... not sure when or where it started but I like the idea of healthy eating. There are so many cookbooks out there that it’s important to buy a cookbook that will not only help you eat what you want but have some tantalizing recipes as well. The MIND diet in this book is to help people, who do not want to suffer a cognitive decline.

What did I like? The informative first part basically describes what the MIND diet does for cognitive function. How eating more vegetables can help your brain function better, and what the omega 5 can do for your diet. This isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia but eating better can help reduce the stress of aging. The recipes are AMAZING! Those Vietnamese meatballs..... mouth watering.

Would I buy this book? Yes, it’s an amazing cookbook. I wish it had more pictures though, that’s the only true downside. Vietnamese meatballs are pictured and how they make the vegetables in it was tantalizing.

Thoughts for the author? More pictures next time. I like to see food and it’s hard to make recipes if you don’t have a clue what it’s supposed to look like. Still five stars cookbook and yummy recipes.

MIND DIET PLAN AND COOKBOOK by Julie Andrews provides "Recipes and Lifestyle Guidelines to Help Prevent Alzheimer"s and Dementia." Part One (about a fourth of this cookbook) explains the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Decline) diet, makes recommendations, and discusses a MIND Diet meal plan. Recipes follow in Part Two; those are organized into chapters for Breakfast; Sides (with salads and soup); Vegetarian; Seafood; Poultry/Meat; and Sweet Treats. Unfortunately, there are very few photos for individual recipes. Also, I was surprised at the relatively large number of ingredients, some of which are fairly unusual, given that this cookbook is geared towards chefs concerned about cognitive decline. For example, Maple Butternut Squash Soup requires a two-inch piece of fresh ginger and a half cup of canned coconut milk. Also, Tomato-Basil Bisque has sixty percent more calories than Progresso's version, almost double the sugar (due perhaps to adding one and a half teaspoons to the soup?) and three times as much fat (again, a relatively small amount of heavy cream or half and half is added). I also wondered about cost and waste – either for ingredients (like coconut milk or heavy cream) or from finished foods (Carrot Cake-Walnut Muffins makes twelve (190 calories each) muffins, but it's suggested to only keep them for up to five days. The final section of MIND DIET PLAN AND COOKBOOK contains a Life Style tracker which is also visible on Amazon's Look Inside page or Callisto's web site. This is important and of interest especially given the just-released study highlighted by NBC News (see link below) and others regarding lifestyle behaviors and their impact on Alzheimer’s.

Relevant links:
https://www.amazon.com/MIND-Diet-Plan-Cookbook-Guidelines/dp/1641524421/ for look inside
http://downloads.callistomediabooks.com/minddiet/
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/can-alzheimer-s-be-stopped-five-lifestyle-behaviors-are-key-n1029441

Wow, eye-opening. As I am a caretaker for elderly relatives, this really shone a light on something I never really considered. Andrews made very interesting connections to diet and illness I had not previously considered.

The MIND = (Mediterranean DASH-Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) Diet is a therapeutic diet plan to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The RD who wrote this book also has a blog that I went to and grabbed a bunch more info. I love this cookbook and plan and the way it is put together made it easy for me to follow and understand. You get all the recommendations of foods to get and explain why you need those kinds of foods and then followed by ways to use those foods in simple to make delicious meals.

This is a terrific book for those who need information on a healthy diet, especially one geared towards lessening your chances of cognitive decline. This book is easy to understand in regards to what one needs to eat, while still being realistic that you will need some of the unhealthy choices. I love that it gives an actual meal plan, as I have difficulty putting one together. It also of course, gives you the needed recipes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I've already bought this book for myself & suggested the library purchase it.

The Mind Diet Plan and Cookbook: Recipes and Lifestyle Guidelines to Help Prevent Alzheimer's and Dementia by Julie Andrews is an exciting book about how what you eat can help in the area of Alzheimer's and Dementia. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.  This is a combination of two existing eating plans; the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet.

The Mind Diet: combining 2 diet plans

The Mediterranean diet has become popular in the US because of it's concentration on omega-3 rich foods (seafood, fruits and vegetables, olive oil, wine, whole grains, and nuts/seeds) has been linked to lowering the risk of developing such diseases as; type 2 diabetes, depression, stroke, some cancers and some cardiovascular diseases.

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a well-balanced eating plan and concentrates on eating foods high in potassium and fiber-rich foods and decreasing food high in sodium and saturated fat.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the preservation of cognition is reached by eating key nutrients include a diet of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, B vitamins and flavonoids. These nutrients are helpful in minimizing the damage that is caused by free radicals.

The Mind Diet Recipes

MIND friendly food groups include; leafy greens, other vegetables, whole grains, nuts, berries, beans, legumes, poultry, and vegetable oils. So let's take a look at some of the recipes that you will be able to make at home.  For breakfast try out the Rainbow Chard and Sweet Potato Hash or the Raspberry-Honey Pancakes. Next, try out the Pesto Pasta Fagioli and the Crispy Baked Artichoke Hearts are quite a treat! For a main dish you can enjoy Mini Veggie Pot Pies, Citrus-Marinated Coconut Shrimp, Almond-Crusted Crab Cakes, or Orange Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry just to name a few of the incredible options. And don't feel like you have to limit yourself on sweet treats, with recipes for Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Blackberry-Lemon Galette you will have options to keep everyone in the family happy and healthy.

The recipes include variation tips to make different dishes by changing up a few of the ingredients, cooking tips as well as options for making it a meal by suggesting other recipes that pair well with your chosen recipe.

The Mind Diet Resources

In addition to lots of information about the Mind diet, and the foods that help and why they help, this book provides a 4 week meal plan, complete with shopping list, and pointing you to the recipes that you can make for yourself. It also includes a blank meal plan that allows you to personalize your plan as you wish. Finally, I really liked the lifestyle tracker that is included in The Mind Diet Plan and Cookbook. It give you space to record all the aspects of the MIND diet; food, exercise, sleep, stress reduction and intellectual pursuits. This book is a great resource for information about the prevention of Alzheimer's and Dementia and great food choices to make this lifestyle happen.

“The MIND diet is a set of nutritional recommendations that, if followed, can help preserve cognitive function and reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by up to 53 percent. The MIND diet is a combination of two popular eating plans—the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet.”
The combination of these two diets places the emphasis on seafood, chicken, vegetables, leafy green vegetables, yellow, orange and green vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, beans, legumes, seeds, low fat dairy, olive oil, heart-healthy oils and sweeteners such as Stevia and honey. Foods such as red meat, cheese and butter may be consumed in small quantities once or twice a week, and the use of spices instead of salt is encouraged. The author suggests meal and menu plans and shopping lists, along with preparing food ahead of time in order to shorten the daily cooking time.
The breakfast items include Vegetarian Fast Cherry Oat Smoothies use kale, spinach, oats, cherries, yogurt and stevia to create an easy to eat breakfast. The Raspberry Honey Pancakes use whole wheat flour, berries, honey, eggs, vanilla, milk and peanut butter to create tasty, healthy cakes.
The Triple Berry Chicken Salad uses chicken, walnuts, cheese, berries and homemade salad dressing to create a crunchy, sweet salad that takes minutes to prepare!
The Three Bean Vegetable Chili uses peppers, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans and roasted red fire tomatoes to create a chili so good it does not need meat!
There are a variety of vegetarian recipes that use tofu, beans, mushrooms, asparagus, farro and whole wheat toast to create creamy rices, and asparagus’.
The Veggie Pizza with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce uses cauliflower, whole wheat flour, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, yogurt and mushrooms to create a tangy, crunchy pizza.
Enjoy eating healthy and fighting memory loss with these delicious recipes!