The MIND Diet is a promising strategy to improve dietary intake and maintain cognitive function. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets and includes many nutrients that promote good brain health, possibly by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Basic recommendations that align with the MIND diet include consuming whole grains, plant-based foods, berries, nuts, beans, poultry, and fish and limiting intake of red meats and foods that are high in saturated fatty acids. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated the benefits of this dietary approach for reducing cognitive decline and risk for cognitive decline. Participants will learn about the general principles of the MIND Diet and how to create meals and daily menus based on these recommendations.

About the Instructor: Dr. Brandy-Joe Milliron

Dr. Milliron is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences within Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, where she is both a researcher and teacher. As a community nutrition scientist, her work focuses on developing nutrition and wellness interventions to prevent and manage chronic disease and improve family caregiver health. She conducts studies exploring how to improve obesity, chronic illnesses, and cancer through understanding and improving nutrition self-management strategies. Her research also focuses on designing better nutrition programs by improving our understanding of how people’s interaction with their environment affects their nutritional choices. She uses a variety of assessment techniques, collaborates across disciplines, and focuses on community-based approaches to inform the development of supportive nutrition intervention
programs.