Mind your peas and quinoa

Craig Breslow, dubbed “the smartest man in baseball,” pitched for seven MLB teams, including the Cleveland Indians in 2008. That was after he attended Yale (majoring in biochemistry and biophysics while leading Ivy League baseball with a 2.56 ERA). He was also admitted to, but didn’t attend, NYU Medical School. A mind to admire!

So is the MIND diet, aka the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, since research indicates that it probably protects your brain from Alzheimer’s disease. The Mediterranean and DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, diets each focus on eating a lot of produce, healthy oils, and fish and lean animal proteins only as side dishes. DASH also slashes sodium intake. These diets are great for heart health, which also helps protect the brain, but when combined ... well, they knock it out of the park.

Rush University researchers tracked over 900 older folks and found that those who most closely followed the MIND diet reduced their risk of Alzheimer’s by 53%; moderate adherents reduced Alzheimer’s risk by 35%. So what’s the MIND diet?

Daily: 1.5 cups of 100% whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa); an ounce of nuts (walnuts, almonds); a salad with 1/2 cup of leafy greens, plus up to 9 servings of other veggies and 6 ounces (maximum) of wine.

Weekly: 3 or more ounces of omega-3-rich fish like salmon (6-9 ounces is ideal); 6 ounces of skinless, white meat chicken; 1.52 cups of legumes/beans; 2 servings of blueberries and strawberries (1 serving daily is optimal).

Extra-virgin olive oil for most oil needs.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.