If I were to write a list of things I was afraid of–losing my memory would be towards the very top.

Being an extremely happy wife, and a mother to a couple of amazing children, having something like Alzheimer’s disease and forgetting who they are scares me out of my mind. 

For years I watched my beautiful grandmother Mama Juanita go through the trials of Alzheimer’s. 

Each time I saw her she would look more and more lost, until finally besides seeing her face, I could hardly recognize her myself. It was a long slow, and extremely painful process.

Though there is no guaranteed safeguard against dementia, there are things that we can do to help prevent or delay it.

I’m all about doing everything that I can to prevent disease, what about you?

Studies show that diets that are high in saturated and trans fats can increase your chances of developing memory loss as you age. LDL cholesterol can not only damage your heart, but now research is showing that it can also adversely affect your brain.

If we want to stay “happy” and remember our families, we need a diet shift to help keep our memories going.

In fact, a Mediterranean diet, which is comprised of foods that are high in healthy unsaturated fats (olive oil, fish, and nuts) has been linked to lower rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet:

Olive oil, fish, vegetables, and fruit improve the health of your blood vessels, which reduce your risk of a stroke that could cause memory damage.

Omega-3 fatty acids help improve your vascular health. Fish is high in omega-3′s, so eat up. Having fish twice a week should be your new goal.

Drinking red wine once a day has also been shown to help heart health in women.

Which Foods Can Help Save Your Memory?

• fish
• olive oil
• limit your red meat
• lots of fruit and vegetables
• whole grain bread and cereal
• moderate consumption of red wine (one glass for women per day)

Basically, everything above are the wonderful foods of a Mediterranean diet. Studies have shown that those who eat mostly this way have a lower chance of suffering from memory loss. Stick to these heart and brain healthy foods and you’ll have a much better chance of keeping your memory intact.

Comment below: Which of these foods will you add to your diet?