Two facts about aging should make any health-minded person over 45 sit up: Forty-two percent of Americans over 55 will develop a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. And most of these diseases aren’t hereditary — they’re driven largely by “environmental factors” in midlife. The Big Three for healthy aging and brain health are food, sleep, and movement.
That was the takeaway from my recent interview with Annie Fenn, a physician, trained chef, and author of The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer’s Through Food. She outlined five food changes that people over 45 should adopt to keep their brains sharp.
1. Eat fewer ultra-processed foods
UPFs dominate the standard American diet and are packed with industrial ingredients. Found mostly in the middle aisles of grocery stores — cereals, chips, canned soups, lunch meats, dips — they shorten life spans depending on how much you consume.
2. Rethink your food environment
Your home, car, and even favourite takeout spots shape your eating habits. If they’re stocked with sodas, processed snacks, and sugary spreads, you’ll need to reset. Fenn recommends building around the Mediterranean diet — mostly plant-based foods, with fish and meat in moderation.
3. Snack smart with berries, nuts, and seeds
The Mediterranean pyramid emphasises vegetables, legumes, berries, nuts, and seeds. Research shows raw nuts, especially walnuts, eaten a few times a week deliver brain-protective nutrients.
4. Choose beans and colourful vegetables over meat and potatoes
Protein in the Mediterranean diet comes mainly from beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. To ease digestive concerns, introduce beans in small amounts weekly; your gut will adapt, and you’ll soon be able to enjoy bean-based meals regularly.
5. Understand and avoid AGEs
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful compounds formed when sugars react with fats or proteins — often during cooking. They accelerate aging. Pan-fried steaks, charred barbecue, and roasted nuts are loaded with them. Fenn prefers preparing steak coated in pumpkin seeds.