I was talking to my friend Susan the other day about some of the challenges that happen with food and nutrition when a person is living with dementia. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning; it just seems like energy is at a low ebb.
Utensils can become difficult to use at a certain point in the disease process. People need to take medications with food, but don’t want to see a plate of food in front of them.
For some, it’s like all the energy that was missing in the morning showed up at meal time, except it’s being used to stay in motion; they just can’t sit at the table long enough to eat. And it seems like this energy surge always coincides with a care partner’s energy depletion.
Luckily, my friend Susan just happens to be Susan Irby, the creator of The Bikini Chef ®! Susan’s also a Certified Food Healer and Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist, and (this is the awesome sauce part) she generously offered to create recipes to address the problems I outlined. Thanks, Susan!
Susan came up with 5 recipes that address the challenges I mentioned. Best of all, they’re delicious! (PRO Tip from Christy: ask your loved one to help you with mixing the ingredients in these recipes.) First, though, she gives a list of what she calls the “brain boosting foods” she uses in these recipes (and tells why):
Foods that have been proven to stimulate and detox the brain include:
*Cilantro – as it is known to extract toxins.
*Coconut in all unsweetened forms – the fat of coconut contains healing monolaurin which is an anti-viral and also has been shown to improve cell function.
*Black sesame seeds and black sesame butter which contain melanin which protect the brain cells from oxidative injury.
*Maca root powder – this healing powder is delicious on eggs and sprinkled on most foods including salads and vegetables.
*Capers – quercetin is high in capers and has been shown to help prevent oxidative injury to the brain.
*Pumpkin seeds – believed to be high in healing phytochemicals such as cucurbitanes, zinc and amino acid arginine.
*Vitamin B12 – may be helpful to people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Courtesy Susan Irby, creator of The Bikini Chef (R)
Now, on to the recipes! Here’s one to get you started; download links for the rest are at the bottom.
Recipe by Susan Irby, CFNS, CFH, creator of The Bikini Chef ®, special to DementiaSherpa.com.
Note from Christy Turner, DementiaSherpa.com: Great for people who need to take medications with food but just don’t have an appetite for a meal, as well as those who do best with finger foods. Please note the nuts go through a food processor, so even those with chewing difficulties can enjoy this recipe.
Susan’s Protein Power Snax™
Makes about 24
1 cup whole raw almonds
¾ cup whole pitted dates
1/3 cup natural almond or cashew butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup ground flax
3 tablespoon wheat germ or cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or as needed)
Place almonds in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to blend all ingredients into a paste. Form into balls and roll in cocoa powder. Chill in refrigerator. Store Power Snax™ in an airtight container and enjoy for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition:
Serving size: 1 power ball
Calories: 91
Fat: 5.6g
Saturated fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0.0g
Sodium: 1mg
Potassium: 130mg
Carbohydrates: 8.4g
Fiber: 1.8g
Sugars: 4.8g
Protein: 2.6g
NOTE: These tips and recipes are not meant to diagnose or cure disease and health conditions. As with any change in diet, consult your doctor for specific guidelines.
More recipes:
No-Bake Maca Matcha Energy Cakes