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Brain-Boosting Smoothies for Senior Nutrition
Written by Jennifer Wegerer
about the author
5 minute readLast updated March 19, 2015
As people age, they may experience decreased appetite or lose their interest in eating regular meals, but they still need proper nutrition. Seniors require certain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in their diets to keep their bodies strong, prevent some medical conditions, and ward off memory loss. Nutritious, tasty smoothies are an easy and delicious way to include healthy ingredients in your loved one’s diet.
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What foods boost brain function?
A healthy diet feeds your body inside and out, and eating well should be a part of your routine no matter your age. In fact, the Alzheimer’s Association describes how brain-healthy foods increase blood flow to the brain, reducing risks for Alzheimer’s disease and helping prevent heart disease and diabetes. Studies have shown that dark-skinned fruits and vegetables such as kale, spinach, beets, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries contain high antioxidant levels and help protect brain cells. To increase fiber and healthy fat intake, add flaxseed, chia seeds and coconut oil, another ingredient that may fight dementia and improve memory, to the menu.
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Healthy, flavorful smoothies are a great way to pack these memory-boosting foods into your diet. Try some of the smoothie recipes below, or experiment with some ingredients until you come up with a blend that suits your palate.
Brain-boosting smoothie recipes
1. Blueberry Brain-Boost Smoothie
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 fresh, ripe banana
- 1 and 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts, preferably soaked and drained
2. Banana-Coconut Smoothie
- 1 cup milk (hemp almond, rice or organic 1% cow’s milk)
- 1 frozen banana, slightly thawed
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
3. Green Tea and Blueberry Smoothie
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 green tea bag
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- 1 and 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
- 1/2 medium banana
- 3/4 cup calcium-fortified light vanilla soy milk
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4. Flaxseed Smoothie
- 1/2 frozen banana, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 1 cup low-fat vanilla soymilk
5. Sweet Peach Smoothie
- 1 and 1/2 cups apple juice
- 1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 3/4 cup ripe banana, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon vanilla yogurt
- 6 ice cubes
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons flaxseed oil
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