With great power comes great responsibility. Your brain has a level of responsibility that is unmatched by any other organ. It keeps physical processes regulated, many without your awareness. It regulates your temperature and blood pressure within a tight range, and it controls thirst, hunger and breathing. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel – and that fuel comes from food. Put simply, your brain is sensitive to what you eat, and the way it works reflects changes in your diet.Studies comparing traditional diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet, to the standard Western diet have shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet. Scientists account for this difference because traditional diets are high in monounsaturated fat, high in fibre and packed with protective phytochemicals. They are primarily plant-based with a focus on vegetables, fruit, whole grains and cereals, legumes, fish and seafood; and contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are low in highly processed and refined foods and sugars, which are common in the Western dietary pattern.The Mediterranean diet has also shown to reduce the risk of developing degenerative brain conditions. Dr. Carol Greenwood, a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences, has spent the last 20 years researching the connection between diet and dementia. Results of long-term studies indicate that people following that type (Mediterranean-style) of diet, whether in Europe or North America, lower their risk of developing dementia by as much as 36%, and experience a greater preservation of cognitive function. Dr. Greenwood states that the Mediterranean diet is a pattern of eating. The emphasis should be on consuming a cross-section of “classes” of foods and not specific, individual foods. Here is the run-down:

Seasonal, culturally diverse vegetables and fruit. Include berries, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy, kale, cabbage. Go for vegetables and fruit you prefer and enjoy;
Minimally processed whole grains and cereals. Options as brown rice, oats, bulgur, barley, polenta, couscous, millet, 100% whole grain bread and pasta;
Oily fish. Include salmon, sardines, trout, herring twice a week;
Plant-based protein from legumes such as lentils, beans and chickpeas;
Nuts, seeds and oils like almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and extra virgin olive oil.

And, with the United Nations declaring 2016 the International Year of the Pulses, pulses being dry legumes, celebrate by including them in your meals more often.Pass the chickpeas please.