Cooking can be a fun and purposeful pastime for people living with dementia and families. It has the potential to boost brain health through a combination of physical, cognitive, and social engagement. Research studies have found cooking helps improve planning and organisational skills, reduce passivity and agitation, and foster social connections Consuming the product of your labours can also be delicious!
Nutrition:
Getting involved in meal preparation, even if the person with dementia hasn’t been interested in cooking previously, can help to stimulate appetite. Using a range of fresh, colourful ingredients and a variety of flavours can also help stimulate appetite and ensure adequate nutrition.
Research shows that a Mediterranean or MIND diet can help prevent dementia, but we don’t have proof this diet helps people who already have dementia. The Mediterranean diet has less sugar, less red meats, less unhealthy fats and less processed foods. You don’t have to cook Mediterranean recipes, just eat foods commonly found in Mediterranean diets. For more information, see the article: Nutrition and dementia
Cognitive Stimulation:
We know cognitive stimulation can help to reduce the risk of dementia and potentially slow dementia decline. For more information, read the following articles:
Cooking is a great form of cognitive stimulation as it involves multiple cognitive functions, including planning, organising, coordination and following a recipe. Cooking also engages multiple senses including sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
Physical activity:
Physical activity is essential for brain health. For more information read articles on:
- Your physical health affects your brain health
- Exercise to boost your physical health
- An ‘exercise snack’?
Cooking provides plenty of opportunities to get physical. Activities like stirring, kneading, slicing and dicing, and portioning food can help improve dexterity and fine motor skills. Cooking can also be follow-on from other active pastimes such as shopping for food, or even growing and harvesting food.
Social connection and emotional health:
Actively socialising can improve your emotional well-being and your cognitive health. For more information about keeping socially active, read the article: Social inclusion for people living with dementia
Increasingly, in both community and aged care settings, programs promote participant engagement in meal preparation and meal-time roles. See for example, Maggie Beer’s Big Mission which you can view on the ABC’s iView. This helps to provide autonomy as well as opportunities for social interaction and sharing of meals together. Consider attending healthy cooking classes in your community, especially if they go beyond demonstrations and provide social interaction and active participation.
For emotional health, the process of cooking can be calming and help reduce stress and anxiety. Using familiar recipes and eating meals that were always family favourites can evoke memories and provide a sense of comfort and familiarity. What’s more, completing a cooking task, including plating-up and serving the meal provides a sense of accomplishment and can boost self-esteem.
Cooking may not be for everyone
Some people living with dementia may have lost interest in cooking and food preparation, some people may never have had an interest. They may have difficulty using their hands, following instructions or forget steps in a recipe. This can cause frustration for the person living with dementia, and potentially, their carer.
To overcome these barriers, consider the following tips:
- Focus on enjoyment – use vibrant colours and appealing textures to enhance the sensory experience. Try to think of cooking as a meaningful entertainment activity rather than just the functional task of providing a meal.
- Provide support by assisting with tasks during cooking. See https://forwardwithdementia.au/article/helping-without-taking-over/
- Choose easy-to-follow recipes with simple steps and minimal ingredients.
- Measure out ingredients in advance.
- Use photographs, checklists or step-by-step instructions.
A useful resource is the free, downloadable booklet Cooking Our Way, a cookbook by and for people living with dementia.
Cooking can be a valuable way to boost brain health for people living with dementia and their families. Not only can it provide a sense of purpose and achievement, it helps promote good nutrition, social engagement, physical skills, organisation and planning. Oh, it can taste delicious too! So… get cooking!
