There is a lot of research about the health benefits of a vegan or plant-based diet on general wellbeing, weight control and associated illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, heart health and certain cancers, to name a few. Now there is an increasing amount of research that demonstrates a link between the benefits of a vegan diet, coupled with other lifestyle changes, against the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease.
CNN reported on July 29 that recent research indicates that people with early-stage Alzheimer’s could potentially slow down or even reverse the process with intensive lifestyle changes, including adoption of a vegan diet, rigorous exercise and changes in stress levels and social interactions.
Dr. Dean Ornish, who spoke at the July 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto about a similar study he headed last year, told CNN that “Our study complements these findings by showing, for the first time, that more intensive lifestyle changes may often stop or even begin to reverse the decline in cognition in many of those who already have Alzheimer’s disease, and these improvements often continue over a longer period of time.”
These findings were strong enough to prompt a New York-based insurance company to announce that it will be the first health insurer to cover the Ornish lifestyle medicine program for patients who have early stage Alzheimer’s disease. While not all participants in the studies showed improvement or maintained their level of cognition, the study results are promising and offer hope to those with the disease.
For those who want to integrate more vegan options into their diet for any number of reasons, whether for their own or environmental health, salads are a great way to start. There are lots of different types of salads; lettuces and dark leafy greens can serve as the backdrop for tomatoes, mushrooms, beets, carrots, fruits, peppers, shredded cabbage, etc. Throw in your favorite seeds and nuts, beans and legumes, and before you know it, a hearty salad can become a full meal.
Dressing a salad is yet another avenue for variety – and delight! I don’t think I have ever purchased store-bought salad dressing; I grew up with an Italian mother who splashed on olive oil and red wine vinegar with some herbs, and I didn’t even realize that salad dressing came in bottles until well into my 20s. Now, although I enjoy trying different types of dressings, I frequently return to my favorites.
Simple Italian dressing
This is the one I grew up with. It’s super easy, tastes good, and works well over a basic green salad.
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk all ingredients together, pour over salad and toss. Sometimes I modify the recipe to give it a different feel by using balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, and adding a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and a teaspoon of powdered ginger.
Go-to dressing
This recipe comes from the kitchen of my friend and Peterborough resident Martha Eichler. It has been a favorite of mine for over two decades now. It works particularly well on a fresh spinach salad.
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 large clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon (or less) salt
teaspoon ground ginger
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Combine all ingredients except for sesame seeds in a jar. Shake well. Put dressing on salad just before serving, and garnish with sesame seeds.
Protein dressing
This is a new recipe I concocted, which makes enough dressing for a crowd. The nuts and tofu give this dressing high protein value. It’s creamy and works particularly well on cucumber or potato salads, or over chunky salads with green beans, tomatoes, avocado or broccoli. Store it in the refrigerator for no longer than three days to prevent spoilage.
4 oz. cashews
4 oz. silken tofu
1 large spring onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 small sprigs fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper.
Put cashews in a small bowl and cover with water; leave overnight or for several hours, for maximum nutritional value. After cashews have soaked, pour off any excess water and blend in a food processor or blender until creamy.
Then blend in tofu, spring onion, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dill, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Friendly dressing
This dressing is from a friend, who got it from a friend, who probably got it from a friend. I’m sure it has made the rounds, because it has only three ingredients and tastes great.
Tamari
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar.
Mix equal measures of tamari, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar — ¼ cup each is a good to start. Shake well. Any leftover dressing can be stored in the refrigerator. And be sure to experiment with favorite flavors of oil and vinegar for variety.
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