If you or someone in your family is worried about dementia do read about the MIND diet. Rather than your classic weight-loss plan, it’s an eating strategy which is designed specifically to keep your brain healthy.

First devised in the US, around 10 years ago, studies have consistently shown that following the MIND diet drastically reduces your risk of the disease – one showed a reduction in Alzheimer’s by an astonishing 53 per cent – as well as offering other benefits to your brain.

Three meals to limit to avoid dementia

Full English: “A full English breakfast tends to contain processed meat like bacon and sausage, a high intake of which has been associated with greater dementia risk,” says Dr Shannon. “It also tends to be highly calorific and, if consumed every day, could contribute towards weight gain, which is a risk factor for dementia.”

Ploughman’s lunch: “Depending on what it’s made of, a Ploughman’s lunch might contain high levels of processed meat (e.g. ham and a pork pie) or other foods which are rich in saturated fat,” such as cheese and butter," says Dr Shannon.

Lasagna: Lasagna CAN be made using unprocessed meat (which is ipso facto BAD), and the fact that it contains cheese may not make it a worry for dementia as the science isn’t clear-cut. “However, you might want to think about their portion sizes if you are concerned about gaining weight” as this is a contributor to the memory-robbing disease," Dr Shannon notes.