1. Eat smart. Following the Mediterranean diet may lower your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. This diet scrimps on meat but features a lot of veggies, legumes, fruits, cereals, olive oil, and fish.
2. Challenge your brain. To keep your mind alert, try learning a new language, solving crossword puzzles, playing board games, or reading. And turn off your TV. A study in Neurology revealed that older people who watched a lot of TV lost more mental ground than moderate viewers.
3. Move it so that you don’t lose it. Exercise gets your blood circulating and boosts coordination. If you like variety in your exercise, that’s great. Doing both cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or swimming, and mind/body exercise, such as tai chi, aids memory more than doing just one type of exercise.
4. Quit smoking, if necessary. Smoking damages blood vessels, including those in the brain. So it could well contribute to vascular dementia.
5. Beware of excess pounds. A study in Age and Ageing found that the risk for dementia rises along with your body mass index. Need a slimming tip? Substitute fresh or sparkling water for high-calorie sodas and fruit drinks.

Take a Quick Quiz on Memory.
Did you know that tension and stress can cause memory lapses? Find out what other factors affect your memory with an online quiz. Go to www.paramounthealthcare.com and click on “Better Health for Life,” “Interactive Tools,” “Quizzes,” and “Memory Quiz.”