brain

The Do diet: Some foods are proven to enhance memory, increase mental sharpness and even help ward off Alzheimer's.

Most of us ladies go out of our way to avoid wrinkles, especially once we hit our thirties. We avoid the sun. We eat skin-friendly foods, like avocados, salmon and olive oil. We finally give up our social smoking habit. And we start to realize that five vodka sodas in one night doesn't exactly leave us fresh-faced and dewy come morning. But did you ever stop to think about what your wrinkles might be saying about your health?

A new study published in the June 8 online issue of the Neurology tells me something I already knew, but from a different angle. Older people who don’t exercise are at a greater risk for “silent strokes” that create small brain lesions over time and lead to impaired memory, increased risk of falls, and even dementia. If you engage in moderate exercise, however, you can reduce your risk of these silent strokes by about 40 percent.

Few things in life are as fine a balance as sleep, and it's tough to get it just right. Too little sleep has been linked to all kinds of chronic problems, from unflattering eye bags to obesity, diabetes and premature death. And now it turns out that either too little or too much sleep can unduly age your brain, and even speed up the onset of dementia.

Forgetfulness and lack of focus aren't inevitable consequences of aging – with attention to diet and supplements, brain health can be maintained through the years.