Ways to make your brain work better

Just about everyone over the age of 40 is worried about their memory. The news media has done a good job in the last 10 years of raising people's awareness of the ravages of Alzheimer's and other dementias on individuals and their families. Is memory loss an inevitable part of aging? Can something be done to prevent it? Absolutely. Below are some tips to help maintain good memory as you age.

Maintain good health

The most important first step is to maintain overall good health. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease - such as diabetes mellitus, smoking, and high cholesterol - threaten brain blood vessels as well. So see your doctor and get treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, if needed. A prudent diet will go a long way to improving cholesterol levels and assuring that you get adequate vitamins and minerals to preserve overall brain function. This means a diet low enough in calories to maintain your ideal body weight, which includes low fat (less than 60 grams per day, less than 20 grams saturated fat), two to four servings of fruit, three to five servings of vegetables, six servings of bread or grain, and three servings of dairy per day, fish twice a week, and red meat limited to once a week. If you need assistance with a diet plan, ask for help from your doctor or a nutritionist.

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