Your Brain's Ideal Day

Want to end your day feeling as sharp as when you started? Try these strategies:

• Fill your cup. Coffee (6 cups a day) can reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease by more than 20%.
• Rise to the challenge. Hit a tough problem first thing in the morning? Good! Constant mental challenges are Miracle-Gro for your mind.
• Walk to lunch. Regular, moderate exercise cuts dementia odds in half.
• Order up some Mediterranean food. Eating more fish, fruit, veggies, whole grains, and legumes than most Americans do (not difficult!) reduces your risk of Alzheimer's by up to 40%. (This also means avoiding added sugars, syrups, trans fats, saturated fats, and any grain that isn't 100% whole.)
• Spice it up. Indians have 75% less brain dysfunction and Alzheimer's at the same age as Westerners. The reason: It’s thought to be the turmeric, a spice found in curry (and inexpensive mustards).
• Savor a little chocolate. Chocolate keeps your brain happy, possibly by keeping your arteries young.
• Slice it (on the Ping-Pong table). Playing a sport that requires fast changes in direction improves balance and memory.
• Practice! Playing music bolsters language areas of your brain. Bonus: You can be bad at it (keep the day job!) and still benefit.
• Pop some DHA and D. DHA is the omega-3 fat that helps keep brain cells young. Get 600 milligrams a day from fortified foods or DHA supplements. And add 1,000 international units of vitamin D3 to help keep the arteries to your brain younger, too.