Brain Exercises

• Above anything else, read. Reading stimulates creativity, imagination and new outlooks, all which strengthen neural activity. Learn a new language or start a new hobby, such as carpentry, ceramics or playing an instrument. Do crosswords, puzzles and riddles. Study art. Bingo has been proven to help minimize memory loss and sharpen hand-eye coordination. "Challenging the brain early in life is crucial to building up more 'cognitive reserve' to counter brain-damaging disease, according to Dr. David Bennett of Chicago's Rush University" (The Franklin Institute).
  
  

Neurobics

• Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., a professor at Duke University, created this "unique system of brain exercises using your five physical senses and your emotional sense in unexpected ways that encourage you to shake up your everyday routines" (The Franklin Institute). In everyday tasks, exclude one or more of the five senses, such as washing the dishes with closed eyes or making dinner with only visual cues. During menial activities, include at least two senses, such as listening to music and tasting fine wine or model clay and people watch. And finally, break everyday routines such as take a new route to the store or practice ambidexterity---the equal use of both hands. What Katz's system uses is the brain's own nutrients to activate and stimulate neural pathways that strengthen the brain and protect it against decline.
  
  

Travel

• By keeping surroundings changing, the body and mind are forced to develop to new customs, languages, climates, survival skills and innovative means for achieving comfort. If the body and mind are forced to adapt constantly, they will always be in a state of activity, which produces brain cells and protects against physical and mental decline.
  
  

Stay Active

• Avoid television and any activity that allows the brain to be disengaged. Instead, engage the body and mind with "new and novel tasks" such as dance, martial arts, yoga, sculpting, chess or sports (The Franklin Institute). If the body is kept active, physical decline will be decreased, meaning physical inactivity at an old age will be limited and, therefore, brain inactivity is also less likely.
  
  

Brain Food and Diet

• Scientists have proven that vitamin B12 and iron are two nutrients that are vital to a healthy brain, which means diet can have an effect on brain function. According to James Joseph, the head of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the Jean Meyer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), "Vitamins and minerals in plant foods provide protective antioxidants. But fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains contain thousands of other types of compounds that contribute significantly to the overall dietary intake of antioxidants" (USDA). The research found that fruits and berries, especially blueberries, were high in helpful antioxidants and improved motor skills, balance and cognition.
  
  Blueberries, black plums, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, sweet cherries, avocado, naval oranges and red grapes are a sampling of fruits and berries that should be included in any diet, especially when considering brain function.