Beyond Average. . .

Eat a healthy diet – Designing and following a diet comprising at least seven of 12 food categories (fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, dairy products, salt, oil, eggs, cereals, legumes, nuts and tea) in appropriate amounts daily is a good thing you can easily do to slow memory decline. Exercise your brain – Cognitive activities (games, puzzles, reading etc) are the gym sessions for your brain, so make sure you engage in them at least twice a week. Needless to say, the more cognitive activities you have, the better (don’t go to the extreme, of course). Engage in physical exercise – If you exercise for at least 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity or for at least 75 minutes a week at a vigorous intensity, your risks for memory decline will be further reduced. Stay socially connected – Keeping up with your friends and relatives not only strengthens your bond with them but it helps you ward off memory decline. So engage with them at least twice a week. As always, the preferred way is to do it in person. Absent the opportunity, catching up with them online or by phone is a good alternative. Quit smoking –If you are still a smoker, you now have one more reason to quit. Smoking increases your risk of dementia, along with a long list of other health problems. Smoking not only harms your health but the health of people close to you too. The health hazards of second and third-hand smoke are well documented. So quit smoking for yourself and the people you love. After decades of hard work, isn’t it time to enjoy the fruits of it? But to truly enjoy your golden years, you need the peace of mind that comes from having a solid mindset, good understanding of both physical and mental states and the willingness to make changes where and when needed.