We went to a lecture last night by a science journalist who has written a few books for Scientific America on brain health. There are many myths out there about the brain, and some interesting areas of research on the elements of healthy brains later in life.
Here were my takeaways in terms of what we can do to stay sharp as we age:
Exercise
What is good for the body is good for the brain.
Learn something new
Challenging your brain with things that are difficult (puzzles don’t count; neither do those rip-off brain exercise books or Baby Einstein musical CDs). Learn a new language. Learn music. Get involved in some kind of artistic expression.
Stay engaged
Human interaction—live, in the flesh, eye contact-involved exchanges—is important.