What are the most important lifestyle choices one could make to protect the brain?

     Important lifestyle choices, such as exercising, reducing stress, healthy diets, and mental exercises can help one to protect his or her brain. As for exercise, scientific evidence points to it as the best way to protect the brain (Lee, 2013). Lee (2013), "brisk walking for 90 minutes a week — 15 minutes a day — has been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease" (para. 10). Lee (2013), "tests on human subjects who have been injected with the stress hormone cortisol have shown that stress can temporarily impair learning and recall (para. 11). Reducing stress helps to not impair learning and recall. A Mediterranean diet, which consists of fish rich in Omega 3 fats, olive oil, fresh fruits vegetables and fruits that contain antioxidants, which are healthy for the brain (Lee, 2013). Mental exercises are just as important as physical exercises. Lee (2013), "after a two-week course of brain exercises, one woman’s performance on a memory test improved by 200 percent, Small noted" (para. 12).

Reference
Lee, C. (2013). UCLA Today. Retrieved from http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/right-lifestyle-choices-will-keep-201857.aspx