Drink More Water

The average adult male’s body contains 60 percent water, while the female body contains approximately 55 percent water. Your brain, however, is about 70 percent water, which not only protects it, but promotes normal function. Because your brain itself can’t store water, it requires hydration throughout the day.

People often complain that they don’t drink more water because they hate going to the bathroom frequently, but that’s a small price to pay for a wellhydrated brain.

Prolonged dehydration literally shrinks the size of brain cells. Even slight dehydration adds to confusion, di culty focusing and short-term memory loss. There’s also a troubling link between dehydration and dementia. As we age, our bodies tend to lose the “trigger” that says, “I’m thirsty.” So an older person struggling with memory loss not only doesn’t feel thirsty but can actually forget they need to drink.

Hydration is also a factor in recovery after stroke. Research shows that about 60 percent of people are dehydrated at the time of having a stroke. E ects from the stroke worsened or stayed the same in 42 percent of the dehydrated patients after being hospitalized, as compared to just 17 of wellhydrated patients.

Not sure you’re properly hydrated? Take a glance in the toilet. Urine that is colorless or pale yellow is usually a sign your fluid intake is adequate.

There are numerous methods—some more complicated than others—on calculating how much water you should drink. Here’s one of the simplest: Your weight divided by 2 = the minimum ounces of water you should drink per day

Water in food counts toward your daily water intake, so that serving of watermelon or the big salad you have for lunch is a help.

Get In A (Healthy) Eating Rut

You don’t have to be infinitely creative in order to eat healthy, so don’t feel bad about regularly eating the same meal or snack—so long as it’s good for you.

In fact, research proves that this is a secret of many people who successfully maintain long-term weight loss. So, if you’ve found a handful of healthy dishes and snacks that work for you, stick to them. Just put the recipes into a rotation so you don’t get bored, and if you come across others that are appealing and healthy, add them in.

For example, if an egg white omelet with veggies and whole wheat toast has become your morning routine, there’s no need to change it up.

There’s enough pressure in life.

Move More, Sit Less

If regular exercise is already part of your routine, you know how much better you feel when you’re active. But if you’re among the 80 percent of Americans who don’t get the recommended amount of exercise, make this the year you change that statistic.

Physical exercise benefits virtually every part of your body, including your brain. Researchers at Stanford found that not only does exercise give an immediate boost to your cognitive skills, but regular exercise (especially between the ages of 25 and 45) decreases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Look for ways to incorporate physical activity into your regular day. Everything from gardening to vacuuming can become aerobic if done long enough and vigorously enough to increase your heart and respiratory rates and, hopefully, break a sweat.

The Department of Health and Human Services advises that healthy adults get:

• At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week; or

• 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly; and

• Strength training for all major muscle groups two times a week or more.

Don’t cram all that exercise into one session or two. You’ll get more benefits— not to mention feel less sore—if you break it down into at least 30 minutes of activity five days a week.

Have a job that keeps you on your butt? Take frequent breaks throughout the day to stand up, stretch and walk around. Doctors say that even if you exercise, the more hours a day you spend sitting, the higher your risk of metabolic issues.