april 21 2013151 intro your brain isnt just for thinking throw a football turn the steering wheel kiss your girlfriendyour mind controls everything you do explains david s liebeskind md a mens health advisor thats why its so important to keep yours healthy but how scientists are starting to crack the code recent research has revealed plenty of measures you can take today to keep your mind sharp as you age quicklist 1category ways to sharpen your braintitle eat for better brain functionurl text in a brand new ucla study rats completed a maze slower after being fed a highsugar diet but adding omega3 fatty acids protected them from the effects of the sugar click here for 13 brainboosting foods quicklist 2category ways to sharpen your braintitle challenge yourself url text regular mental challenges force you to think use it or youll lose it says constantine lyketsos phd professor at johns hopkins bayview medical center when connections between neurons are reinforced theyre easier to use says liebeskind quicklist 3category ways to sharpen your braintitle switch up your news sourceurl text slave to the local news every am youre neglecting an active reading scheduleand a whole part of your brain says allen sills md associate professor of neurological surgery at vanderbilt university when you read you develop concentration which is crucial for healthy aging quicklist 4category ways to sharpen your braintitle ward off depressionurl text mood disorders can be the result of chemical imbalance in the brain says sills if youre no longer interested in things you used to love ask a buddy if he has noticed a change if he has see a doclosing interest in your hobbies is a major sign of clinical depression an athome remedy exercise which helps balance the chemical cocktail its the poor mans prozac says sills follow our 100 best fitness tips to learn how to stick with your workout build huge muscles and more quicklist 5category ways to sharpen your braintitle know whats normal memory lossurl text systems like the hippocampuscrucial for memoryage faster than other brain parts worried compare yourself to others your age dont remember where you parked but everyone else is walking to the car that may be a problem says coslett but if youand all of your friends your agehave to write down a phone number dont worry quicklist 6category ways to sharpen your braintitle move to remember moreurl text a 2011 study found that the striatum a brain area believed to handle memories was larger in basketball players than nonathletes a year of regular aerobic exercise can up the size of an adults hippocampus by 2 percent says research from the university of illinois at urbanachampaign for more ways to remember everything think faster and solve problems like a genius follow these 27 ways to power up your brain quicklist 7category ways to sharpen your braintitle strength trainurl text strength training for 60 minutes three times a week for 6 months can boost your short and long