51 everyday habits that reduce your risk of dementia

Just a quarter teaspoon of the spice twice a day has been shown to reduce fasting blood sugar up to 29 percent in people with type 2 diabetes.

This is important because type 2 diabetes can raise your risk of dementia. The spice has also been found to reduce blood cholesterol and inflammation, both of which can further reduce your risk.

Cinnamon can help you add some sweetness to foods without using sugar.

Sprinkle it on oatmeal, fruit, pancakes, and coffee, and experiment by adding it to other main-course dishes like chili.

Research tells us that counting sheep doesn’t help us nod off any more quickly than lying in bed and letting our minds wander, but here’s a tactic that does seem to help: visualizing a relaxing scene, such as a waterfall.

When Allison Harvey and Suzanna Payne of England’s Oxford University asked 50 insomniacs to try different distraction techniques on different nights, it was the waterfall visualizations that came out on top.

Study participants who pictured waterfalls nodded off 20 minutes faster than others who counted sheep or did nothing in particular.

In one study, nursing home patients with dementia participated in daily, two-hour-long therapy sessions that included bowling or croquet, as well as gardening, brain games, and crafts.

Patients who participated in these sessions were still able to perform the tasks of daily living, such as eating or using the bathroom, unassisted, after 12 months.

Residents who did not participate in the sessions lost ground in their ability to perform these tasks without help.

The physical act of pulling weeds and raking leaves raises the heart rate and strengthens muscles in your hands, arms, shoulders, back, and legs.

Being outdoors and surrounded by beautiful flowers can relax the mind.

Finally, gardening requires intellectual smarts to plant the right seeds in the right places at the right time of year, to prune plants when they need it, and to combat pests and other obstacles.

If you own a dog or cat, agility training offers an intellectually stimulating form of exercise for both of you.

It involves leading your pet through a series of obstacles, ranging from catwalks to hurdles to tunnels.

It provides exercise for both of you and causes you to think quickly as you shout commands and use your body language to communicate with your pet.

One study found an improvement in sleep when study participants consumed two kiwis an hour before bed.

Though it’s unclear why this fruit might help, one theory holds that it is high in serotonin.

When researchers asked overweight and obese office workers to use a standing workstation for 30 minutes out of every hour, the workers’ post-meal blood sugar response improved, thus reducing their risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

Set a timer to buzz every half hour. Get up and stretch, do some light calisthenics, or go for a short walk for a minute or two before sitting back down.

Stand when talking on the phone, while waiting for the bus or a plane, and while chatting at get-togethers.

Deciding whom to invite, what to serve, and who is sitting next to whom forces your brain to contemplate complex social decisions.

Is Sally likely to get along with George? Do any of your guests have food allergies?

Cooking the dishes and ensuring that they’re all ready around the same time the guests arrive requires a great deal of strategic planning, which is a high-level intellectual skill.

With each recipe, you follow step-by-step instructions.

If you are doubling portions, then there’s also some math involved, and there’s plenty of measuring and estimating, too.

Researchers from National University of Singapore found that people who performed Vajrayana meditation – a Tibetan style that involves connecting with and visualising enlightened beings – experienced improved attention and performed better on cognitive tasks just after their meditation sessions, possibly because the meditation boosted blood flow to their brains.

Try it now. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Focus on your breath. Notice how it feels as it comes in your nose and goes back out again. Don’t try to control it or change it. Just allow it to come in and out naturally.

If you notice other sensations, such as an ache in your back or an urgent thought about something on your to-do list, just keep returning to the breath.

Allow distractions to pass through your mind like clouds pass through a sky. Every time you notice yourself following your thinking, just redirect your mind where you want it to go.

Every time you return to the breath, you are training your concentration and bringing yourself to the present moment.

In addition to following the breath, you can try bringing your awareness to a word (such as one or peace) or a location in your body (such as your heart).

You can also concentrate on an idea or belief, such as a feeling of gratitude, compassion, or love.

Fruit is naturally sweet. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of berries for a simple, low-calorie brain booster.

Or puree berries, watermelon, and other fruits, and freeze them.