Don’t wait until you’re older:
Start protecting your brain now
If you’re in your 40s or beyond, the specter of losing your memory to Alzheimer’s disease can be frightening. With a lot of medical information available, you may wonder what you as an individual can do to prevent it.
Researchers now have given us  simple news about on what to do throughout life to reduce risk: Take care of your heart, and you’ll be taking care of your brain at the same time.
The link between heart disease and Alzheimer’s is growing. The Alzheimer’s Association predicts that it will continue to grow. The heart is the organ that supplies essential elements to every part of the body, and the brain is one of the most important parts.
Risk factors for the two diseases are essentially the same.
*One study showed that people with high cholesterol in their 40s and 50s were three to five times more likely to become demented later in life. Blood vessels become stiff and lead to a decrease in nutrients to the brain.
Some things to do now:
* Stop smoking. Smoking just 10 to 20 cigarettes per day can double or triple the risk of dementia.
* Exercise regularly to send oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain.
*  Take steps to reduce stress throughout life. Meditate, walk, garden, or work on a hobby.
* Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to get phytochemicals and antioxidants. Drink enough water to rid your body of toxins.
* Keep your blood pressure under control naturally or with medication.
* Avoid diabetes or use medications to keep blood sugar in the normal range.

If you’re a fisherman or have friends who share their catch with you, here’s good news. Ocean-going fish may be rich in those important omega-3 fatty acids, but  salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring are not the only sources.
Freshwater game fish have omega-3s, as well. Lake Superior lake trout actually are richer in this nutrient than Atlantic salmon or Atlantic mackerel. The trout has 3 grams per 3.5-ounce serving as opposed to 1.84 for the salmon and 1.2 for the mackerel.
Other freshwater game fish with omega-3s include whitefish with 1.6 grams per 3.5 ounce serving, chub with 1.5, herring with 1.1, bass with 0.9, smelt with 0.5, walleye at 0.4, and northern pike with 0.1 ounces per serving.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say it’s true that the content of most game fish isn’t as high as that of ocean-going cold-water fish. But fish, as long as it’s not fried or prepared with a lot of added fats, is still a better choice than meat. Meat is typically higher in undesirable saturated fats and cholesterol.

Having corn on the cob with dinner? Adding a little butter will increase the level of nutrients your body will absorb. Having a salad for lunch? Adding full-fat salad dressing will have the same effect.
Many of the healthful compounds in vegetables are fat-soluble. That means your body can’t absorb them very well unless fat is present at the same time.
Researchers at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus checked for nutrients that were especially important for cancer prevention. Some of affected nutrients:
Lutein and zeaxanthin found in spinach and kale are important for eye and heart health.
Lycopene, the red carotenoid found in tomatoes and watermelon, is a potential cancer fighter.
Alpha and beta carotene, the orange pigment in carrots and cantaloupe, help to reduce cancer rates.
Vitamin E found in mango, broccoli, and spinach is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage.
When some avocado was added to salads, blood tests showed the absorption of lutein was 18 times greater than without the fatty avocado. Absorption of lycopene increased by 4.4 times, and the increase in beta carotene absorption was 2.6 times.
Fortunately, the amount of fat in the entire meal can aid nutrient absorption. Nutritionists say you should choose at least one food per meal with a high fat content. That means if you have a small steak or hamburger with dinner, you’ll be fine.

Some say it’s strictly a Southern dish. Others say it’s a truck stop favorite. Whichever the case may be, when travelers know where to find good beef barley soup on a frequently traveled route, they plan to stop at that restaurant for sure.
There’s no need to save the pleasure for your travels, because you can put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and have a great dinner ready when you get home from work.
The health benefits of beef, onions, carrots, and celery are well known, but few people realize the powerhouse hidden in those little grains of barley.
Barley is one of the richest sources of the antioxidant tocotrienol, a form of vitamin E which reduces free radicals that damage the body, say researchers at the University of Toronto. In fact, they have 50 percent more power than other forms of vitamin E.
In addition to stopping free radical oxidation, this nutrient works in the liver to reduce the body’s production of dangerous cholesterol.
Barley also contains lignans, compounds that have antioxidant ability, providing even more protection. And barley is rich in fiber content.
Though pearl barley found in grocery stores is a healthful food, its nutrients have been decreased by refining. It still makes a great soup, but hulled barley is richer in B vitamins. It is found in health food stores.
Beef Barley Soup
If your crockpot is large, this recipe can be doubled.
Cut one pound of lean stew meat into 1/2-inch cubes. (If chuck roast or chuck steak is on sale, that can be used.)
Put it into the crockpot and add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 ribs of celery, 2 medium carrots, 3/4 cup barley, 1 bay leaf, 6 cups of beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt, or salt and pepper to taste.
Cook beef and barley soup on LOW in the crockpot for 6 to 8 hours. Taste, and add any additional salt and pepper you need to please your taste buds. Remember that barley expands to four times its original size. Be sure your cooker is large enough.

Researchers at Harvard have found that binge-eating disorder (BED) is more common than anorexia and bulimia nervosa combined. It’s the most common eating disorder in the United States.
Binge eating is defined as single bursts of uncontrolled eating that last less than two hours and occur at least twice a week. Because of its association with obesity, it is a major public health problem. About 30 percent of cases are male.
Symptoms may go back to childhood, where cases begin as early as age 8. In his new book, The Good Eater: The True Story of One Man’s Struggle With Binge Eating Disorder, Ron Saxon says secret eating and unexplained weight gain are symptoms of BED. Evenings are when binge eaters most often lose control.
Saxon left his career as a model when pressure to be thin was too much. Previously, he was able to hide the disorder, but then he gained almost 120 pounds.
The condition has no proven cause, but is linked with depression and anxiety. Therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, (nacbt.org) can help.