A brain expert shares his 7 ‘hard rules’ for boosting memory and fighting off dementia

Cholesterol is also essential for the health of your brain and nervous system. The American Heart Association recommends having your cholesterol levels checked every four to six years.

Keep in mind that sugar is not an enemy, excess sugar is. It’s easy for grams of sugar to add up, even if you think you’re being careful — and usually, sugar sneaks into packaged foods.

Where is the sugar hidden? Look for these in the ingredient list:

• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Galactose
• Glucose
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Sucrose

And beware of any product that contains syrup, such as agave nectar syrup or high fructose corn syrup.

For most people, a healthy brain needs seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

My tips for sleep that boosts memory and strengthens the immune system:

• Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule.
• Turn off devices an hour before bedtime.
• Do something relaxing before bedtime, like listening to soft music or doing mindful breathing exercises.
• Get outside and into natural sunlight as soon as you can after waking up.

One way to keep things simple is to have most, if not all, of these items in my grocery cart:

• Fatty fish like salmon
• Lawyers
• Nuts
• blueberries
• Cruciferous vegetables like arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and collard greens

When I shop, I ask myself three questions to determine if something is good for my brain:

1. Will it spoil? In many cases, perishables are a good thing. Additives and preservatives that keep foods from spoiling wreak havoc on your gut bacteria.

2. Are there tons of ingredients in this packaged food? And by the way, can you pronounce the ingredients? Or does this sound like the stuff of a chemical experiment? Also avoid anything that has sugar as one of the first ingredients.

Then there’s third-hand smoke, which isn’t actually smoke. It is the residue of cigarette smoke that creates the telltale smell on clothing or in a room. This residue alone can emit chemicals that are toxic to the brain.

To reduce isolation and loneliness, you can also boost brain chemicals like serotonin and endorphins by performing small acts of kindness:

• Wish others good luck or contact someone.
• Give a compliment without expecting anything in return.
• Make a phone call to someone you don’t normally reach.

Maintaining a good memory isn’t just about brain games like Sudoku, Wordle, and crosswords.

Learning skills and acquiring information are much more effective ways to make new connections in the brain. The more connections you make, the more likely you are to retain and even improve your memory.

When you think about learning something new, approach it like you would physical training. You want to work different muscles on different days. The same goes for the brain.

During this week, try training your brain by mixing mental activities (learning a new language or reading a book) and physical learning activities (playing tennis or soccer).