At the age of 95, Stanley Kunitz was named poet laureate of the United States. Still writing new poems, still reading to live audiences, he stands as an inspiring example of the brain's ability to stay vital in the final years of our lives.

Human brain is an amazing organ which controls memory and learning, the senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch) and emotion. It also controls other parts of the body, including muscles, organs and blood vessels.

The cerebral cortex contains 25 billion nerve cells (neurons) linked through 164 trillion intersections. Well known fact is that we go through life using less than one percent of our brain power.

Exercising our brain and learn new habits is as much important as exercising our body. Body exercising has a positive influence on our brains. Researchers at Duke University have found that 50 minutes exercise a week bring about 50 % decreases in the likelihood of being depressed. Exercise also lower the risk of hypertension and stroke and significantly reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease that affects 50 % of women and one third of men after age of 85. Exercise boosts not only your physical energy but it boosts your mental energy as well.

Preserving your memory

There is nothing better for your memory than a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. To preserve your memory young you have to “train it” and to avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking – which have this over- stimulating effect but are proven memory killers in long term.

Ten brain damaging Habits to avoid

• No Breakfast – not taking breakfast leads to lower blood sugar level and insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
  
  
• Sedentary lifestyle – lack of exercise affects circulation to the brain and promotes residual toxic waste in the brain.
  
  
• Smoking - chronic smoking decrease mental functioning – poor verbal and visual- special performance, lowering the IQ and doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
  
  
• High consumption of sugar and preservatives – there are two products - monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame (the highly potent sweetening agent), which consumption leads to dyslexia, brain tumors, depression, chronic pain and paranoia.
  
  
• Minimize pollution – as a largest oxygen consumer, the brain will suffer if we inhale polluted air.
  
  
• Sleep deprivation – long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells
  
  
• Head covered while sleeping – sleeping that way decrease the concentration of oxygen and increase this if carbon dioxide, which may lead to brain damage.
  
  
• Drinking too much alcohol and taking too much drugs – a well known fact is that alcohol and cigarettes are neurotoxins – so avoid them. Do not take Prozac and Valium unless is absolutely necessary.
  
  
• Lead and mercury poisoning – avoid dental fillers with mercury and avoid large fish from polluted waters.
  
  
• Not enough brain stimulation – decrease TV watching and computer games in favor of reading books and having intellectual conversations. This will stimulate your brain and increase your intellectual potential.