Instructions

• Step 1: Eat blueberries and walnuts Eat blueberries and walnuts. Two Tufts University studies found that just a cup of blueberries or an ounce of walnuts a day can protect the body against age-related nerve damage that can affect thinking, motor skills, and coordination.
• TIP: Blue fruits in general--purple grapes, blackberries, plums, boysenberries, black currants--top the list of anti-aging foods.
• Step 2: Floss without fail Floss at least once a day. People with clean teeth don’t just look younger, they live up to 46% longer than those who don’t, because healthy gums help prevent strokes and heart disease.
• Step 3: Eat dark chocolate Have some dark chocolate. It contains magnesium and flavonol, which improve the supply of oxygen to the brain.
• Step 4: Drink red wine Enjoy a glass or two of red wine every day. The resveratrol found in red and purple grape skins contains impressive anti-aging properties, according to a Harvard study.
• Step 5: Work your brain Do some crossword puzzles; play Sodoku; join a bridge group; learn to speak Italian. Research shows that doing anything to exercise your brain keeps it sharp and prevents Alzheimer’s.
• Step 6: Get moving Get moving. You don’t need to kill yourself with push-ups and jogging. Studies show that doing anything active--gardening, dancing, running around the mall--keeps your muscles in shape, your heart rate elevated, and your neurons firing.
• Step 7: Eat less sugar Eat less refined sugar. It hardens the fibers and elastin in cells, making skin as tough and dry as an alligator’s.
• Step 8: Get a life Get a life--or, at least, a hobby. People with interests outside of work report less depression, get fewer illnesses, and have a lower rate of Alzheimer’s. In a survey of 600 folks over age 80, 93% credit their hobbies with helping them live longer.
• FACT: Hawaii has the highest life expectancy in the United States.

You Will Need

• Blueberries
• Walnuts
• Floss
• Dark chocolate
• Red wine
• Brain teasers
• Exercise
• Hobbies