Most of us are constantly looking for ways to boost our brainpower, especially if we're in or nearing retirement.  Thankfully, several foods we eat are not only delightful to the palate, they boast properties that aid in cognitive function and enhance memory.  While there's a plethora we could name, I'd like to focus in this post on one treat in particular many of us -- no matter our age -- can't seem to get enough of: Chocolate!  Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, dark chocolate is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet. It is rich in iron, fiber, copper, magnesium, and manganese, plus other minerals advantageous to your brain health. A few years back, a research team at Harvard studied the effects of cocoa -- in particular, flavanol, a natural compound in cocoa beans -- in 60 people ranging from 67 to 77 years of age. They were instructed to drink hot cocoa twice a day for an entire month. As it turns out, the chocolate appeared to boost the brain...

One of the surest ways to feeling stressed out is the sense that the walls are caving in on you. Rather than being in control of your life, your life is controlling you. You feel like a prisoner with no way out in sight. Those who report feeling this way tend to have too much on their plate. A job that requires ridiculous hours. A spouse and kids. Community service activities. A rigorous exercise routine. And so forth. While packing as much as we can into our schedule certainly prevents life from getting boring, we need to leave ourselves a bit of breathing room. Studies show that stress leads to negative health outcomes like headaches and heart disease. What's more, it may lead to coping mechanisms that can also be disadvantageous to one's health, like overeating, smoking, drinking, or taking illegal drugs. Once you feel as though there's not enough time in the day to do a single thing you enjoy doing for leisure -- read a book, watch a show, listen to music -- it ...

I've observed that many people are too lazy to do two things that are greatly beneficial to our health: read and exercise . Their usual excuse tends to be that they're too tired to read or exercise when they get home from work. But the myriad benefits of these activities can't be overstated. Exercise helps you lose or maintain your weight, provided you also watch what you eat. It not only reduces the risk of heart disease, but it helps lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Most people (including me) report feeling so much better when they exercise regularly. That's because exercise had been proven to reduce stress and anxiety and put people in a better mood. Then there's reading. It's obvious how beneficial reading can be for one's mental health. It keeps the mind busy. You learn new facts, new concepts, new vocabulary words. If you're reading non-fiction, the author's perspective can lead you to reassess your personal beliefs or opi...