Cool air can lead to better brainpower, expert says

• It's easier than you think to keep your mind young and in top form, whatever your age, says leading American psychologist Dr Jack Leedy.
• A chill in the air invigorates the entire body and actually stimulates the mind.
• The movement increases blood flow to the brain, keeping it vigilant and alert.
• "If you are a secretary, switch back and forth between typing and making phone calls to help keep your mind more alert," suggests Dr Leedy.
• "If you sit behind a desk all day, do simple exercises to boost blood flow to the brain," says Dr Leedy.
• Whatever your job is or whatever you are doing, make spare time to move your muscles.
• "Try to work complex carbohydrates such as seeds, nuts, high fibre bread, pasta, fruits and raw vegetables into your diet," he says.
• "Such a pleasant break puts aside temporarily all the troubles and problems of life -- and allows your brain to come back stronger and healthier."
• If we can be flexible, adaptable, able to think of new solutions and possibilities and stay open to challenge, we'll be fine," says Dr Pelletier.
• "Or at least become more committed to a cause or belief -- maybe your religion or political group.
• "It is also vital to develop a lifelong commitment to certain inner values, like honesty and compassion, truth and love, that you can constantly work on."
• That old saying that you get wiser as you get older really is true, according to the results of a study by two American university professors.
• "While it is true that older men and women usually score lower than younger ones on standard intelligence tests, those tests measure abilities used in the classroom, not in day-to-day living," says Dr Steven Cornelius who teaches the psychology of ageing at Cornell University, America.
• "Older adults had the highest scores, middle-aged adults had intermediate scores, and younger adults had the lowest scores."