One of my most enjoyable roles is with the Speaking of Women's Health Foundation (www.speakingofwomenshealth.com). In addition to the opportunity to make a difference in women's lives by speaking at many of their 35 conferences, I write and edit materials for their newsletters and for brochures they produce.

This week, the founder and CEO of SWH, Dianne Dunkelman, created text for one of the brochures. It's title: Keeping The Brain Alive. It draws from the work of Larry Katz, Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center, which he calls NEUROBICS (exercises for the brain). This is a book you need to pick up for yourself, your friends, your family. This stuff works. Without further ado, here is what Dianne wrote:

The first time you forgot the name of a person, movie title, or an appointment, you might have said, half jokingly, "I'm losing it!" The good news is, you are not. In most cases that mild forgetfulness is not a disease like Alzheimer's. Action can be taken to make your brain remember better.

"Neurobics" (brain exercise) can help you take charge of your mental fitness. These simple exercises stimulate the growth of brain cells to keep the brain younger and stronger. Neurobics uses your 5 senses in unexpected ways. It shakes up everyday routines. The exercises are offbeat, fun and can be done anywhere, anytime. The results: a mind fit to meet any challenge-remembering a name, mastering a new computer program, or staying creative in your work.

Here are some fun and simple ways you can exercise your brain using neurobics. Try them with your family and friends for a good discussion and plenty of laughs.(Humor, by the way, is also important!)

• 1. Without looking, dig in your purse and FEEL for your keys, then keeping your eyes closed, fit the key in the lock to open the door.
• 2. Brush your teeth with the opposite hand you usually use. Or try styling your hair, shaving (Ouch! Could take practice) or applying makeup with your opposite hand.
• 3. If you shower, take a bath. If you usually bathe in the tub, use a variety of things to activate all 5 senses. Use aromatic bath oils and soaps, sponges, body washes, loofahs, candlelight, music, plush towels and moisturizers.
• 4. Take a different route to work. If you're driving, open the windows. If you walk, the possibilities are even greater.
• 5. Place a cup filled with different coins in your cup holder. At the stoplight, try to determine what the denominations are by feel alone.
• 6. At your desk, relocate your computer mouse, phone, wastebasket, etc. While you're at it, switch your watch to the other wrist.
• 7. Use your fingers to learn Braille for controlling the elevator door.
• 8. There's more to a coffee brake than loading up on caffeine. It gives you time for mental stretching and social interaction. A 15-minute walk outdoors invigorates the body, clears the mind and opens the door to real-world stimulation.
• 9. Turn pictures of your family or your desk clock upside down.
• 10. In the supermarket or other stores, change your usual route through the aisles.
• 11. At dinnertime, have everyone switch seats. Switching seats changes whose "position" you occupy, who you relate to, your view of the room, and even how you reach for the salt and pepper!
• 12. Identify the food on your plate only by smell, taste and touch. A food's flavor includes its texture, aroma, temperature, spiciness and even sound.
• 13. Go camping. A camping trip is definitely different from a week by the pool.
• 14. Make a family video and then play it with different background music (scary, romantic etc.). Notice how it changes your feelings about what you're watching.
• 15. Start a new hobby like fishing. It requires you to "think like a fish", pay attention to the time of day, the feel of the water, and the types of insects around you.
• 16. Grow a garden. You will use all of your senses: feeling the earth, smelling the plants, tasting sprigs of herbs. And your brain's planning and spatial abilities are called into action as you decide which plants to put where, the direction of the sun, and how much water is needed. At the end there are other potential rewards: fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and a beautiful yard.