preventing cognitive decline

So I got an invitation in the mail to attend a conference by NIH entitled "preventing alzheimer's disease and cognitive disease." Now I acknowledge that I am probably receiving these invitations because I'm on the Lupus listserv but this shit was sort of depressing. It's like I'm 70 years old and my mind is already going. The invitation was this nice, big font, bright colored booklet with easy to understand language. Yep, I'm old :)

Cognitive decline, and how to prevent it. I have some thoughts of this subject, although they probably aren't NIH approved. Let me summarize for you based on my many experiences with old people:

1. Keep your hands busy (get your mind out of the gutter!)--Kathy did this by cut out shapes in magazines (and I know this because I cleaned her house and had to vacuum up all those little pieces)
2. Keep your mind busy (not dirty, busy)--Harvey used to do this by reading everything he could get his hands on, including playboy (they have articles too--just like Hooters has hot wings)
3. Keep yourself active--the old ladies whose nails I paint move around that home and do laps up and down the halls. Got to keep your strength.
   
4. Sing--last trip to visit crazy grandma introduced me to the wonders of just singing out loud when you can't see or hear worth shit...it doesn't really matter as long as you hear voices in your head.
   
5. Drink--booze is always good in moderation. I play to sing "blow job" shots out of a straw and say things like "I like to go for car rides when I'm drunk" just like my grandma.