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Nutritionists say a diet full of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains is a great start, along with protein from plant sources and fish and healthy fats rather than saturated fats.

PLANT-BASED FOODS MAY SLOW DECLINE

Harvard Health says leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collard greens and broccoli are rich in brainhealthy nutrients such as vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta carotene may help slow cognitive decline. Berries are another good choice. Flavonoids give berries their beautiful color and also can help improve memory, studies show. Harvard

researchers found that women who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week delayed memory decline by up to 2.5 years.

PROTEIN FROM FATTY FISH

Fatty fish are sources of omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy unsaturated fats that have been linked to lower blood levels of beta-amyloid, the protein that forms damaging clumps in the brains of Alzheimer’ s patients. Harvard scientists say to choose fish low in mercury such as salmon, cod, canned light tuna and pollack. If you don’ t like fish, consider an omega-3 supplement

or select other sources of omega-3s, such as flaxseed, avocado and walnuts.

DRINK TEA AND COFFEE

Johns Hopkins University research shows that the caffeine in your morning cup of coffee or tea may help your brain. In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers found participants with higher caffeine consumption scored better on tests of mental function. Other research shows caffeine may help solidify new memories. Johns Hopkins Researchers asked participants to study a series of images and take either a placebo or a caffeine tablet

. More members of the caffeine group were able to correctly identify the images the following day, Harvard reports.

GET NUTTY

Harvard says walnuts and other nuts are great sources of protein and healthy fats. Walnuts in particular are high in a type of omega-3 fatty acid called alphalinolenic acid that’ s linked to lower blood pressure and cleaner arteries. A UCLA study linked higher walnut consumption to improved cognitive test scores.