Dementia is our most-feared illness, more than heart disease or cancer.

The science supporting the relationship between carbohydrates and dementia is quite exciting, as it paves the way for lifestyle changes that can profoundly affect a persons chances of remaining intact, at least from a brain perspective.

It may seem draconian, but the best recommendation I can make is to completely avoid grains.

Rarely, Type 2 diabetes develops without any readily identifiable predisposing factor. But in the great majority of cases it is brought on by lifestyle activities, including, and clearly most importantly, dietary choices.

Eat your vegetables. Brush your teeth. Sweat once in a while. Get plenty of rest. Don't smoke. Laugh more. There are certain tenets to health that are pretty commonsensical and that we all know we should practice routinely.

Strokes are categorized as either bleeding into the brain or a blockage in blood supply, known as an ischemic stroke. The latter are overwhelmingly more common, compromising about 87 percent of all stroke events.

Fat is your friend. The brain thrives on a fat-rich, low-carbohydrate diet.