Looking for a simple (and delicious) way to keep your mind sharp? Offer your diet the olive branch! In addition to olives’ distinct flavors, these petite fruits offer impressive health perks.

The May/June 2009 issue of Psychology Today reports that the antioxidant hydroxytyrosol, abundant in olives, slows cell death in the brain and can thus reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. 

More olive insight from Psychology Today:

• Olives’ skin is rich in maslinic acid, a natural compound that destroys colon cancer cells in humans.

• Choose extra virgin olive oil rather than virgin or “pure” varieties. Only extra virgin olive oil fully retains the olives’ healthful qualities. A rule of thumb: The greener the oil, the richer it is in polyphenols — antioxidants (including hydroxytyrosol) that research has shown to have a host of beneficial qualities, namely preventing degenerative diseases and cancer. (Read Tested, Tasted and Terrific Olive Oils for our top olive oil picks.)

Pastas, pizzas and plenty of other Mediterranean pleasures often come packed with olives, but there are numerous other, easier ways to get more olives on your plate. Here’s a variety of recipes from Epicurious that are packed with olive goodness:

• Chunky Tomato and Black Olive Salad

• Green Olive and Coriander Relish

• Green Olive Pesto

• Olive Focaccia Dough

For more on keeping your brain in top form, read Aging and Brain Health: What Have You Been Learning Lately?.

Photo by kin lush/Flickr

Learning a new instrument or language may help  keep your mind sharp.

According to Can Memory Loss be Prevented?, from the New York Times, recent cognitive study suggests that learning a challenging new skill, such as a new language or musical instrument, “may be even more effective than mental games [think Sudoku] at keeping the brain sharp.” While crossword puzzles alone can aid in very specific types of mental agility, such as word recall, you may get more significant results with “mental cross-training” — specifically, trying a variety of activities, especially those that will challenge your brain in “entirely different ways, preferably for years.”

“One problem with aging is that you develop expertise in a few things and do them over and over,” said Dr. Carstensen [director of the Center on Longevity at Stanford University]. “Proficiency is good, but it’s probably not growing new synapses.”

The benefits of taking up a new activity aren't limited to good brain health (though that's certainly worthy on it's own). As part of one recent study, participant Bob Branham, 78, was randomly assigned to take up quilting — and discovered he loved it. In addition to staying sharp as a tack, Branham found a new passion, is making new friends and developing new skills, and might even start a new business. Not a bad list of side effects.

Have you taken up a challenging new hobby or activity recently?

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