Practicing a heart-healthy lifestyle may also have great benefits for your brain. A new study has shown the importance of being health-conscious. “Researchers looked at seven factors that can contribute to better heart health: never smoking or being an ex-smoker; healthy body weight; 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise; a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish with little salt and sugar; and cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar in the ideal ranges. The more heart-healthy traits participants had at the beginning of the study, the better they scored on brain processing speed, or the ability to quickly perform tasks that require focused attention.” While there were some drawbacks to the study, overall it showed that the brain and the heart are linked: therefore it is important to have a healthy lifestyle to take care of both