6 Ways to Make Yourself Smarter

Think it's too late to become a brainiac? Think again. Medical science used to think that you were stuck with the smarts you had once you reached adulthood, but modern wisdom says that our brains continue to grow and adapt at any age. Nurture your gray matter and you can make yourself smarter, healthier, and happier -- which translates into career success. Here's how:

Protect the smarts you have. Protect your brain from physical injury by wearing a helmet when you ride bikes, motorbikes, or go snowboarding, and avoid aggressive sports. "The brain is very soft," says Dr. Daniel G. Amen, author of Making a Good Brain Great, "and the parts involved with memory, learning, and mood stability are especially vulnerable to trauma. Even a so-called 'minor' concussion can have long-term repercussions on your brain that may show themselves long after that impact occurred."

Have lots of sex. "Orgasm is very helpful for the brain because there's a lot of activity that goes on and then it calms down. It's like resetting the brain in many ways," says Dr. Amen. Recent Australian research found that intercourse directly stimulates the production of new brain cells; however, to keep those cells you need to do something intellectually stimulating soon after, so reach for that Sudoku book once your lover starts snoring!

Stretch your brain. Learning new things makes you smarter. The more you exercise your gray matter, the more connections your brain makes. Studying new languages or learning a musical instrument can be excellent activities, but trying anything new has the same effect if you work on it continuously. We're not talking about watching multiple episodes of Gossip Girl, though: The boob tube is a brain-dead activity, so limit how much time you spend zoning out in front of the box.

Exercise your body. Increasing your blood flow through exercise will get plenty of oxygen to your brain cells, helping them function more efficiently. A study by the University of Illinois found that people who did 45 minutes of brisk walking a week improved their cognitive speed by 15%.

Get enough sleep. When you're catching z's, your brain rejuvenates. Recent research suggests that our brains grow during the sixth and eighth hour of sleep, and that those who get eight or nine hours of sleep are more mentally alert.

Don't cut too many carbs. A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is key. "You may lose weight on low-carb diets, but you're not going to have that mental edge because your active brain needs a steady stream of energy fueled preferably by complex carbohydrates," says Dr. Alan Logan, author of The Brain Diet. Eating fruits with dark red and purple pigments such as cherries and blueberries gives long-term brain protection. So eat up and look forward to a long, mentally healthy life.