Use it or lose it. 

That's the simple rule Brenda Hounam, 60, uses to keep her brain as healthy as it can be.

Living with the early signs of Alzheimer's disease, the Paris, Ont., woman travels far and wide to promote the fact that we should all stay as mentally active as possible.

She was in Greece and Ireland last year spreading the message and will be heading to Romania this May.

"I tell people to be the best you can be, but you have to work on it," she says. "You just can't sit around ... make sure you do some mental exercises every day."

A few of the things Hounam does to stay mentally fit include playing the keyboard, doing puzzles and – one of her favourites – playing Nintendo's Mario Brothers.

Scientific evidence suggests that mental stimulation enhances brain activity and may help maintain brain health throughout life.

With that as an overall goal, the Alzheimer Society of Canada has kicked off a nationwide awareness campaign, Heads up for Healthier Brains, in a bid to make brain health a personal commitment.

Mary Schulz, senior manager of education for the society, says new evidence indicates that if people "exercise" their brains, they can reduce the risk of the disease, and that those with the disease can slow its progression.

"Do something that you usually don't do," she says. "If you shy away from puzzles, check some out."

It can be as simple as chatting with friends and family or dialing the phone with your less-dominant hand. Or, if you're really feeling enthusiastic, learn a new language.

Dr. Jack Diamond, the society's scientific director, says it's time to take action. "In just the last year, we've learned so much more about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the need to keep your brain active."

To help, the Alzheimer society has created a BrainBooster area on its website (alzheimer.ca.) It's a collection of puzzles and games that will change daily to promote brain health, along with some recipes and diet tips.

In Hounam's case, she says the first time she realized something was seriously amiss was when she used dish soap instead of cooking oil to brown some meat in a skillet.

"I used to be an accountant and I was able to add, subtract anything I wanted in my head," she says. "But then I started having trouble. I had to go to a calculator."

After she was diagnosed in 2000, she says she felt relieved to know what was wrong. She decided to help make others more aware of the disease, and the importance of exercising your brain.

She has taken the stage in community centres and meeting halls across Ontario. And she was a huge hit when she spoke to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in Dublin last October.

The fact that someone with the disease could be a main speaker was not lost on the Irish media, and she was widely sought after for interviews.
Joining her on the trip were Linda Westbrook and her daughter, Sara Westbrook, 25, both of St. Thomas. The three women met in 2004, after Linda attended one of Hounam's talks and arranged to meet with her.

During that meeting, they came up with the idea of creating a song (written by Sara and two friends) that would let Hounam express her love for her own two children, no matter how badly she may treat them as the disease progresses.
Called "One More Memory," the song has since sold 7,000 copies online, with proceeds going to help those with Alzheimer's. 

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