When did eating bacon and eggs become risky behavior akin to Russian roulette? Probably around the time the American Heart Association launched a campaign to educate America on the perils of high cholesterol, diabetes and coronary disease. Now, a generation later, most people can recite a handful of key risk factors associated with heart disease.

Ask those same people how to maintain a healthy, functioning brain and you get blank stares. Ask them if they know that stroke and depression account for more lost days of work than does heart disease... more blank stares.

The bad news: Americans routinely underestimate or ignore the public-health impact of poor brain care.

The good news: Just a few simple steps can significantly reduce the risk of common conditions such as Alzheimer's, depression, stroke and memory loss. Here are a dozen suggestions to help you and your family get started on the road to better brain health.

1. Use It or Lose It. No matter what age, healthy people challenge their brains every day. Read a book in an unfamiliar field, tackle a crossword puzzle, carry on a provocative conversation or write a letter on a complex matter -- tasks that require you to think will improve the health of your brain and reduce the risk of dementia as you age. (Check out these Brain Calisthenics in Time magazine)

2. Get Physical. Most people know exercise is good for the heart, but few realize it is equally good for the brain. Physical exercise causes the body to produce nerve-growth factors as well as other substances that soothe and replenish the brain. Exercise is a powerful anti-depressant and anti-anxiety agent. It also promotes mental focus.

3. Buckle Up. Wear a seat belt when driving and strap on a helmet when biking, skiing, snowboarding or testing gravity in any other potentially perilous way. Head trauma is a powerful risk factor for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and generally deteriorating mental function. However obvious this seems, many people ignore the risk and put their brains in harm’s way all the time.

4. Make Contact. We live in a sped-up, electronic world. Many of us do not get the interpersonal warmth we need to function at the highest level mentally. In fact, emotion is the on/off switch for higher mental functioning. You think best when you are in a good mood, plus, positive human contact reduces anxiety and the risk of depression.

5. Eat More Fish. Add liberal quantities of fish like salmon and cod to your diet. Or better yet, take a daily supplement of omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in fish oil. Experts disagree on the proper dosage, but 1,000 – 2,000 milligrams per day is a safe estimate. Too much may cause bleeding, so consult your doctor first.

6. Take an Aspirin a Day. One baby aspirin per day for adults helps prevent strokes. Clear this with your doctor first.

7. Reduce Stress. High blood pressure is a killer -- of the brain, the heart and most other organs. Get it properly diagnosed and treated by a doctor. Don't rely on the blood-pressure cuff in the super market.

8. Get Enough Sleep. People are so busy they sometimes steal from sleep. Bad idea! Your brain suffers -- and so do you. You need as much sleep as it takes for you to wake up without an alarm clock. For most adults that is at least eight hours.

9. Check Your Blood Work. Diabetes and high cholesterol are major risk factors for heart disease and for deteriorating brain function. Both are treatable -- but only if you get them diagnosed. Also check for high homocysteine levels; this is a risk factor for Alzheimer's.

10. Take Your Vitamins. Work with your doctor to devise a smart supplement program including vitamin B-complex, folate, vitamins D and E, as well as a regular multi-vitamin. Medical problems can arise when your doctor is not informed of what you are doing.

11. Clean Up Your Act. Reduce your brain's exposure to toxic substances such as alcohol, tobacco smoke and drugs like cocaine or hallucinogens. Stay away from food additives and environmental toxins such as those found in many cleaning fluids, paints, dyes and industrial fumes. Plus, keep your distance from toxic personalities!

12. Mark Your Calendar. Do you have concerns about your memory, mood or some other mental function? Discuss them with your doctor during a regular, annual check-up. The sooner you address the problem, the easier it is to fix.

We have a great deal more knowledge about the brain than we had a generation ago. Isn't it time we started using it?

Edward Hallowell is the acclaimed author of bestselling books including "A Walk In the Rain With a Brain" and "Dare to Forgive."

Photo by Neil Gould