But it's very likely there's one item missing. An item that's so important it can literally rob you of enjoyment of your other assets, could completely bankrupt your estate and in the worst case ? end your life. Yet few people have a strategy in place to protect this asset ? and it's no good asking your lawyer.

The missing item is your health. In particular, the health of your brain. Its value is priceless. Your whole financial and physical well-being depends on preservation of this single asset.

Think about this? We protect the value of our house and car with regular maintenance, we protect our savings by securing the highest interest rate, we protect our stocks by monitoring performance and so on. In fact, we protect the value of virtually all our other assets. Yet, amazingly, we leave our most precious asset to take care of itself. It seems we fail to see the parallels between the need to protect our ?possessions? and our brain.

But the bottom line is that just as you are responsible for the ?health? of your wealth so too are you solely responsible for the health of your mind.

So what can you do to protect your brain? Plenty and, unlike other asset protection strategies, it won't cost you a single cent. In fact, you can protect your brain and keep as sharp as a tack without drugs, hormones, stimulants, mood enhancers or anything like that simply by doing what comes naturally - regardless of your age. ?

This is because we all have the potential for lifetime good health and an alert mind. What is not well-known is that what is good for the body also benefits the brain. Just as you need to exercise throughout your life to keep your body healthy, so too should your brain receive a daily workout to keep it healthy and vital.

Here's a sampling of the some factors you need to consider when developing a strategy to keep your brain healthy:
Physical exercise Physical exercise can encourage a healthy brain to function optimally in ways that are not widely known or their value appreciated. For example, exercise can help the brain by promoting the production of new neurons (brain cells) and strengthening the connections between neurons.

Reduce stress levels. Stress plays havoc with the functioning of the brain and the body systems it controls. In particular, the sustained presence of stress hormones in the bloodstream can damage brain cells.

Encourage the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain. Increasing blood flow and oxygen can help support the survival of new neurons and foster neuron ?firing?. In simple terms, ?firing? means a neuron connecting with its neighbours.

Promote the generation and circulation of sexual energy around the body and in particular to the head. Movement of chemicals called neurotransmitters achieves communication of information between neurons. For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin is associated with sexual behaviour and arousal and is involved in a number of functions including mood and alertness.

Control the breathing rate. Another important factor in optimising brain health is the practice of slowing down the breathing rate as that can enhance the performance of the hypothalamus and the pituitary and pineal glands and possibly other parts of the brain

Challenge the brain with a variety of ?new? experiences ? walking backwards is a simple example. By experiencing such unusual patterns of behaviour the brain is stimulated and there is some evidence that the brain can actually increase in size.

Stimulate the senses.
The bottom line here is that you should take every opportunity to engage your eyes and smell sensors by continually sampling your surroundings ? consciously keep your eyes moving so you present your brain with new information to analyse and process while you ?sniff? the environment in search of smells and odours for your brain to identify.

All the above elements can have a marked positive influence on brain health in their own right. However, it is the synergistic impact of using them in combination that is likely to provide the most powerful benefits.

Hopefully you can appreciate, from the nature of the strategy outlined above, that prevention programs can be enjoyable and completely natural and that by incorporating such factors in your daily routine you will be helping your brain to help itself and keep your mind as sharp as a tack for life.