Keeping your body healthy is essential to successful aging, and doing the same for your brain is also key to maintaining a good quality of life. That's the message of a new national campaign that urges Americans to share healthy brain tips with elderly loved ones during the holidays.  Among the suggestions:

• Eat right. In particular, pay attention to portion size and how much sugar, solid fats and salt you eat;
• Get plenty of exercise.  Being active not only gets your body healthy, but may create more connections among your brain cells;
• Drink moderate amounts of alcohol, if at all; and
• Quit smoking. Non-smokers not only have a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes, they also have better circulation and that provides a boost to your brain.

The campaign is sponsored by aging groups, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.