Give your salad a healthy boost with our tasty topping suggestions. (Photo by Danielle Occhiogrosso)

Ready to look and feel better? Try these simple tips from the Good Housekeeping Do Diet.

Do: Keep Gluten in Your Diet

… unless you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or wheat allergies, or have a confirmed gluten sensitivity. Recent Harvard studies found that nixing foods with gluten – which some folks do, thinking it will help them lose weight – may increase the chance of heart disease, stroke and possibly diabetes by making people miss out on healthy fiber and other nutrients found in whole-grain breads and pastas.

What we do know: There’s no evidence that a gluten-free diet will help you drop pounds, but when you eat whole grains instead of refined ones, you can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Do: Play a Game

Board games, reading and learning an instrument are pastimes that may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease. “It’s about maintaining or building intellectual engagement, and there is a strong association between those types of activities and a reduced risk of dementia over our lifetimes,” said Cynthia Green, founder of the Icahn School of Medicine’s Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai. Challenging your brain by, say, playing cards or studying a language may help goose your “cognitive reserve,” so if your brain begins to slow, it can call on extra neurons you’ve built up, she said.

Do: Loosen Up “Text Neck”

If you’re slouching over screens all day, that might be why your neck is stiff, according to spinal surgeons at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, who have noticed a rise in the complaint even among younger patients. To help release tension, try office yoga, courtesy of yoga instructor Jacquelyn Umof (@actionjacquelyn). These desk moves not only unkink your neck, but also “leave you more energized and motivated at work,” said Umof.

Here’s how to do it: Sit up tall in your chair, relax your shoulders and look straight ahead. Inhale and twist your head to one side, looking over your shoulder, keeping your gaze in the same direction as your nose. Exhale, holding one second, then twist to the other side. Do 10 reps. Then, do the same breathing technique while tipping your head forward and back: Inhale and slowly look all the way up, opening your throat; hold for a second, then exhale, looking down and tucking your chin. For more office yoga, visit getstretchyatwork.com.

Do: Exercise Your Gray Matter

There’s a strong relationship between fitness and cognition no matter what your age. Working out can give your brain a lift immediately afterward, and it also appears to have a protective effect on the ability to think clearly as you get older by keeping blood flowing to your noggin and pumping up the area that handles verbal memory and learning. One study found that

young adults who were more aerobically fit were cognitively sharper when they reached mid-life. Another found that seniors who got regular moderate-to-intense exercise held on to more of their mental skills over the next five years than light exercisers or stay-still types. Walking, jogging, cycling, using the elliptical trainer, swimming, taking a step aerobics class, jumping rope, kickboxing and rowing are all good cardio options – and don’t forget to stretch when you’re done.

ON ANOTHER MATTER …

What is Brain Freeze?

Sometimes ice cream really makes you scream. Discover the biology behind brain freeze and learn how to give your head a quick thaw.

How it Happens: When cold hits the roof and back of your mouth after eating ice cream or chugging cold water, it “shocks” your palate – especially if you’re eating or drinking quickly. Blood vessels constrict and limit blood flow, then quickly expand to let blood flow increase. All this rapid contraction and expansion are believed to signal to pain receptors in the mouth that there’s a problem. The receptors send a distress signal to the trigeminal nerve, whose job it is to relay sensations in the mouth and face to the brain. Your body’s favorite “Stop doing that!” signal is pain, and your cold-shocked system delivers that full-on, often to the front of your head or the area around your temples. The headache may last only a few seconds or up to several minutes.

How to Make it Stop: Warm the roof of your mouth by pressing your tongue to the top of your mouth or drinking some warm water.

TABLE

Power Up Your Salad

These offbeat add-ins aren’t just delicious – they have some surprising health benefits.

Prunes: Forget the “granny” rep – prunes are filled with antioxidants and prebiotics, which help boost immunity. The fruit also may help prevent bone loss.

Hazelnuts: These mineral-rich nuts (also known as filberts) are loaded with magnesium, potassium and vitamins E and B-6, which are all vital for cognitive function.

Edamame: Half a cup of soybeans contains 8 grams of plant protein and 4 grams of fiber – a healthy-weight dream combo that boosts satiety and staves off cravings.

Dried Jackfruit: There are lots of disease-fighting polyphenols and 7 grams of fiber, which are linked to reduced risk of heart disease, in 1/3 cup of this chewy tropical treat.

Recalls Alert

The following products and vehicles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Unless otherwise indicated, discontinue use of the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information about the products, call the manufacturer or CPSC’s toll-free hotline, (800) 638-2772. Only some cars or trucks recalled are affected. Contact a dealer for your model to see if it is included in the recall. The dealer will tell you what to do.

PRODUCT/VEHICLE

PROBLEM

Lumicentro crystal chandeliers, sold exclusively at Home Depot stores for about $220.

The halogen bulbs sold with the chandeliers can melt parts of the fixture, posing fire and burn hazards. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chandeliers and contact Lumicentro Internacional S.A. for a free upgrade kit which includes 5 watt LED bulbs, suction cup, upgraded installation manual and new warning labels. The new labels identify that the fixture is only rated for LED bulbs with a maximum of 6.5 allowable wattage. Consumers can contact Lumicentro Internacional toll-free at (888) 356-6430 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at

www.lumicentro.com. Click on the “Recall” link for more information.

Volkswagen 2015-2017 Audi A7

The affected vehicles have head curtain air bags that may not deploy properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 226, “Ejection Mitigation.” If the head curtain airbag does not deploy properly in the event of a crash, an unbelted passenger has an increased risk of injury. Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected head curtain air bags for free. The recall is expected to begin June 29, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at (800) 253-2834. Volkswagen’s number for the recall is 69R2.

© Hearst Communications Inc.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate

–GOOD HOUSEKEEPING REPORTS: Stay healthy with these fresh new tips from the Do Diet–