You don't need to be in an official trial or on a specialized program to adopt the habits of the participants in the FINGER study, says Dr. Small. Here's how to try them at home, after consulting with your doctor.

1. CLEAN UP YOUR DIET. Ditch the processed foods in favor of more fruits and vegetables. Plan meals that emphasize whole grains and lean protein and are low in saturated fats.

2. RAISE YOUR HEART RATE. Exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week. Choose any activity you love that gets your heart rate up. Your target heart rate for exercise depends on your age and fitness level-at age 55, for example, the American Heart Association says the target heart rate for moderately intense exercise ranges from 83 to 140 beats per minute. Aim for the lower end of that range if you're just starting out.

3. LIFT WEIGHTS. Try to commit to at least two or three strength training sessions per week, using either free weights or machines.

4. TRAIN YOUR BRAIN. Stimulate your working memory, says Dr. Small. "That's the very short-term memory, where you hold information in your mind long enough to use it. Studies have found that training working memory improves the capacity to think logically and solve problems." Dr. Small recommends two working memory training games. "Dual N-Back" exercises, a simultaneous test of visual and auditory memory, involve matching pictures and sounds. For a free, open-source version of the game, go to http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net . And a brain training computer game called "Brain Fitness" by Dakim, Inc. (http://dakim.com ) was found to improve brain function in older adults in a study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in 2013.