The Brits once advised school kids to look to their "As and Bs, and Ps and Qs." Eventually, on both sides of the pond, minding your Ps and Qs came to mean, "watch your behavior."

That fits perfectly with new research that finds minding your peas and quinoa — along with other good-for-you foods — is exactly how to behave if you want to avoid Type 2 diabetes and dementia.

Substitute one daily serving of processed red meat with nuts and legumes such as peas and beans, and your dementia risk plummets 23%, according to a study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

And according to U.K. researchers who tracked more than 300,000 people for more than a decade, every 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods you eat increases your risk for Type 2 diabetes by 17%. But decreasing your intake of ultra-processed foods by that much cuts the risk by 18%.

One shortcut to gain protection from Type 2 diabetes and dementia is to follow the MIND diet. A new study in the journal Neurology says the diet — which emphasizes multiple daily servings of whole grains (such as quinoa) and green leafy veggies, along with other vegetables and frequent servings of nuts and fish — reduces women's risk of dementia and slows progression if it does hit.

And we know those nutritional choices also reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes by 20%.