Keyword: improve memory

Secondary keywords: what helps to improve memory; how to increase brain power and memory; foods to improve memory; memory improve games

Word count: 1893 including title

Unlock Your Mind Power

by Jan Tucker

Have you ever gone to another room to get something but couldn’t remember what it was? Have you blanked on a friend’s name while introducing them? Did it make you think, “What helps to improve memory?”

A few times you’ve stumbled mid-sentence to recall a simple word. You believed everyone was thinking— “She’s getting old.” There’s such a stigma for aging.

You stopped and made jokes but you were thinking: “How bad will this get?” “Am I getting Alzheimer’s?” “How fast will this happen?”

Many of us fear we’re victims of memory loss—dementia or Alzheimer’s—and there’s nothing we can do.

Learning the facts and what you can do are the best antidotes.

This article explores the realities and reviews some resources for how to increase your brain power and memory so you can be proactive.

Let’s dig in.

The Truth About Memory Loss

Most people don’t know the differences between mild forgetfulness, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, and Alzheimer’s, which is the most prevalent form of dementia. 

Knowing the differences will help you better assess where you stand whether you’re experiencing symptoms of forgetfulness or confusion now, or you’re gathering knowledge to prepare for the future. 

The National Institute on Aging provides clear information about what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to memory, forgetfulness, and aging. The article also clarifies the different forms of memory loss.

The bottom line is, if you have any concerns about your memory, see your doctor early for peace of mind, but also because treatments are available. It pays to be proactive.

It’s also helpful to know the statistics about memory loss in the US, specifically Alzheimer’s. Fear about memory diseases and other issues may make them seem more prevalent. 

Understanding the reality can help put your fears into perspective. This pamphlet provides great information about Alzheimer’s. It also explains when dementia-like symptoms aren’t dementia.

Remember, too, that everything changes. There’s been good news during the last few decades. 

A study by Rand Corporation found that the prevalence of dementia in the US has been declining in people over age 65 since 2000.

Now that you know a bit more about the facts, let’s look at how to increase brain power and memory so you can take action. You can improve your memory by making a few upgrades to your lifestyle. You’ll feel a lot better, too.

1. Get That Body Moving—Regularly

It’s common to think that the best way to improve memory is to challenge your brain. 

But your brain is part of your body. Taking care of your whole body—adopting a healthy lifestyle—should be your priority for achieving a healthy brain.

Exercise is a great place to start. Research shows that regular exercise increases the number of blood vessels supplying oxygen to the brain—especially to the part that helps you think.

It also helps your body create new nerve cells and increases the connections between the brain cells. 

Not only does this improve memory in people of all ages, but it’s been shown to reduce the risk of developing dementia and other age-related cognitive decline.

Aerobic exercise is the best way to increase the gray matter in the brain, which means more nerve fibers and synapses in the brain—your brain will fire better. 

Choose one or more aerobic exercises you like to do and jump in. Grab a friend or two and motivate each other.

The Mayo Clinic recommends at least 2 ½ hours of moderate aerobic exercise each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobics spread over a few days or more. Include an equal amount of both types to switch things up.

2. Prioritize Your Sleep

Our record for quality sleep in the US is abysmal. To start with, most of us don’t get enough sleep.

Check out NIH’s (The National Institutes of Health) recommendations for how much sleep you need based on your age. 

Note that 1 in 3 adults say they don’t get enough rest or sleep, and 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic or ongoing sleep disorders.

Getting the right amount of sleep is an improvement, but quality sleep means more than that. 

Quality sleep leads to optimal brain function and memory consolidation. Both are essential for your memory. 

Proper sleep wards against cognitive decline as well.

Regular sleep at the right time is as important as the right amount of sleep. 

We have a sleep-wake rhythm that’s explained well by the 24-hour body clock based on traditional Chinese medicine. 

The clock shows 9 p.m. is the time we start to feel sleepy, and 10 p.m. is an ideal time to go to sleep so the twelve organ systems shown in the center of the clock can begin their regular repair job.

Each organ system regenerates and repairs during a regular two-hour time period out of every 24-hours. When the two hours is up, the baton passes to the next organ on the clock.

If you wake up at the same time every night, check the clock to see which organ is regenerating during that time. For example, if you tend to wake between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. a lot, that’s the time your lungs are being repaired. 

If you have a persistent cough, or breathing issues related to allergies or asthma, you can confirm the connection using the clock and realize the clock is valid. 

Record your wake-up times for a few weeks and see if you find any patterns you’d like to check with your health practitioner.

For many reasons, your surroundings are also important to help you get quality sleep. The Sleep Foundation provides practical ways to design the ideal bedroom for sleep.

3. Nourish Your Brain with Healthy Foods to Improve Memory

Multiple studies and people promoting unique diets of all kinds have contributed an overabundance of information about proper nourishment. A good plan is to keep it simple, so you can eat regularly and healthfully.

Harvard Health provides a list of five foods to improve memory: green, leafy vegetables; fatty fish that are low in mercury like salmon, cod, canned light tuna, and pollack; berries; tea and coffee; and walnuts.

For comprehensive lists on which foods are detrimental to brain health, check these resources:

The Worst Foods for Your Brain, from WebMD, and Healthline’s 7 Worst Foods for Your Brain.

It’s not only what you eat but how you prepare your food. 

According to health.com, the best health benefits come when you blanch, steam, boil, poach, stir-fry, sauté, roast, broil, or grill your food, and eat some vegetables raw. 

Deep frying, charring or blackening food on the grill, microwaving, and using unhealthy barbecue sauces, store bought dressings, and unhealthy oils are not on the good list.

What if you love to eat the bad foods or you simply crave them? Healthline comes to the rescue with 11 ways to stop cravings for unhealthy foods and sugar. 

The Cleveland Clinic provides additional tips plus healthy alternatives to junk food. Note that lack of sleep and stress are among the causes of junk food and sugar cravings.

Eating disorders can interfere significantly with nutritional health. The National Eating Disorders Association provides helpful information to learn about these disorders, starting with warning signs and symptoms.

Lastly, if you’ve ever tried to lose weight and not been successful, there’s help. Food Network says the top three diets for this year are the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the Flexitarian diet.

Two others are the MIND diet and the Volumetrics diet.

Dieting with a friend can help you both stay with the plan.

4. Unwind Your Mind—Reduce Your Stress

There are wise ways to deal with the stressors in your life. Stress impairs both memory and cognitive function. It’s detrimental to brain health.

First, learn to recognize the emotional and physical symptoms of stress so you can address stress before it becomes a problem. 

The list of symptoms is long, which shows how prevalent the problem is.

It’s been proven that the stressors in your life do not need to result in stress. It’s all about how you deal with them. BetterUp advises how to stop worrying, one of many things that leads to stress. 

They also reveal 11 steps to reduce stress and anxiety.

Sutter Health provides 10 simple ways to cope with stress, a few of which you may not have considered.

5. Challenge Your Brain

We now know that the brain is a living organism that can repair itself when it’s damaged, as well as increase its capacity when new learning takes place.

It’s as if the brain can create its own hardware and software updates through what is known as neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. Understanding this can help motivate you to learn how to best stimulate your brain.

When learning new things, you develop more brain neurons and neural pathways which enhance your memory. 

The best activities are more than just learning unfamiliar words or doing crossword puzzles. 

You need to challenge your brain by learning new things or by upping your game with activities you already do. 

The activities need to be complex, involving problem solving or creative thinking. And you need to practice them continually.

Great ideas are learning to play an instrument, learning a new language, taking up art or complex crafts like knitting or crocheting, or improving your golf game.

Brain games have been touted as the answer to keeping our brains healthy.  But it’s controversial whether this multibillion-dollar industry of memory improve games helps to train your brain. 

Scientific American weighs in here and alerts you to a study being conducted by the University of California you can join to help determine the truth.

6. Connect with Others for a Sharper Mind

Humans are social animals. Research has shown that engaging in regular social activities can help reduce the risk of developing dementia and improve cognitive function. 

Having a strong support network is also important.

The University at Buffalo provides helpful ideas for developing your support system. 

You can use these ideas to start a network when you’ve been isolated, or to build on your existing network.

Hopeful Panda suggests starting with a list of people already in your network and using creative ways to expand it.

The best social activities vary depending on your age, your work situation, and even your personality. 

Social Self offers 39 great social activities for all situations with examples.

Improve Memory Today: The Journey Begins

Improving your memory is a journey, and with the right tools and mindset, it’s a journey worth taking.

By getting more exercise, prioritizing sleep, nourishing your brain with healthy foods, handling stress better, challenging your mind with new activities, and connecting with others for support, you can boost your memory and cognitive function and lower your risk for dementia as you get older.

Remember—slight changes can make a big difference in the long run.

So what are you waiting for?

Start today to improve your memory and unlock a brighter future filled with sharper focus and clearer thinking. Whether you implement one of these tips or all six, every step counts. Start by prioritizing sleep tonight or trying out a new brain challenge tomorrow.

The possibilities are endless when you take control of your memory health.