| It's never too late to start a memory loss prevention | | | | 4. Keep moving. Regular physical activity |
| program. | | | | improves your cardio function and blood circulation, as |
| It's true! You can actually get better at | | | | well as your mood. Additional benefits include lowering |
| remembering things, no matter what your age. Even | | | | your blood pressure and helping you lose weight. |
| people in their seventies and eighties can benefit | | | | Start walking, ride a bicycle, join a dance club or get |
| from the following 7 simple strategies to improve the | | | | a treadmill. As long as you're moving, the blood is |
| memory loss that comes naturally with aging. | | | | circulating and nourishing your brain as well as your |
| And the sooner you start, the longer you'll keep your | | | | body. |
| mental faculties healthy and vigorous. | | | | 5. Use your head. That old adage "use it or |
| First, though, what is memory? It's the process of | | | | lose it" is good advice. Keep your brain active, as well |
| acquiring, storing and later retrieving information and | | | | as your body. There are a variety of ways to |
| knowledge. Whether it's as simple as remembering | | | | stimulate brain activity. Try doing the daily crossword |
| your ABCs or a friend's phone number - or as | | | | puzzle. Join the Sudoku craze. Learn a new |
| complicated as filling out your tax form, memory is | | | | language or musical instrument. Become a member of |
| involved in nearly every activity in daily living. | | | | a book club or a knitting group. Try keeping track of |
| You work hard to maintain your body in good health | | | | your purchases in your head the next time you go |
| and fitness. Why shouldn't you keep your mind | | | | grocery shopping and guessing what the total will be. |
| healthy and fit as well? | | | | In short, keep learning! |
| But how do you maintain your brain and memory? | | | | 6. Become a social butterfly. Research into |
| The brain is living tissue. You can't simply add another | | | | Alzheimer's disease has uncovered the amazing fact |
| memory chip like you can with your home | | | | that people who participate in interesting and fun |
| computer. | | | | leisure and social activities maintain their mental |
| Instead, you can protect your brain by following | | | | capabilities better into their later years of life than do |
| these 7 simple strategies for memory loss | | | | people who have a habit of staying home alone and |
| prevention, offered by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., | | | | sitting in front of the television set. |
| President and Medical Director of the non-profit | | | | You can become more social by joining a dance class, |
| Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation. | | | | doing volunteer work, attending concerts or visiting |
| 1. Take charge of your blood pressure. | | | | your local museum. Play board games with your |
| Medical studies have shown that high blood pressure | | | | children or grandchildren or read to them. If you play |
| in mid-life leads to poor brain function in later years. | | | | a musical instrument, team up with others who play |
| Have your physician check your blood pressure, | | | | instruments and form a musical group. |
| especially if you're in your middle years of life. If it's | | | | 7. Reduce stress. Let's face it - modern living |
| too high, correcting it now will make for a healthier | | | | is stressful. A certain amount of stress is beneficial, |
| mind later on. | | | | but too much or chronic stress can cause depression, |
| 2. Have your cholesterol checked. High | | | | affecting both your physical and mental well-being. |
| cholesterol may contribute to the formation of | | | | Meditation is an excellent way to lower your stress |
| amyloid plaques, a factor in Alzheimer's disease. | | | | level and calm anxiety. Yoga, too, improves inner |
| Lowering your cholesterol has been shown to also | | | | peace. Practice patience with family members and |
| lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's. | | | | co-workers. Plan your weekly schedule to avoid |
| 3. Eat a healthy diet. Studies have shown | | | | stressful conflicts - and be sure to include time for |
| that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is beneficial in | | | | relaxation. Perform random acts of kindness, like |
| counteracting the natural wear and tear on the body | | | | buying a friend some flowers or a gift for your |
| as we age, especially the skin, heart, joints and brain. | | | | spouse. Keep a positive attitude. And smile! Smiling is |
| Eating a diet that includes a variety of fruits and | | | | a great stress-buster. |
| vegetables and is low in fat and cholesterol will lead | | | | Researchers have discovered that engaging in mental |
| to better memory and cognitive abilities, as well as | | | | activities lowers the risk of dementia. It also |
| reduce the damage aging causes to your brain, heart, | | | | dramatically reduces the likelihood of developing |
| skin and joints. | | | | memory problems. Memory loss prevention is |
| Also, many physicians specializing in treating | | | | possible. By using the above 7 simple strategies, you |
| Alzheimer's patients recommend supplements of | | | | can improve your memory and keep it young well |
| vitamin E and other antioxidants, as well as vitamin | | | | into the last decades of your life. Remember, it's |
| B12 and folate (folic acid). | | | | never too late to start. |