10 Tips to Improve your Memory
1. Omega 3
This not only improves brain power, but it is also thought to have the ability to combat Alzheimer's. Rich sources of Omega 3 are: oily fish such as Herring, Mackerel, and Sardines. It is also found in abundance in Halibut, Salmon and Tuna.
2. Avoid Saturated Fats
Saturated fat is known to increase the risk of dementia, and detract from the powers of concentration and memory. Avoid or limit your intake of foods such as red meats; full fat milk, butter, cream, ice cream, and certain cheeses.
3. Eat more Fruit and Vegetables
Many fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants which eliminate free radicals that can damage and destroy brain cells. The best antioxidant charged fruits include Blueberries, Apricots, Mangoes, Bananas, Cantaloupe, and Water Melon. Best antioxidant rich vegetables include Broccoli, Chards, Romaine Lettuce, and Spinach.
4. Green Tea
In addition to being rich in antioxidants, Green Tea also contains Polyphenols. These are believed to enhance memory and sharpness, and help to delay the aging of the brain.
5. Drink Red Wine in Moderation
Red wine is rich in a substance known as Resveratrol. This is a Flavanoid that boosts the supply of blood to the brain, reducing the risk of Alzheimer's. As well as being present in wine, (it has stronger concentrations in red wine), it is also present in grape juice, cranberry juice, various berries, and incidentally, peanuts too.
6. Physical Exercise
Recent research carried out by the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA), has revealed that physical exercise, (particularly aerobic exercise), can enhance the plasticity of the brain, stimulating its ability to make new neuronal connections. This is in addition to the fact that regular aerobic type exercise increases the efficiency of the heart and lungs, which in turn benefits the brain by improving the supply of blood it receives. The best forms of aerobic exercise brain-wise, are those that demand coordination and rhythm, such as working out on the cross trainer.
7. Improve your Sleeping Pattern
Another way to improve your memory is get more quality sleep. Sleep deprivation affects all aspects of brain function including memory. It is while we are in deep sleep that our brains consolidate and "file" new experiences and memories, shuffling existing memories around and putting them into new sequences in order to make way for new memories. Lack of sleep interferes with this process and may result in memories being "misfiled".
8. Cultivating Good Social Relationships
Human beings are social, interactive animals. The majority of us function better when we have a good support group around us. Research carried out by the Harvard School of Public health, discovered that brain function declination was significantly slower in people who had more active social relationships. In other words, if you want to know how to improve your memory - improve the quality of your social life.
9. Mind Games
Your brain is like any other muscle in your body. If you don't use it - you'll lose it. One way of spurring your brain on, to make new neural connections, is by feeding it new experiences, and discovering new things. Even a simple thing like taking a different route home from work stimulates the brain’s ability to absorb new data. Likewise, doing things like the trying to complete the New York Times crossword puzzle helps to keep your brain agile, which in turn helps to prevent memory loss.
10. Forming Associations
Forming associations with things is a great memory booster. Things like forming a visual image association with a name or place, or constructing an acronym such as "HOMES" to act as memory tickler to the names of the great lakes of Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. Creating rhymes is another example of how to improve your memory.
Remember to Become a Happier Person
All of these tips are 100% natural and can therefore be adopted as part of any holistic healthy lifestyle. Improving your powers of recall will help you to be able to savor your life more completely, making you a happier and more contented human being.
* Credit : Healthy Holistic Living
