SECRETS TO PRESERVE YOUR MEMORY
A diet rich in baked or grilled fish can be a great protector of your brain – as well as making your memory work better than ever. Find out here how your shopping basket can help you remember.
We can help our brains age well and even improve as we get older by watching what we eat. In fact the best kept secrets on how to preserve you memory come straight out of your shopping bag – or your garden. Read this to find out some easy and tasty ways to helping you remember really well.
It's no secret that there are foods and supplements that are good for the heart, but did you know that there are foods, supplements and activities that can go a long way toward protecting your brain as well?
Top of the list is oily fish. Remember your grandmother trying to give you cod liver oil when you were sitting exams! She was right -- fish is indeed brain food! Over 60 percent of your brain by weight is composed of fat, and most of it is the same fat found in fish. The healthy omega-3 fats in fish (and fish oil supplements) are incorporated into cell membranes, making it easier for information to be passed from cell to cell as it rushes through the neural networks in order to get processed into decisions and thoughts. We know from tests that low levels of omega-3 fats have been linked to memory problems as well as depression, ADHD and various other neurological disorders. So where can we get them from? Best sources: Wild salmon, sardines and cod -- or take fish oil supplements on a daily basis (500mg-3,000mg). However make sure you grill or bake them – don’t fry as research has also shown that people eating fried fish have no significant memory changes whereas those eating fish prepared in other ways do very well on memory and problem solving tests.
Next on the list come some lovely fruit and vegetables:
Blueberries are the ultimate memory food. Research at the USDA showed that daily consumption of blueberries dramatically slows the impairment of memory that usually accompanies old age. Make sure you have blueberries on your shopping list every week – or even better grow them in your garden. They have useful chemicals in them called polyphenols that make the neurons talk to each other much better. Since cells communicating information with one another and helping you make links in your mind is what memory is all about you can see why these little blue gems are so necessary.
However compounds in strawberries also help you learn new things – and help to improve your motor skills too. Isn’t that amazing? Think of the delicious fruit salad you can make and do yourself so much good with.
Not everyone’s favourite but certainly a taste worth cultivating - Spinach is loaded with an array of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that research has shown to slow brain aging and preserve memory. It's one of the few food sources of the powerful, brain-protecting antioxidant alpha lipoic acid. Remember what your grandmother used to say about eating up your greens. She was right about that too.
Turmeric is a "super-spice". It has made its name as an anti-cancer support but it also has powerful anti-inflammatory properties – AND it helps to protect your brain.
This spice first attracted the interest of scientists investigating Alzheimer's disease because rates of the disease are so low in India, where curry is a staple. A compound in turmeric called curcumin helps to prevent mental decline in laboratory animals.
Egg yolks are one of nature's richest sources of Vitamin B. That is one of the most important nutrients for brain health. This form of Vit B is a building block of the valuable neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is vital for memory, learning and thinking. Vitamin B is important over our whole lifespan because it is particularly important during pregnancy because it's essential for the brain development in the foetus.
Once you have checked out your garden and your local supermarkets for these tasty ways to boost your brain you can then go to the health food store and find the following supplements on the shelves. These will all help your brain and memory enormously.
L-Carnitine is a supplement that just may be a fountain of youth for your brain. It seems to delay the onset of age-related cognitive decline and improve overall thinking power in the elderly. It also protects the brain from damage due to poor circulation and helps to repair injured nerve cells. A wonder supplement! However you have to keep using it for long enough to make sure it as a chance to help your body. Research shows that after three months of using recommended doses of L-Carnitine (500mg-1,500mg daily), there's a marked improvement in general cognitive function.
Phosphatidyl Serine (PS), a naturally occurring nutrient found in cell membranes and it is very highly concentrated in the brain. Several studies have shown that PS helps to restore brain function and improve learning and concentration. This is a very helpful supplement if you have been tired and exhausted due to work and life pressures – the time when you feel a bit burnt out. It helps you build your brain power up again as your body strengthens. Note: To get the benefit of this supplement, take it with fish oil or with a serving of fatty fish such as salmon or sardines.
Now to some herbs from far flung places which can also be found in your neighbourhood health food shop.
Studies on ginkgo extract have revealed that it has a positive effect on thinking. Not only has ginkgo extract been shown to reduce the progress of dementia or the severity of its symptoms, but it also modestly improves both memory and the speed of cognitive functioning. The extract of the leaves from the ginkgo plant contain compounds called glycosides and terpenoids which are believed to have memory-enhancing properties. Most importantly, ginkgo improves circulation to the tissues, notably the brain, and its powerful antioxidant action protects against memory-robbing cell damage from free radicals.
Last but not least – this is something we all know and tend to feel slightly guilty about ignoring.
Exercise is crucial for both mind and body health. It reduces levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, which when elevated, can shrink the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Recent research at the University of Illinois shows that the brains of healthy but sedentary individuals ages 60 to 80 years old actually increased in size after exercising aerobically for 45 to 60 minutes, 3 days a week at a moderate pace! Walk down to the shops – don’t take the car!