8 Ways to Prevent Dementia and Memory Loss

While an occasional “senior moment” is to be expected, it is not inevitable that your memory will decline as you grow older.

According to Harvard Men’s Health Watch, there are 8 steps you can take to ward off memory loss and dementia, and stay as mentally sharp as you ever were

1. Learn something new. Engaging in hobbies, reading, learning a foreign language, playing games that involve strategizing, and travel are all examples of ways that you can keep your mind engaged. These activities can even generate new brain cells and new neural connections.

2. Exercise encourages growth of new brain cells and oxygenates your brain. One study showed even walking a mile a day can significantly improve brain function.

3. Monitor your blood pressure, as high blood pressure will negatively impact your brain function.

4. Eat a healthy diet. B vitamins are particularly important to lower homocysteine levels which increase your risk of dementia.

5. Watch your cholesterol. To ward off dementia, you need the proper balance between good and bad cholesterol.

6. Don’t smoke cigarettes, as it can double your chances of developing dementia.

7. Moderate drinking is OK, but more than two drinks per day will also increase your dementia risk.

8. Stay active socially. Getting together with friends and having people to confide in significantly improves brain function.

Learn how a memory loss supplement like Procera can fit into your “brain fitness” regime here.

SOURCE: Causes of Memory Loss: Improving Aging and Reducing the Risks of Dementia at Health.Harvard.edu

Improve Your Memory with Sunshine

A study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center found there is a correlation between low mood, poor memory, depression, and problem-solving amongst people with low levels of vitamin D.

The reasons to be sure you have adequate levels of this vitamin are numerous, especially as you grow older. It is found to be protective against certain kinds of cancers. It is essential for keeping up bone density and thus preventing osteoporosis and life-threatening hip fractures. It can improve your mood, memory, and overall brain function.

It is estimated at least half of adults are vitamin D deficient. Even if you think you get plenty of sun, if you wear sunscreen while outside, you probably aren’t! I live in southern Arizona where the sun shines 350 days a year, so imagine how surprised I was to learn I was low in vitamin D! 😯

Getting 20 minutes of sun exposure on large surface areas of your body, such as arms or legs, twice a week should be enough. But this must be without sunscreen. Since this is impossible for most people to do year round, consider taking a supplement. Sublingual ones seem to work the best and you want to take at least 500 mg. per day.

So next time you want to go golfing, you can honestly say you have to do it to improve memory and increase bone density! 😉

Visit our home page