How to Avoid Forgetfulness

At some point, people experience forgetfulness but we can improve our ability to remember by exercising our brains and our bodies. Like any other part of the body, the brain improves with use. Mental games, physical exercise, social stimulation, special food and drinks, and intellectual activities all improve the ability to remember. Virtually anyone can do something on a daily basis to keep and improve brain function and the results of improving memory have significant rewards both in coping with and enjoying life.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat healthy. The brain and body require nutritious food to operate optimally. Specific food like walnuts, almonds and blueberries provide essential nutrition that lowers blood sugar and supplies melatonin, a chemical in the brain that improves function. Drinking green tea maintains brain health. Researchers at University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that green tea slows the production of chemicals in the brain believed responsible for the development and progress of Alzheimer's disease.

• 2

  Exercise to increase the flow of blood to the brain, which helps the brain function and replenish cells. Walking reduces cognitive decline, as demonstrated in an eight-year study conducted at the University of California at San Francisco that tracked the walking habits of 6,000 women. The researchers found that the most active walkers had a 40 percent lower cognitive decline in memory function than more sedentary participants.

• 3

  Challenge yourself by learning something new, whether it is a physical activity like dancing or an intellectual pursuit like mastering a new language or musical instrument. When you learn new things, the brain has to work harder. Games in general stimulate your brain, whether you play them with others or by yourself on a game console or computer.

• 4

  Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep contributes to both physical and mental decline. When people sleep, the brain catches up, healing itself, just like the physical body does. Some people use catnaps during the day to refresh themselves, providing more mental and physical energy for the rest of the day.