What You Need To Do To Maintain a Healthy Memory

An unhealthy memory suffers from dementia or amnesia either partial or total.

This will cause the inability to remember things that happened in the past and retain the present events.  We always attribute this problem to ageing most times which is not always true.

This article will lead you to the right track of maintaining a healthy memory which will help you to retain information essential to life.

 

1. Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B complex should be taken most often either from the fruits, vegetables and whole foods that are rich in this family of vitamins due to the effect of keeping the memory healthy.

Intake of vitamin B complex or supplements help to improve neurotransmitter balance in the brain due to the nutrients in B vitamins which helps to boost the mental well being.

It also helps the brain to produce the dopamine it needs to function well and stay healthy. Dopamine plays an important role in helping to send signals to other nerve cells in the brain.

 

2. Memory Exercise

Memory exercises are considered voluntary actions which are the actions that get to the brain before we respond to them.

These voluntary exercises require cognitive psychology, operant conditioning, philosophy and neurology which involve the performance of the brain and sometimes the muscle.

Memory games work effectively on the brain by keeping it functioning excellently at all times.

 

3. Healthy Diets

Having healthy diets means well to human health and is also associated with having a healthy memory. Healthy foods will offer you the best chance to acquire all the nutrients that are needed to maintain a good cognitive health.

There are nutrients which help in balancing the memory such as omega 3 fatty acids; you should also make a proper research about others which helps to keep the memory and intellectual ability sharp.

A healthy meal is not just important to physical well-being but also to mental and emotional health.

 

4. Meditation

Mediating on a regular basis helps to reduce mental stress and improve mood. On the other hand, it has a positive impact on mental health.

It helps to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and other memory-related complications. While meditating, it simply means you are maintaining a healthy memory by boosting the cognitive activities.

 

5. Drink Less Alcohol

Habits such as drinking of excessive alcohol and smoking of cigarettes kill your memory slow and steady.

Smokers have the tendency of losing one-third of their memories every day because smoking destroys the thin outer layer of the brain that helps in memory function.

Alcohol on its own impairs the memory and retards the ability of the brain to encode occurrences. Therefore avoid excessive alcohol intake, tobacco or cigarette smoking in all its form.

 

6. Consume Less Added Sugar

Consuming too much-added sugar has been associated with many health issues, chronic diseases and cognitive decline.

Research has also shown that diets with a high amount of sugar may result in low memory and lowered brain capacity, especially in the aspect that stores short-term memory in the brain.

Cutting back on sugar will not only contribute to a healthy memory but also will improve your overall health.

 

7. Reduce Intake of Refined Carbs

Consuming big amounts of refined carbohydrates like cookies, cakes, white rice, cereal and white bread can cause damage to your memory.

The content of the glycemic index present in these foods is very high, which means that the body quickly digests these carbohydrates, causing a spike in the blood sugar levels.

Studies have shown, that healthy children who consumed more processed carbs like noodles, white rice and fast food tend to have reduced cognitive capacity, including very poor short-term and working memory.

Diets high in refined carbohydrates have been related to dementia, cognitive decline and lowered brain function.

 

8. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy body weight also plays an important role in keeping your body and mind in good condition. Several studies have proved obesity as a risk factor for the decline in cognitive.

Being obese can literally cause changes to memory-associated genes in the brain, thereby affecting your memory negatively.

Obesity can also result in insulin resistance and inflammation, which can affect the brain negatively. Obesity is also related to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease that destroys memory and cognitive function.

So it is very necessary that you maintain a healthy body weight, in order to avoid issues associated with obesity, thereby maintaining a healthy memory.

 

9. Keep Learning

Keep your memory strong by indulging in the habit of being mentally active. Challenging your brain with mental exercise will activate processes that maintain your brain cells and also stimulate communication among them.

Engage in your hobbies, join a book group, learn a new skill, play chess, write, take a class, do crossword or jigsaw puzzles, learn to play an instrument or join a music group.

Also, try doing a project that involves a skill you don’t normally do. So it is very important that you make lifelong learning a priority so that you can maintain a healthy memory.

 

10.  Believe in Yourself

Myths and beliefs about ageing can lead to failing memory while positive beliefs can contribute to a stronger memory.

You have a better chance of keeping your mind healthy and sharp; if you believe you can improve and put that belief into practice. 

 

11. Get Enough Sleep

Poor memory has been associated with lack of proper sleep. Sleep plays a vital role in memory consolidation, a process in which short-term memories are made stronger and changed to long-lasting memories.

Research has shown that when you are deprived of sleep, that you could negatively impact your memory.

Health experts have recommended adults to get about seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimal health. So for a healthy memory to be maintained, you need to get enough sleep.

 

12. Include Cocoa to Your Diet

Cocoa is a nutritious beverage that provides the dose of antioxidants known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are known to be beneficial to the brain.

They help in stimulating the development of blood vessels and neurons and also increase the flow of blood in the parts of the brain involved with memory.

In order to get the most benefit out of cocoa, choose dark chocolate with 70% of cocoa content or more so, this will help ensure that it contains a bigger amount of antioxidants like flavonoids to improve your memory performance.

 

13. Always Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is regarded as an intellectual state by which you concentrate totally on situations at hand, having a total care of your feelings and surroundings.

Studies have shown that mindfulness is very effective in reducing stress, improving concentration and memory.

Also, mindfulness has been associated with a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline and general improvement in psychological well being. Applying mindfulness techniques has been related to increased memory performance, which promotes a healthy memory.

 

14. Guard Your Brain

Head injury is known to be the major causes of memory loss and also cause an increase in the risk of dementia development. It is necessary and advisable that you use the suitable protector during contact sports and high-speed activities.

Always put on a helmet while riding on a motorcycle, bicycling, in-line skating and skiing.

Put on seat belts when riding in vehicles. A car accident is the most common cause of brain injury and putting on a seat belt will help a lot in reducing chances of severe head injury, thereby maintaining a healthy memory.

 

15. Quit Smoking

Smokers have a higher degree of age-related memory loss and other memory problems than non-smokers.

People who engage in smoking tend to have more than double the risk of dementia development during their old age compared to non-smokers.

In maintaining a healthy memory, it is very important to avoid smoking. 

 

How Can I Improve Memory Retention?

Improving your memory is really possible. Taking note of these strategies can effectively increase the retention of information, enhance recall and improve memory.

Firstly you need to focus your attention; attention is one of the major elements of memory. For you to move from short-term memory to long-term memory, you need to know this information, try to study in a place that is free from distraction such as music, television and other diversions.

Avoid cramming; reading books over a number of sessions gives you the time needed to adequately process information. Research has shown that students that regularly study their books are far better than those that do all their reading in one marathon session.

Getting some sleep is very important for memory and learning. Research has also shown that taking a nap after learning something new can help you learn faster and also remember faster. So next time you are trying to learn new information, consider night sleep after reading.

In order for you to recall information, you need to expand what you are reading into long-term memory. And one of the most effective ways of doing that is engaging in an elaborative rehearsal after studying.

You can do these by studying the definition of a term and then read a more explained description of what that terms means, after repeating this for few times, you will find recalling much easier.

 

Conclusion
Healthy memory is a very important aspect of human life which depends on exercise, certain habits, diets, nutrients in food and sometimes genetics.

The information provided in this article serves as a guide to the basic things you can do to keep your memory young and active at any age.

Try adding these tips to your daily routine to boost the health of your brain and maintain healthy memory.