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Imagine waking up one day and finding half of your memory gone; your quality of life can decrease overnight. Yet, we can do simple tasks in our lifestyle to boost our memory power naturally. Do you know how to do this? If not, let’s get straight to this quick guide: –
Practice Your Cognitive Skills
Do you enjoy playing board games, crosswords, Sudoku, or any other brain game? Such pass times are excellent for a Sunday afternoon bonding session with family and friends. Or, as a mobile game app on your smartphone. Whatever the case, mind games are a fun way of exercising your cognitive skills. Use this chance to challenge your brain ‘muscles’. That way, you will keep off from dementia and other concentration and memory related problems.
Cut on Your Added Sugar Intake
If you have a sweet tooth, you need to choose your sweet treats wisely. For added sugar causes many ailments, including those relating to memory decline. In particular, too much sugar in your diet harms your short term memory power. Also, it is associated with persons with lower brain volumes.
Typical foods with added sugar include pies, candies, all sugar-sweetened drinks, cakes, and dairy desserts. Replace these processed foods in your diet with fresh organic foods. Or, prepare your sweet treats using healthy sugar substitutes.
Remove Refined Carbs in Your Diet
Most refined carbs like white flour and processed grains have a high glycemic index. In turn, you will have faster digestion, causing a spike in insulin and blood sugar levels. Also, refined carbs tend to create cravings. Hence, you end up consuming large quantities, leading to an even more glycemic load.
Now, research indicates that a high GI score causes inflammation of the hippocampus. That is, the part of the brain responsible for memory. In turn, it triggers degenerative diseases that impair brain function.
To cut on refined carbs in your diet, keep off from all sweetened drinks. Replace bread with yams, arrowroots, and other fibrous plants. Take eggs for breakfast to stay full for longer. Still, always plan to have low carb snacks when you feel hungry between meals. Plus, include more vegetables in your diet.
Take Fish Oil Supplements
Fish oil contains two types of omega-3 fatty acids. Both are crucial for your brain function and development. More so, they help those with memory problems like Alzheimer’s to function better. Also, they can help one get rid of depression and mild memory loss.
We need an intake of at least 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids every day. You can get this daily intake by eating salmon, oysters, trout, shrimp, or any other fish rich in the omega-3 fatty acids. For vegans, have chia seeds, flax seeds, roasted soybeans, and walnuts in your diet. Still, you can take fish oil supplements to be sure that you are getting the needed amount each day.
Cut on Your Alcohol Intake
Alcohol slows down the nervous communication to the brain. In turn, persons who binge drink tend to experience memory loss. This memory loss can be either long term or short term depending on the extent of the alcohol use disorder. Short term memory loss can be in the form of a blackout. Here, the person struggles to remember some critical details after a drinking spree.
In contrast, long term memory loss occurs when there is damage to the nerve cells. The harm happens as a result of thiamine deficiency. For most persons who drink excessively maintain a poor diet. So, do you find yourself with a memory lapse when you take alcohol? Plan to reduce alcohol intake and frequency.
To cut back on your drinking, start by setting for yourself a realistic goal. For example, you may choose to reduce one glass per day until your body gets used to the lower intake. Then, you can cut it even further in the following weeks. In line with this goal, always count how many drinks you have each day. Then, pace yourself when you drink. It will help you to avoid binge drinking. Avoid any stressors or buddies that trigger you to start drinking. Instead, aim to eat a balanced diet full of nutrients for your brain development.
Allocate Adequate Time to Sleep
When we lack enough sleep, we tend to feel disoriented. In contrast, a good night’s sleep helps you keep your memory. Indeed, when you sleep, sleep shields your memories from any disruptive stimuli. In turn, the restful night enhances your memories.
One should sleep for between seven to nine hours each night. Hence, if you struggle with getting consistent sleep, start by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. You could incorporate a guided sleep meditation or any other form of relaxation before you fall asleep. Then, use a breathable mattress, pillow, and beddings. Ensure these beddings can support your weight. The cushion has to complement your style of sleeping.
Meditation for Mindfulness
Meditation helps us to relax, releasing harmful energy build up. In the process, we improve our memory and focus. Indeed, scientific studies show that mindfulness meditation can increase the grey matter in the brain. For, it is the neuron cell bodies in this grey matter that are responsible for cognitive abilities and memory retention. Hence, a dose of meditation each morning is essential for healthy living.
To practice meditation for mindfulness, start by meditating for 10 minutes at least four times a week. After the first month, increase your frequency throughout the day. Plan to be mindful of everything you are doing. Practice focusing on what you are doing at the moment. This way, you’ll limit your mind from drifting to other pending tasks awaiting you. More so, pay attention to the sounds and scents around you. You can practice mindfulness when taking a shower, studying, or driving.
Keep Tabs on Your Weight
Being overweight tends to cause inflammation in the entire body. Now, studies say that a high body mass index hurts the brain function in adults. Indeed, persons with a high BMI have a low cognitive score. This tendency is due to systemic inflammation of the brain due to excessive weight. So, take charge of your body weight by living an active lifestyle with regular fitness routines.
To maintain a healthy BMI, have regular exercises of between 60 minutes to 90 minutes per day. Keep your body hydrated by taking at least 2 liters of water each day. Plus, eat a balanced diet, free of junk foods. Find out the most calories that you should eat in a diet each day. Then, if you are overweight, plan to consume lesser calories. That way, you can cut on the excess fat in your body.
Final Note
The above tips are some of the simple ways to increase your memory power. You can also test for your vitamin D levels. For, an insufficient level of this nutrient causes cognitive problems. Next, since any inflammation affects your brain function, cut foods that can bring about soreness. Instead, eat foods rich in antioxidants like curcumin. The turmeric root has the highest concentration of curcumin. Hence, use this spice in your soups and meats. Cocoa is also a useful antioxidant. It helps in increasing blood flow to the part of the brain responsible for memory.