On Healthy Living

Just because we may be getting older doesn’t mean that our memory and brainpower has to decrease. There’s no law that says we have to d up repeating ourselves constantly and forgetting where we put our teeth like grandma did. Even though we can’t prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, we can help keep our brain power strong and young! Here are eight strategies to boost your brainpower:

1. Test your hearing. People who have hearing loss are often so intent on trying to hear what someone is saying they forget quickly afterward.

2. Keep your BMI below 25. In memory tests, people with a healthy BMI of 20 recalled an average of 9 out of 16 words, while those with a BMI of 30 remembered just 7.

3. Eat salad daily. In a study peformed by Rush University, people who consumed about three servings of vegetables daily had a 40 percent slower rate of cognitive decline over 6 years than those who didn’t like to eat their greens.

4. Pay better attention. As we age, it becomes harder to pay attention and to sift through numerous noises and voices. The distraction can interfere with memories.

5. Check your blood sugar. Women with chronically elevated blood sugar have a greater risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

6. Eat more fish. A Norwegian study found that older people who eat any type of fish at least once a week do appreciably better on mental tests than those who skip seafood altogether.

7. Eat for lower blood pressure. A Columbia University study from last year showed that people with hypertension were 40 percent more likely to develop cognitive impairment than those whose blood pressure is in the healthy range.

8. Be more conscientious. Research has found that people who are conscientious — self-disciplined and dependable — show less cognitive decline and fewer Alzheimer’s disease symptoms,

ff wrote this on June 2nd, 2008 and filed it under Healthy Living, Health & Aging |