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The Road to Brain Longevity – How to Improve Our Memory and Sharpen Our Mind

After hearing from some of my family members and friends that they are suffering with their memory and they can't remember a thing sometimes, and since memory lapses are annoyance and anxiety is often coming along with them because of the fear from Alzheimer's disease, I decided to do some research about the topic to help them take care of their brain before it lets them down.

People have come to expect that, as they age, their ability to remember will begin to deteriorate and that their power to recall will diminish. This is not necessarily true. When we forget where we put our car keys sometimes, is something natural and is part of life and it doesn't mean that we will suffer from serious memory loss.

What I found very interesting is that the brain is entirely dependent on adequate and suitable nutrition, it uses about a third of all nutrients taken in from food. Thus, good nutrition DOES play a major role in the health of our mind and can transform how we think and feel. In fact, with proper diet, nutrition and memory use, the memory should remain sharp and active well into one's nineties or beyond.

As per Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, almost 20 percent of all cases of memory loss are caused by a wide variety of lifestyle factors, including:

o Inadequate nutrition: Mainly a diet which lack specific vitamins such as vitamin C, B12, riboflavin, and thiamine. Even a moderate deficiency of these vitamins can disrupt cognitive function. Also, a diet deficient in several minerals which are necessary for optimal function of the brain, including iron, iodine, zinc and copper.

oWeight-loss dieting: Caloric restriction may cause hypoglycemia, which can create several negative mental symptoms such as the inability to concentrate, fatigue and mood swings.

o Smoking: smoking can cause constriction of the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the brain in addition to destroying the lungs. This is dangerous because a consistent lack of oxygen in the brain will slow cognitive processing, reduce energy, and impair memory consolidation and retrieval. Consequently, it can contribute to the death of millions of neurons in the brain.

o Alcohol intake in large quantities, which is one of the most damaging thing you can do to your brain. Regular ingestion of relatively high amount of alcohol can cause shrinkage of internal areas of the brain.

o Environmental toxins: Mainly Lead poisoning which can cause severe swelling of the brain and results in marked mental impairment. Also, exposure to Mercury can produce very harmful mental effects. What is interesting to know is that the silver composite materials used by the dentists to fill cavities in teeth can contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's.

o Certain drugs whether pharmaceutical or recreational



o Exposure to allergy-causing substances especially food allergies: Some people whether children or adults react to certain foods with either an allergic response or a less severe "sensitivity". This reaction can include several cognitive symptoms such as depression, forgetfulness, migraines, anxiety, and hyperactivity. Fortunately, all food allergies can be detected and avoided.

Also, the following may be contributing factors to memory loss:

o Candidiasis

o Stress

o Thyroid disorders

o Poor circulation to the brain



Finally, consider having hair analysis done to rule out intoxication by heavy metals such as Aluminum and lead. Either of these conditions can lead to impaired mental functioning.

So, what now, how can we boost our memory and sharpen our mind?

1. Diet Recommendations: (inspired by Dr. Khalsa and Patrick Holford)

a. Eat a low-fat diet. What is good for the heart is good for the head.

b. Avoid refined sugars- these "turn off" the brain.

c. Eat more blueberries and spinach, since it is believed that flavonoids found in these foods may aid in memory retention.

d. Combine complex carbohydrates with foods containing 10% protein and 10% fats because all carbohydrates meals have an adverse effect on the memory. For example, you can eat fruits and cereal with nuts and seeds, and starch foods (potato, bread, pasta, or rice) with fish, lentils, beans or tofu.

e. Eat nuts (almonds and walnuts) and seeds (pumpkin, flax, sunflower, and sesame).

f. Eat a relatively low- calorie diet. Don't go hungry but go light. You can achieve this by eating low-fat and nutrient-dense foods.

g. Eat free range, organic eggs that are high in omega 3s.

h. Use Extra-virgin olive oil for salads and cooking.

i. Minimize your intake of fried foods, overcooked foods, processed foods in addition to meat and dairy products.

j. Eat mackerel, herring, salmon or fresh tuna 2 or 3 times a week.

k. Eat good vegetable protein sources such as: beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu, and seed vegetables.

l. Eat 4 or more servings per day of wholegrains, such as: millet, rye, oats, and whole wheat.

m. Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. From vegetables, you can choose dark green leafy and root vegetables such as: watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, green beans or peppers row or lightly cooked. From fruits, you can choose apples, pears, berries, melon or citrus fruits.

2. Supplements:

o Take an antioxidant formula that contains: Vitamin A as mixed carotenoids, vitamin E as mixed tocopherols, vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium and copper.

o B-complex 50mg

o Flaxseed oil

o CoQ10, soft gel capsules 30mg

o Magnesium: If you are under stress-as are most people with memory loss- you need much more of nutrients such as Magnesium, which is a calming mineral.

3. Herbs:

a. Brahmi, an Ayurvedic herb, helps increasing circulation in the brain and it has been found that it will improve both short- and long-term memory.

b. Garlic has been found to possess memory-enhancing properties.

c. Ginkgo biloba has the ability to increase blood flow to the brain and central nervous system; thereby, enhancing memory and brain function. For memory enhancement, try taking 40mg of a standardized extract 3 times per day with meals for a 2 month trial. Ginkgo is nontoxic.

d. Other herbs that are helpful for memory include:

i. Anise

ii. Blue cohosh

iii. Ginseng (do not use it if you have High Blood Pressure)

iv. Rosemary

4. Exercising:

o As per Dr. Khalsa, exercise has been proven repeatedly to produce abundant amounts of nerve growth factors. Because of this phenomenon and because of other benefits of exercise, it's one of the "fountains of youth" that can keep your brain young, vital and regenerative throughout your entire life.

o Regular exercise can help the brains of active old people to be sharper than the brains of sedentary young people.

o Researches have shown that getting mental exercise is as important to your brain as getting physical exercise. It does far more than just increase your knowledge. It actually changes the brain physically.

5. Practicing mental and body/mind exercises:

a. As per Dr. Andrew Weil, the secret of memory is Attention. So, make sure to focus on things that you may wish to remember and be sure to give them meaning. Often, we blame our inability to recall something on a failing memory when the problem is that we didn't really pay attention in the first place. And be sure to get the proper amount of rest to avoid fatigue which can have a direct effect on the ability to focus.

The secret of attention is Motivation. In fact, many of us are not really as interested in remembering as we think we are. It may be that motivation changes as we age, more than memory itself. Thus, try not to worry about your memory; the chances are good that nothing is wrong with it.

b. Practice holding your breath for 30 seconds every hour for 30 days. This improves mental alertness.

c. Keep yourself active mentally by using your brain on a daily basis. Reading, surfing the internet, doing crosswords, Sudoku, etc... are good examples. Research has shown that the more you put your memory to use, the more vital it will be. In other words, the more you think- regardless of your age- the bigger your brain become and the better it functions.

d. Breathing exercises which help to control the flow of blood to the brain.

To conclude, the vast majority of people who think they are losing their memory are actually NOT. Your memory should serve you well into old age if you know what to feed your brain and what to avoid, and how to keep it active and challenged.

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