"FORGETFUL MUCH?"

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8 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM ı APRIL 2012

Memory loss isn’t just ‘part of getting older.’For many people, some as early as theirearly 20s, constant forgetfulness is a realproblem, too. The reasons may surprise you.

You’re at the grocery store and realize you can onlyremember two of the three things you needed.Coffee? Eggs? And? You get back home and nallyremember: toilet paper! If this is you, you’re not alone.

People across the United States accidentally missdoctor’s appointments, respond with blank stares when friendsreminisce about an “unforgettable” night and completely freeze on theirco-workers’ names at the of ce. The shocking part is what was onceregarded as “senior moments” are happening to people as early as their 20s.

Certain medications, head trauma, vitamin de ciencies, aging and stressare more commonly known to cause forgetfulness and poor memory function,but a major culprit could be YOU. “Most of memory is not retention, but it’sattention ,” says Jackie Keller, a certi ed professional wellness coach andnutritionist in Los Angeles. “It isn’t whether it’s important, it’s whether it’simportant to you.”

So, if it’s important to you and you’re still having trouble recollectingeverything from where you put your keys to who you are supposed to havelunch with on Friday, here are some memory-zapping bandits to consider:

Poor Nutrition: Your brain runs on blood sugar (otherwise known as glucose).It needs 20 percent of the body’s blood sugar to do its job effectively. When your braingets starved of glucose, it fails to function properly, affecting your ability to focus or retaininformation. Skipping meals, eating too much or consuming fatty or sugary foods all have anegative effect on your noggin’s supply of brain food. Take a look:

Skipping meals: Low blood sugar due to skipped meals, particularly break ast, starves your brain and a ects yourability to think. I your ability to think is a ected, your ability or recall and orming new memories are a ected, Keller

explains. You especially can’t expect your brain to unction properly i you don’t do anything to “wake it up” in themorning. “You have to give your brain some ‘go juice,’” she says. I you don’t, it’s like “not putting gas in your car andexpecting it to go somewhere.”Eating too much: Conversely, just as not eating enough will starve your brain, overeating may contribute tomemory loss. A recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic has ound that those consuming the most calories eachday (more than 2,143 per day), were twice as likely to have mild cognitive impairment than those who consumedewer than 1,526 calories per day.

Consuming bad-for-you foods: A diet o sugary snacks and sodas and ried, atty oods can wreak havoc on your ability to recall. Here’s why: sugary sweets, snacks and sodas cause a spike in blood sugar and boosts insulinlevels, which, in turn, tells the brain to stash any excess glucose rom your blood and save it or later. Meanwhile, a

steady diet o ried, atty oods can clog arteries and eventually constrict blood fow to the brain.

HEALTH MATTERS By LaRue Novick

FORGETFUL MUCH?





0 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM ı APRIL 2012

Eat Smart: A combination of healthy fats, leanproteins, whole grains and vegetables is key to a healthybrain. A sample breakfast to get your brain going could

be eggs scrambled with coconut oil, tossed with kale andaccompanied by whole grain toast. Get four to ve smallmeals a day to keep a steady supply of glucose to your brain.

Start Moving:Research repeatedly shows thatexercise is not only good foryour heart, but it’s also goodfor your brain. A recent studypublished in the Archives of Internal Medicine , found thatparticipants who engaged inmore than 30 minutes of activitya day actually reversed the signsof age-related brain decline.

Another found that subjects withthe highest energy expenditurehad the lowest incidence of cognitive impairment over 5years.

Stay Hydrated: Needanother reason to drink water?

“Water is the most important ‘food’ for memory, because adehydrated brain is groggy andhas poor concentration,” saysCarol Dean, MD, ND, author of 365 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power: Tips, Exercise, Advice.

“As soon as you get up and startyour day, drink 2 to 3 glassesof water. This clears out yoursystem, rehydrates your bodyand your brain.” Aim for 6 to 8glasses of water per day.

Supplement It:Fish oils (essential fatty acids)have been found to improvecognitive function and memorybecause sh oils contain theDHA (docohexaernoic acid) thatmakes up most of our brain.

Vitamin B-12 protects neuronsand is vital to healthy brain,says David Borenstein, MD,of Manhattan. “In fact, a lack of B-12 can cause permanentdamage to the brain.” But if youaddress the de ciency early,

you can reverse the associated

memory problems. Other supplements to consider for brainboosting power include B-1 (thiamine), iron and magnesium.

Use It, Don’t Lose It: Keep your brain workingon a daily basis. Here are some ways suggested by JackieKeller, certi ed professional wellness coach and founder of

NutriFit in Los Angeles:

1. Keep a journal – Write your memoirs,poems, stories, etc.

2. Practice math – Turn o the calculator.

3. Study – Take classes. Learn or relearn someththat interests you. Use it or lose it!

4. Relax – Relaxation helps clear the mind to maroom or memories.

5. Read a map – Instead o asking or directionsor using a GPS; also take a new way home.

6. Repeat things out loud – Hearing helps you (and others) remember.

7. Turn off the TV – Strengthen your powerso concentration by removing distractions andavoiding interruptions.

8. Use visualization to improverecall – Try to remember by visualizing what person looks like, what they wore, what your laconversation was about.

9. Make lists – Writing was invented as amnemonic (help ul o the memory) device!

Boost YOUR BrainHere are some ways to give your brain a boost and help improve memory function.

How Nutrient Depletion Affects Your BrainNutrients directly impact mood and memory, says Eric Braverman, MD, a professor of integrative medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and the director of the Place for

Achieving Total Health (PATH) Medical Center in New York. He provided the followingchart to reveal just how easily poor nutrition affects the way you think and feel:

NUTRIENT DEPLETION EFFECT ON THINKING Amino acids (proteins) Mood changes, slows thinkingCholine Memory lossChromium DepressionEssential fatty acids Lethargy, irritability, depression, and memory lossFolic acid Irritability and depressionIron Confusion, lethargy, dif culty learningMagnesium Depression, confusionPotassium Apathy and confusionSelenium Anxiety and depressionSodium Confusion and poor memory

Vitamin B1 Mental confusion, personality change, memory loss,mood swings, shortened attention span, irritability,depression and fatigue

Vitamin B2 Memory loss, confusion and senility

Vitamin E Lethargy and depression

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"FORGETFUL MUCH?"