Eating too much added sugar has been linked to many health issues and chronic diseases, including cognitive decline.
In other words, cut back on added sugar! Research links a sugar-laden diet to poor memory and reduced brain volume, affecting short-term memory. Ditching sugar not only sharpens your memory but also boosts overall health.
Maintaining a moderate body weight is essential for well-being and is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind in top condition.
Maintain a moderate body weight for top-notch physical and mental well-being. Obesity is a risk factor for cognitive decline, negatively impacting memory. It's also linked to insulin resistance and inflammation, affecting the brain.
The practice of meditation may positively affect your health in many ways. It is relaxing and soothing, and has been found to reduce stress and pain, lower blood pressure and even improve memory.
In fact, meditation has been shown to increase gray matter in the brain. Gray matter contains neuron cell bodies.
This relaxing practice increases gray matter, containing crucial neuron cell bodies. Meditation and relaxation techniques enhance short-term memory, providing mental exercise for a sharper mind.
Exercise is important for overall physical and mental health.
Physical exercise is a powerhouse for brain health. A mere 15 minutes of moderate exercise boosts cognitive performance, including memory, across all ages. Exercise increases neuroprotective proteins, fostering neuron growth and development for improved brain health.
Get Enough Sleep
Lack of proper sleep has been associated with poor memory for quite some time. Sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation, a process in which short-term memories are strengthened and transformed into long-lasting memories. One study looked at the effects of sleep in 40 children between ages 10 and 14 years. One group of children was trained for memory tests in the evening, then tested the following morning after a night’s sleep. The other group was trained and tested on the same day, with no sleep between training and testing. The group that slept between training and testing performed 20% better on the memory tests.
Health experts recommend adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night for optimal health.