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B-12 Vitamins

B12 Vitamins

Keep Your Memory Sharp

Many factors can affect your ability to remember, especially a hectic lifestyle, aging, stress, chronic disease, and certain medications. But there are steps you can take to sharpen your mind and help preserve your memory.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Challenge Your Brain
Regularly challenging your mind increases blood flow to the brain and keeps it in top shape. Good mental exercises include:

Crossword puzzles – use a dictionary if you need it; you will learn more that way
Brainteasers
Crafts, such as wood working and sewing
Hobbies, such as gardening and building model airplanes
Socializing. Visit old friends or join groups to meet new ones
Reading
Learning a new language
Taking a class, whether it be art history or any other area of interest
Traveling. Experience the food, history, and culture of your destination
Learning to use a computer
Going to museums, the theater, or thought-provoking movies
Changing things in your daily life, such as reversing your pattern in the grocery store or brushing your teeth using your non-dominant hand.

Use Memory Aids
There is no need to remember every detail on your own. These memory aids can help:

Calendars and day planners
Electronic organizers to store all sorts of helpful information. These devices can beep to remind you of appointments
A book of days to record birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions that occur on the same date every year
Detailed to-do lists and strategically placed sticky notes
Quick study sessions. Before a gathering, review who will be there so their names will be fresh in your mind
Establish routines. For example, keep your keys, wallet, and umbrella in the same place all the time or take medication with your 8:00 AM glass of juice.

Live a Healthful Life
Many actions that will keep your body strong will do the same for your mind. For example:

Talk to Your Doctor About Herbs and Supplements
Research studies have shown that the herb Ginkgo biloba, the supplement phosphatidylserine, PS, and the herb ginseng may be helpful in improving age-related memory loss. Also, if you have a Vitamin B12 deficiency, this may impair mental function.

Talk to your doctor before taking any herbs or supplements because they may interact with other medications.

Take the Wellness Challenge.

Exercise Regularly
Among the many benefits of regular exercise are increased blood flow to the brain and decreased risk of certain diseases that can interfere with memory function. One study found that even moderate exercise has a beneficial effect. Examples of moderate exercise are:

Playing 18 holes of golf once a week, without a cart
Playing tennis twice a week
Walking one mile per day.

Manage Stress
It can be tough to remember what is important when your mind is cluttered. Make time for relaxation. Choose activities that calm you down, and make it routine.

Manage Chronic Conditions
Side effects of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease can interfere with mental function. Many of the lifestyle steps discussed here can help manage these conditions. Strive to eat a healthful diet, exercise regularly, get stress under control, and follow your doctors advice for your condition.

Minimize Medications
Review the medications you take with your doctor. Some may be unnecessary. Also, healthful lifestyle habits may lower the need for certain drugs.

RESOURCES:

AARP.org
http://www.aarp.org/

Mental Health America
http://www.nmha.org/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Mental Health Association
http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/index.asp

Mental Health Canada
http://www.mentalhealthcanada.com/

REFERENCES:
Enhancing memory and mental function. EBSCO Natural and Alternative Treatments website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=15topicID=114. Updated May 2008. Accessed June 16, 2008.

Take the Wellness Challenge.