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Editorial
There are several ways we can sharpen our brain as we grow older.
A reason that many don't recognize as responsible for poor memory after age 50 is deafness. Research has shown that the effort to fathom what people are saying can make it that much harder to remember for older people who are hard of hearing. About a twelfth of America's population falls into this category.
The remedy is to go to a doctor for a hearing test, once in three years, after you turn 50. Experts also say that if you turned the volume down to under 80% of the maximum, you would actually be working to prevent your hearing from worsening in future.
Your Body Mass Index or BMI determines whether or not you are obese. Research has found that there is a direct correlation between BMI and memory loss. For instance, someone with a BMI of 20 is likely to remember 12.5% more words than another person with a BMI of 30.
A BMI under 25 is considered healthy. Those about 10% over this figure can achieve it by reducing about 250 calories every day from their diet, and a similar amount through exercise.
Eating vegetable salads can actually slow the rate of decline of cognitive ability. Green leafy vegetables which are rich in Vitamin E are particularly effective. Sunflower seeds, almonds, and spinach are all recommended ingredients for a healthy salad.
Distractions can affect your efficiency in receiving sensory information and sifting through it. This is especially true as we grow older. So the quality of attention we pay affects our memory.
You can train yourself to concentrate better by solving a Sudoku with a radio or TV blaring in the background. Your improved concentration would not only make you younger cognitively, but might actually improve your Sudoku solving skills, too!
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