9 Ways to Improve Your Memory
by Jonas Blake on Aug.14, 2009, under Mind Upgrade
If you are having trouble with your memory, or just want to study more efficiently for that big test, check out this list of 9 ways to improve your memory.
Also, check out the video about it from Howcast, here.
1) Play games
Puzzle games like Sudoku or crossword puzzles stimulate the brain and help you develop new neural pathways.
2) Drink grape juice
Drinking 8 oz of purple grape juice (or anything else high in antioxidants) per day, can improve your memory by up to 20%.
Note: Organic fruits and vegetables have up to 40% more antioxidants than conventional produce…spring for organics.
3) Rosemary and Sage
Rosemary and sage improve people’s scores on word-recall tests by stimulating the memory center of the brain. Try wearing a sprig of rosemary in your hair on test days, like the students in ancient Greece.
4) Aerobic Exercise
Anything that gets the blood pumping - running, jumping, dancing - rushes oxygen to the brain and helps build new brain cells.
5) Take Naps
Research shows that people who take a nap during the day retain twice as much information they learned that day as those who don’t.
6) De-stress
Yoga, meditation, even taking a deep breath can help memory - when you are stressed, the brain releases an enzyme that impairs short-term memory.
Note: if you are trying to memorize something, do it on an empty stomach. The hormone that improves memory is highest when the stomach is empty. (It is a holdover from the days when we had to hunt for our food…when hungry, people needed to be at their sharpest to find food.)
7) Be social
One study showed that people who socialize regularly do far better on memory tests than those who are less outgoing, since participating in conversations exercises the brain.
Blueberries
Blueberries have a chemical that dramatically improves memory, and a half-cup a day is all you need to gain the benefits.
9) Move your eyes
Moving your eyes side to side for 30 seconds every morning can improve your memory by up to 10%, by getting the two sides of the brain working in harmony.
Thanks to Howcast for this great Mind Upgrade!
August 19th, 2009 on 5:49 pm
Hey hey hey!
I was doing some browsing on the internet, googling my own blog and yours came up too:)
Nice to meet you neighbour (well, almost)
I’m Diggy!
I like the design you have used for your site, you’ve got some interesting posts also!
I never knew grape juice was good for memory, I’m gonna go out to the store and buy a couple of litres:) Let’s see if it makes a difference:)
Keep well sir!
Diggy - Upgradereality.com
August 21st, 2009 on 9:28 am
Hey there neighbor! I checked out your site as well; good stuff. It’s nice to think that there is someone else out there trying to make the world a more intelligent place.
Thanks for reading!
September 1st, 2009 on 2:33 pm
I’d also like to share this brain ‘food’:
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and it prevents damage leading to different types of diseases.
Vitamin B can improve our thinking ability.
Vitamin E can help preserve brain function and protect nerve-cell degeneration. It is also one of the important antioxidants that our brain needs.
Carbohydrates are good for the brain, because they contain Glucose which are known as the brain fuel. It gives off energy for us to concentrate, remember, learn, and other activities.
Then there’s your protein. Amino acids are obtained from protein. Neurotransmitters need those amino acids to relay or become a messenger from one nerve cell to another. A high protein meal can make us feel energized because it increases the tyrosine levels of our brain and blood. Tyrosine and tryptophan are some of the different types of amino acids. And because tyrosine can make us become more energized, our brain can concentrate more.
September 2nd, 2009 on 9:16 am
Thanks Trevor! It sounds like you know a lot about vitamins and the way they affect the body…
If you would ever like to share some more, maybe even a guest post, let me know at supportATrealityupgrade.com.
September 9th, 2009 on 11:21 pm
I think the thing about hunger is very true for me. A little hunger always helped me be in the right mindset.