March 12 – 17 is Brain Week.
All over the world, people like you are thinking about the way their brain works and what can be done to guard against memory loss. You’ve already taken important steps in this direction and below we bring you more quick reminders. You’ll find exercise tips, a video about what Alzheimer’s does to the brain, how brain injury affects memory …. and so much more!

9 Best exercise tips for baby-boomers
Here are some insider tips from personal trainers, coaches and exercise physiologists in the USA.
The pay-off is that physical exercise sharpens your memory by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain.
Read the full article from AARP

New article:
Helen asks: Tell me how I can prevent Alzheimer’s.
Helen was exhausted. Not only from caring for her father with AD but also from worry about whether she might get the disease herself. Share Helen’s list with your friends.
Read Dr. Lamont’s advice to Helen.

Do you enjoy computer games?
Here are some that will boost your short-term and working memory skills
There is no cost to play them and you don’t need to register to play.
Challenge yourself, your friend or even your grandchildren to a game!
Free Minddabble Games
www.Minddabble.com

How Alzheimer’s spreads throughout the brain
There are many technical articles written about Alzheimer’s, but this short video is one of the best we have found that explains very simply what happens when the disease occurs. It shows what happens to the different parts of memory.
Watch the video

How do brain Injuries affect memory?
This is a frequently asked question. Here is the link to an excellent Brain Map that tells you about the impact brain injury will have on various areas of the brain.
Brain Map

Looking for a useful gift for yourself or a friend?
Brain and Memory Foundation have a number of titles available in hard copy (a book!) or for smartphones, iPad or Kindle
Find a gift

A simple, five-minute, low-impact exercise routine that will keep all of your muscles active.
We’ve repeated this because it proved to be so popular last time. Most of you will be able to do it without looking at the diagrams by now. It works for all ages, all fitness levels and almost all levels of mobility.
Best-ever 5-minute exercise routine

Dr. Lamont opens her new Memory Clinic in Christchurch.
Would you like to discuss, one-on-one, a memory issue? Do you have a group wanting to hear more about ways to improve memory?
Contact Dr Lamont by visiting http://memoryclinic.co.nz or through email below.

Read about Gillian Eadie and Allison Lamont in Unlimited Magazine:
This link did not work for some of you last time, so here it is again.
Precious Memories

Can you help?
There is so much more we want to do! We have iPhone apps planned and we are currently seeking financial support for this work. If you know of anyone who would be interested in helping us, do please let us know. We’d love to hear from an expert in creating iPhone apps, too.   We have such an important message to share with the over-50′s! Contact Gillian at the email below, if you have any suggestions for us.

Forwarding this message to other friends will help spread the Healthy Brain message, too. Encourage them to enrol for their free Brain Tune course.

Don’t forget you can contact us at any time. We are here to help you.

Gillian Eadie MEd, BA, Dip.Tchg, LTCL
Allison Lamont, PhD (Psych), MA, MAPS
http://brainandmemoryfoundation.org
gillian@brainandmemoryfoundation.org
Dr.Lamont@memoryclinic.co.nz

A simple, five-minute, low-impact exercise routine that will keep all of your muscles active.
All ages, all fitness levels and almost all levels of mobility can use this routine. You’ll soon learn it without looking at the drawings – you’ll want to start every day this way.
Best-ever 5-minute exercise routine

Lifelong habits of exercising regularly and staying mentally active may protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists found that a history of exercise seemed to fend off brain damage in people who carry a gene that is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
A second study concluded that people who keep their minds active throughout their lives have lower counts of beta amyloid plaques, a hallmark of the disease.
Read the full article from AARP

Preventing Alzheimer’s
The 10 vital keys to reducing the risk factors.
How to prevent Alzheimer’s

New article now out:
Feed Your Brain Protein – the ‘Lego of Life”.
Read why protein is vital for your brain health and where you can find the best sources for your meals.
Feed your Brain Protein

Read about Gillian Eadie and Allison Lamont in Unlimited Magazine:
Precious Memories

Don’t forget you can contact us at any time. We want to spread the Healthy Brain message so do pass this newsletter on to your friends.

Gillian Eadie, MEd, BA, Dip.Tchg, LTCL
Allison Lamont, PhD (Psych), MA, MAPS
http://brainandmemoryfoundation.org
gillian@brainandmemoryfoundation.org

p.s. The picture is of Bentley, my daughter’s gorgeous little Japanese Chin. He lives in England.

There have been positive advances into ways to avoid the risk factors in the disease, though; following these guidelines will give you the best possible protection. But the important message is that you must begin while your brain is still healthy and it is not too early to begin in your 40’s.

Here are the 10 key ways to prevent Alzheimer’s:

1. Stay active. Physical exercise into old age can reduce the risk of dementia by 50%.
2. Your brain needs to have work to do. Without being challenged, the all-important connections in your brain (the dendrites) decline, causing a decrease in your brain mass. The more you challenge your brain with tasks that are hard for you to do, the more your brain connections grow. This increased brain mass is your protection against Alzheimer’s. Reading, talking, playing an instrument, dancing, crosswords, internet searches help.
3. Mental Fitness. Going beyond the everyday brain challenges, make an effort to engage in mental arithmetic, remembering shopping lists, reading parts of the paper upside down, word games, computer games and the like. These force your brain to work in unusual ways and help build the vital brain mass you need.
4. Focus on food for a healthy brain. The more brightly coloured your fruit and vegetables are, the better they will be for you. Keep within a healthy weight and buy items you know will help you support the growth of brain connections. Make sure Omega-3 is in your diet (fish such as salmon provide an excellent source). Not only will your risk of dementia decrease, but your whole body will be healthier as a result of a brain-healthy diet.
5. Reduce alcohol intake. A glass or two of wine a few days a week can be beneficial for some people; what is known, though, is that an excessive alcohol intake will cause the loss of brain cells and connections. This risk factor for Alzheimer’s can be avoided.
6. Reduce high blood pressure. Any cardiovascular difficulties that restrict blood flow to the brain will increase the risk of dementia. Make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions to keep blood pressure at safe levels.
7. Look out for Diabetes and stress. Both of these conditions have been found to increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s as well as heart attacks and strokes. Seek medical advice if you are suffering from Diabetes or have been exposed to long periods of stress.
8. Look after your sight and hearing. Loss of sight and hearing have increased the risks of Alzheimer’s, possibly because of the reduced opportunities for brain stimulation. Don’t ignore the symptoms of declining eyesight or hearing.
9. Maintain a positive attitude. A happy outlook on life can reduce the risk of depression and memory loss. Do you remember Pollyanna’s ‘glad game’? She learned from her father to find something optimistic in every situation, no matter how gloomy it seemed on the surface. This positive outlook on life is a wonderful protection.
10. Avoid pollutants wherever possible.  Pesticides, poisonous heavy metals or dye solvents have been found to increase the risk of memory loss. Keep your living environment as healthy and free of pollutants as possible.

Gillian M Eadie, MEd, BA, Dip. Tchg, LTCL
CEO, The Brain and Memory Foundation

Gillian is an award-winning educator with more than 20 years as a principal at several prestigious private schools and is a Churchill Fellow. For more free help and personal advice on diet, brain food, exercise and improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation. You’ll find lots more information and tips like these in the books by Allison Lamont PhD and Gillian Eadie, see Seven Second Memory.

Picture this: A child happily playing with Lego blocks, building all sorts of wonderful creations; houses, cars, scary monsters, trucks – the imagination is limitless.

Well, now try and imagine for yourself that those Lego blocks are proteins – because proteins are literally the building blocks of life[1]. 

Protein gives us the raw materials that make up all of our body tissue and next to water, protein makes up most of our body weight. Muscles, organs, hair, nails lots of hormones, red blood cells (the all important oxygen carriers), and the brain are all composed of protein, so it’s obvious why protein is an important part of the diet.  For a healthy, alert, ever-growing brain we need a balance of lean protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates along with plenty of water.

Basically, whether you’re shopping, doing the Sudoku, cooking, studying, hiking or just sitting in the sun reading a book, protein is doing important work like sparking new brain connections, moving your lungs and protecting you from disease

Protein is brain-food at its finest!

Proteins in our diet affect brain performance because they provide the amino acids (simply put, protein is made of amino acids) that make up our neurotransmitters. Think of neurotransmitters as biochemical messengers whose job it is to carry signals from one brain cell to another. These brain cells then transmit various signals to the different parts of the body to carry out their individual tasks. The better these messengers are fed, the more efficiently they deliver the goods. (Think Mother telling daughter to clean her room, and daughter then paying younger brother to do it – the more he’s paid, the cleaner the room!). You can see why it’s so important to be eating plenty of good protein – without it, the messengers won’t be working fast enough to keep your mind and memory sharp!

Protein – amino acids – are also essential for our happiness.  When we don’t eat enough good protein, the brain can’t produce enough neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is one of the main chemicals which regulates our moods. Some doctors practising in natural medicine believe that amino acid therapy is more effective in some cases than the traditional drugs that are used to treat depression. Eating good sources of protein helps to boost our levels of serotonin and dopamine and this is really important as these help to boost energy, mental clarity, and basically make you feel happier as well as regulate pain, reduce anxiety, initiate deep sleep. Char grilled chicken fillet anyone?

So What Should I Eat?

Fortunately this is a really easy question to answer, as great sources of lean protein are available everywhere these days, meaning it’s very convenient to include some protein with every meal.

• Beef, poultry, pork and lamb
• Fish and shellfish – oily fish like salmon is great for the brain
• Dairy products – cottage cheese, yoghurt, milk
• Eggs
• Tofu and soy products
• Nuts and seeds
• Peanut butter
• Beans and legumes

By eating protein with each meal you are doing your brain a huge favor, feeding it to function well and have those neurotransmitter messengers running on full speed throughout the day!

Gillian M Eadie

CEO

The Brain and Memory Foundation

The author, Gillian Eadie founded the Brain and Memory Foundation. Gillian is an award-winning educator with more than 20 years as a principal at several prestigious private schools and is a Churchill Fellow. For more free help and personal advice on diet, exercise, brain food and improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation. You’ll find lots more information and tips like these in the great new book by Allison Lamont PhD and Gillian Eadie, Seven Second Memory.

Are you losing your edge?
Or getting Alzheimer’s?

No!

It’s NOT a ‘senior moment’
It’s NOT the loss of brain cells
It’s NOT your brain shutting down

Your memory is still all there!
But you do need to learn the ways to find it.

The Memory Doctor, Dr. Allison Lamont, PhD, says,

“Yes, if you do nothing at all to help your brain, you will lose some of your brain power after 55. But the good news is, you can re-grow your brain capacity, just as you can improve your fitness”.

Research shows that the best results come from planned, systematic brain exercise. Even little changes in the way you challenge yourself each day can bring positive results. Science hasn’t yet found a cure for Alzheimer’s, but most over-55 brains will definitely benefit from increased brain activity, and, with the new brain connections created, will be able to push back brain decay.

Learn these NINE easy secrets for a youthful brain.

1. Can You Hear Me?

31 million Americans have hearing problems. Is one of them you? Did you know that, if you are struggling to hear, it is more than likely that you are not creating a strong memory connection for the information you were trying to hear?. You can’t process and understand what you didn’t hear properly – so you will forget.
Have your hearing tested every 3 years after age 50. Keep the volume down on your TV, Ipod or MP3. The last thing you want is more hearing loss. Protect your hearing and improve your memory.

2. Do I Look Fat In This?

The old adage, “fat and happy” just isn’t true any more. Obesity, or near obesity, is the enemy of a sharp and alert mind and obese people are usually very unhappy. While there is a lot of hype around about BMI (body mass index), there are indications that people with a healthy BMI (around 20) score much better on memory tests than those with BMI’s of 30 or more. I know there are exceptions to this general principle, but your all round health will benefit by thinking lean and trim when it comes to diet. Reducing your calorie intake by 250 a day – either by saying No to that muffin, or burning off 250 calories with a brisk walk, will work wonders for your alertness and sharper memory.Aim to keep your BMI below 25. Eating 4 or 5 small, balanced meals a day keeps your metabolism even and reduces the risks associated with high blood sugar levels.

Don’t know what your BMI is? Check here to work it out.

3. Hello Doctor!

Obesity, hypertension, or high blood cholesterol in middle-age (approximately 50 years old) significantly raise the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, or a related dementia, in later life. (This comes from research by Miia Kivipelto and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden). Each of these risk factors roughly doubled the risk so that those in their 50s with all 3 conditions ran a risk of developing dementia that was 6 times higher than for folks with none of them. Please get checked out regularly for blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

4. Pass the Salad, Please.

You’ve always known that vegetables are supposed to be good for you, right? Well, here’s the proof!

Jae Hee Kang reports that research, conducted over 10 years at Harvard Medical School , found that middle-aged women who consistently ate generous portions of leafy or cruciferous green vegetables were better able to preserve their cognitive abilities into advanced age than those who did not. Women who ate 8 or more servings (1 serving = 1/2 cup) of green, leafy vegetables (such as spinach or romaine lettuce) a week demonstrated the cognitive function of someone 1.7 years younger than those who ate 3 or fewer servings per week.

Green leafy vegetables seemed to preserve cognitive function best, perhaps because of their high vitamin B and antioxidant content, (e.g. vitamin C and folate) which may prevent the deleterious effects of ageing on the brain caused by free radicals So eat up that salad and eat more greens.

5. “Stop the noise! I can’t think!”

Have you ever felt like this? Well, actually, it’s probably true. If there are lots of distractions around you, then it is much more likely that you won’t remember, unless you have paid particular attention. When you want to remember, reduce the background noise.

6. Practice the Seven Second Rule!

It takes 7 seconds of concentration or processing to commit information to memory. You’ll find full details of this amazing fact in the Lamont and Eadie book: Seven Second Memory plus six other powerful memory techniques. Rewire your brain for a youthful mind. For now, though, think of paying attention as shining a flash-light on what you want to remember – and do this for seven seconds, focusing on the details and creating as many clues as you can for your memory.

7. Not just a Fishy Tale!

It’s now well-known that the Omega-3 fatty acids found in most types of fish (but particularly cold water fish) are brain-friendly. People who eat any type of fish at least once a week do appreciably better on mental tests than those who avoid seafood. Try to eat at least two fish dishes weekly; if fish is not for you then, at the very least, consider taking Omega-3 dietary supplements.

8. Move it, Baby, Move it!

You already know that exercise is good for you. Being fit gives you a great feeling of well-being. But did you know that exercise is great for your brain also?
Even a 20 minute walk a day will help activate circulation that is so vital for brain growth. 40 minutes to an hour is even better.

9. Your Brain, Your Friend, Your Future.

Do you believe you have a sharp brain? Maybe not, since you are reading this, but I want you to change that.
Dr. Lamont says that having a positive attitude and strong self-belief in the power of your brain are very important in achieving brain growth.
You can do it!

Take these nine actions today and you are on your way to a better performing brain. Not only that, you are building up a buffer against brain decay in later life.
People who are purposeful, conscientious, sociable and self-motivated show less cognitive decline and fewer Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.

Make a conscious effort to stay on task, take an interest in new activities and engage in life around you.

Why not get your memory check and the six-part memory challenge, Brain Tune?
It’s free, it’s based on science and your brain will love you for it. We’ll never reveal your details to anyone.

For more free help and personal advice on diet, exercise, brain food and improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation.

You KNOW you know ….
That word
That name
That number

You just can”t THINK of it.

So what’s happening??

Brain overload?
Too many things in your mind at once?
Too many drinks?
Didn’t take enough notice in the first place?
Exhausted?

These are all likely causes or short-term memory loss.

Given space to think and recall – or sleep – that lost thought will most often come back to you.

Lack of sleep could be the main culprit.

Sleep researchers say for every two hours we spend awake, the brain needs an hour of sleep to sort out the meaning of all that we’ve experienced. To read more about this study

Sleep not only helps store facts, it also helps make connections between them.

Sleep-deprivation experiments show that a tired brain has a difficult time capturing memories of all sorts, and an even tougher time making decisions.

Look after your brain to protect it against short-term memory loss.

It’s not fatal – but it can be darned embarrassing!

To find out about other ways you can sharpen your memory skills, sign up for Brain Tune. It’s a six-part memory training course that is easy, fun to do and hundreds of our readers tell us it has worked for them. It’s also free because we want everyone to have the opportunity to build a buffer of new brain connections. Research tells us that is the best, non-prescription protection against Alzheimer’s.

We will never reveal your details to anyone else.

Latest US Study Finds Brain Training Linked to Decreased Risk of Alzheimer’s.

Have you ever worried, like me, that someday you might suffer from Alzheimer’s? Recently, my sister Allison and I nursed our lovely mother, Jeanie, through the final stages of of this form of dementia. Sadly it’s an experience that more and more of our age group are going through. You probably know of someone yourself who has Alzheimer’s.It’s scary to watch because the person you knew so well gradually drifts away from you as memory loss takes over. No-one really knows what causes it. No-one has yet discovered a cure for it. And thousands more are being diagnosed with it every day.

That’s why this new research is such good news for healthy over-50′s.
It’s a huge, 800 page study prepared for an NIH State-of-the-Science Conference “Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline,  and its findings are music to the ears of everyone over 50 who wants to keep a sharp, alert brain for the rest of their life.

And who doesn’t!

Scientists, as you know, are very cautious about making promises but this is what they said:

“Of all the factors reviewed, including diet and dietary supplements, physical exercise, social engagement, and other leisure activities, only cognitive training was found to have a high level of evidence for being associated with a decreased risk of cognitive decline.”

This is fantastic news for Baby Boomers!

What the scientists are saying is this:

Although eating brain food, physical fitness and social activity are all really important, ‘only cognitive training was said to have a “high degree of evidence” in this report’.

(‘Cognitive’ means brain and memory activities).

This new knowledge is of critical importance.

It means you don’t have to accept memory loss as a consequence of getting older.

You can do something about it!

At 50+, you are confidently expecting to live a full and positive life, with plenty of time to enjoy the leisure activities you’ve promised yourself and your family during your busy earning years.
You’re entitled to those years – but more and more of us are being robbed of them through memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

But you can do something about that. Take action today.

Sign up on this page for our FREE six-day Brain Tune course.

It will set you on the right path to build essential new brain connections. That’s the best, non-prescription protection against Alzheimer’s.

For further information, you can read lots of articles on this site, including  Nine Secrets of a Sharp Brain After 55 and Keep that Boomer Brain Growing

However, new research from the Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology has found that taxi drivers’ brains actually grow when they have to learn so much new information.

Their brains adapt to specialise in and store the vast quantities of navigational information needed to do their job, while leaving other parts of their brains free to regale with their insights.

Why is it excellent news? We can’t all be taxi-drivers but we all want a brain that remembers well. The really interesting thing about the brains of taxi drivers in the London study, was that the more they needed to learn about the streets and landmarks of London, the larger that area of their brain grew to accommodate all the new learning.

That’s the opposite of “the older you are the more brain cells you lose”, a long-standing over-simplification that is losing credibility as study after study demonstrate the opposite.

Researcher Eleanor Maguire of the Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology described the study:

“We got the taxi drivers to imagine they were driving from point to point [on London streets] while their brains were being observed using MRI scans. We also asked them to recall other types of memory that didn’t involve any navigation, like describing famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty or the Sydney Opera House.”

What the study showed was that taxi drivers become adept at navigating in their imagination, and that this activates a different area of the brain, (the hippocampus), than they (and us) use for doing something seemingly related such as describing a landmark like the Statue of Liberty.  What’s even more stunning, is the hippocampus in these cabbies actually got heavier as they formed all the connections necessary to navigate detailed maps in their minds.

The Knowledge

When a new London cabbie joins the ranks (I couldn’t resist!) they have not yet developed what is known as “The Knowledge”, that mental map of landmarks and streets necessary to navigate the sprawling and, in places, ancient metropolis.  The most remarkable thing about the study is that you can practically measure the weight of The Knowledge in the human brain.  The study showed a before and after picture that clearly demonstrates an amazing degree of new brain growth in a remarkably short period of time.

The MRI scans showed most brain activity for taxi-drivers occurred when imagining using the information – when actively thinking, not just driving around.  You need to be engaged in recall to see the effect.

So, what does this study mean for you, my boomer friends?

It is a stunning example of the fact that your brain will grow if it is challenged to learn new information, particularly complex information. Setting out to learn the complete map of London might not be the challenge for you, but I’m sure there are others that your brain will thank you for. Maybe the map of New York? Just joking!

Three Lessons

1. Challenge yourself to learn something new.
2. The more complex the better.
3. Try to hold the new knowledge in your mind.  Apply it, use it, imagine yourself using it, explain it to someone else. Manipulating information in your mind like this helps you to re-grow new brain connections to retain the knowledge.

What can you do right now to start building a better brain?

It’s never too late to start re-growing YOUR brain connections.  The science is clear that it’s the best, non-prescription protection against memory loss.  Fill in the Memory Check box below and you’ll get two things:

1. A quick check of how sharp your memory is right now.
2. A brief 6-part course that will give you some easy-to-follow tools to help you build your brain and keep it fit.

Earthquake stress.

And all of these disasters have left heartbreak in their wake. Dr. Lamont (co-founder of the Brain and Memory Foundation) lives in Christchurch and fortunately sustained very little damage. She is a counsellor and conducts the Christchurch Memory Clinic. Many very distressed clients are coming to her at the moment because of earthquake stress. From her blog:

“People are describing themselves as ‘scattered’, with little focus or concentration. Technology experts are talking of looking away from their computer screens and then being unable to recall what they had been viewing seconds before. Inability to recall well-known information is causing added distress. Teachers report students are unable to stay ‘on task’. This has far-reaching ramifications as work productivity drops and students prepare for end-of-year examinations.”

So what can be done  to help these symptoms?

Stress affects your memory function.

Here are a few simple strategies to try if you are feeling under pressure.

When Stress Affects Your Memory.

• Take a deep breath and exhale slowly; do this three times and concentrate of physically relaxing
• Step away from whatever it is that you are doing. Stretch your arms forwards, to the sides; clasp your hands behind your back and pull your shoulders back. Breathe deeply.
• Get physical: walking, jogging, swimming or wii will all help your body ‘get back in tune’.
• Be determined NOT to multi-task – one thing at a time is all that you can expect when you are under stress.
• Treat yourself to a massage or maybe acupuncture?
• Be sure you do all you can to get a decent night’s sleep. That is SO important.
• Professional help ( e.g. psychotherapy, anger management) might be needed if the stress persists but there are many self-management things you can try first,

Reduce stress and your memory will thank you!

Is my memory normal?

Click ‘Memory Check’ to find out.

→     Memory Check

Remember: you can do this on-line, or print it off and complete it by hand.

To get your correct scores, place the numeral of your choice into the correct column (e.g. if you think 3 describes your memory, place a 3 in the third column).
On-line, your scores add up downwards automatically. On paper you will have to add them up yourself.
Then add the scores across the bottom of the page to get your grand total.

If you have any queries or comments, contact the author: To email us

If you’d like to improve your memory score, sign up for Brain Tune below. It’s free! And we will never share your details with anyone.

Kindest regards

Gillian Eadie
MEd, BA, LTCL, Churchill Fellow
CEO Brain and Memory Foundation.

To purchase your own copy of the life-changing book, Seven Second Memory: Memory techniques that will change your life, visit http://sevensecondmemory.com; also available for reading on Kindle,  iPad, iPhone or other smartphones.