Forgetting like this is all to do with ‘prospective memory’ or accurately remembering something you want to do in the future. The difficulty with this kind of memory is recalling information without any clues at all – unless you create them for yourself.

Prospective memory is very important for continuing confidence and independence. Unfortunately, it is one of the memory abilities that is most affected by ageing. Isn’t that Murphy’s Law!  The good news is that we can find plenty of ways to make sure we remember the important things.

When I was researching memory loss across adulthood I made hundreds of visits to younger and older people over a two-year period.  Several times I arrived at a door, loaded down with computer and memory testing material, only to find the person had completely forgotten I was coming.  So which age group do you think was most likely to have forgotten our appointment?  The older people?  Guess again!  Every time an appointment was forgotten it was by one of the young adult participants in the research study.  Why was this?

The younger people trusted their memories and were very likely to make comments such as “I won’t forget”, “I’ve got a great memory”, or “I’ve got an internal alarm that never lets me down”.  The older adults, some of them in their late nineties, were invariably ready and waiting for me, having noted the appointment on a calendar, diary, post-it note, or having my letter in a prominent place.

Dr. John Harris, a psychologist at Cambridge University, found the very same thing when he studied prospective memory. He commented that organising one’s life so as to remember to do things seems to be one of the skills which improves with maturity; older people are much more adept at relying on memory aids.

If you have difficulty with this sort of memory, try some of these memory aids.

1. Keep ONE diary or wall calendar to note every event you want to remember. Rid yourself of scrappy pieces of paper and the backs on envelopes.
2. If you want to keep a visual reminder of events, try using Post-It notes in different colours. You might decide on blue for meetings, pink for appointments, yellow for birthdays and so on.
3. Use a timer if you are cooking on the stove-top or the oven, especially if you are going to be in another room.  Find one with a loud ‘ding’.
4.  Ask receptionists, hairdressers, or friends to give you a reminder telephone call if necessary.
5. Before you go to sleep each night, mentally run through the next day reminding yourself of engagements or tasks you want to remember. Do the same when you wake in the morning.
6. When you turn off the heater or lock the door, tell yourself, out loud if possible, “I am turning off the heater now”, or “I am locking the door and putting the key into the front zip on my bag”. This creates a clear memory trace in the brain, preventing the dreaded worrying about whether you did or didn’t.

Making sure you are well organised will soon pay dividends in brushing up on prospective memory.

 
Helen asks Dr. Lamont: Tell me how to remember faces and names?
Helen was so embarrassed. She was introduced to several new people at her Club and later she couldn’t recall their faces and names!
Read Dr. Lamont’s advice to Helen.

Download your free Brain Food Shopping List decorative wall poster.
It’s a PDF that will print well for you.
Your Free Poster

Watch Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+
To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner and team study the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigour to record-setting age. At TEDxTC, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100. Dan Buettner is a National Geographic writer and explorer.
Watch the video

Have you ever wondered which supplements are good for you?
This is a frequently asked question. Here is the link to an excellent diagram that demonstrates which supplements are supported by research. It’s called “Snake Oil” because it shows that not all supplements are beneficial. You can get an interactive and spreadsheet version, too, by following the links.
Snake Oil? Scientific evidence for popular supplements

Looking for a useful gift for yourself or a friend?
Brain and Memory Foundation have a number of titles available in paperback or for smartphones, iPad or Kindle.
And there’s a new title just published!

Don’t Lose Your Memory for Busy Executives, Lamont & Eadie, 2012, has been written for those still fulfilling demanding roles at work or in the community. It can be downloaded now as an e-book and will soon be available through Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle version.

Get the new eBook or find a gift

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
http://memoryclinic.co.nz

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

‘I don’t want to get Alzheimer’s,’ she told Dr. Lamont. ‘Just give me a list of what I need to do and I’ll do it!”

But it isn’t quite as simple as that.

Experts all of the world are researching this disease which is affecting people from 45 upwards at an exponential rate. While there are lots of theories and remedies promoted, the only factors shown to have significant preventative correlation are physical activity, mental challenges to the brain, a healthy diet and regular sleep.

Here is Helen’s list from Dr. Lamont:

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 are all helpful.
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 are likely to be for you. Keep within a healthy weight and buy only 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, your cholesterol levels will be safe and  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 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. Smoking of course is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s so please don’t!
11. Ensure you have quality sleep each night. Your body (and brain) rejuvenates during sleep. Recent studies at the University of California, San Francisco and California Medical Center demonstrated that eople who suffer from sleep apnea are at a high risk of developing memory problems and dementia as they get older.
12. Enjoy and active social life. Engaging in lively conversations, interacting with others and having purposeful days are all important safeguards against memory loss.

This article is brought to you by Gillian Eadie. For further reading, see also Is it Alzheimer’s? to see the main symptoms, Let Me Sleep on That for more information about ways to improve your sleep. Beat Alzheimer’s With Brain Training will give you the latest research results about this important topic. All these and much more from the Brain and Memory Foundation website.

Memory loss is the second most common side-effect after muscle pain and weakness in surveys of users.

Thank goodness the US government decided to add ‘that statins may raise levels of blood sugar and could cause memory loss’ to the official warning about side effects. Food and Drug Administration announced this on 29^th February, 2012.

Lipitor, from last year available in generic form as Atorvastatin, is the world’s all-time biggest selling prescription medicine with, so far, sales of over US$130 billion). The generic form of Zocor, Simvastatin, in 2010, was the second most widely prescribed drug in the US, according to IMS Health.

So check your pill-bottle labels and discuss the comparative risks with your doctor!

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.

If you can complete these free-standing, so much the better but it is fine to hold on to something for balance.

Do each exercise 5 times, first with the Right and then with the Left.

Leg exercises.

1. R knee up to waist height – swing lower leg from side to side, 5 to R and 5 to L, then change legs and complete the sequence with the L knee up.
2. Hold R knee up high and rotate lower leg 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise. Then repeat with the L knee help up high.

   

3. Foot rolls outwards and inwards. With feet flat on ground, roll first your R foot then your L foot. As you roll your foot, feel that your thigh and knee are held straight – 5 rolls to the R side of your foot and 5 rolls to the L side. Then change to complete the routine on your L foot.

   

4. Further foot rolls. For this exercise, place your R foot behind you on a pillow or a ball and roll your L foot inwards then outwards, 5 times. Change and complete the exercise with your L foot behind you. To make this exercise even more effective, bend your knees in an upward and downward movement at the same time!

   

5. With your feet together, roll your hips, thighs, knees and ankles 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise. Try to keep your body upright!

   

Arm exercises.

These can all be done standing in front of a mirror to check that you are holding your shoulders down and your head upright.

1. Hold your arms straight down at your sides. Using first the R arm then the L, create a small circle by rotating your arm from the shoulder and keeping your arm straight  – 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise.

2. Now repeat the same exercise but holding your R arm straight up above your shoulder, create a small circle with your straight arm, 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise. Repeat with your L arm.

3. Repeat this exercise holding first your R arm then your L arm straight out in front of you. Again, rotate your straight arm from your shoulder 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise.

4. Now for a harder challenge – extend your straight R arm behind you as high up as you can (without bending forward). Complete 5 small circles clockwise and anti-clockwise, then do the same with your L arm.

5. Extend your arms sideways as close to shoulder height as you can and repeat the same routine – first with your R arm then with the Left.

6. Finally for your arms, stretch your straight R arm across your body as high as is comfortable and then complete your 5 small circles clockwise and 5 small circles anti-clockwise. Repeat with your L arm.

7. Find a comfortable place to lie flat for this routine:

(a)  Bring your R knee to your chest and straighten, then your L knee and straighten. 5 times each.
(b)  Then raise both knees to your chest and straighten your legs – 5 times.
(c)  With your hands behind your knee for support, rotate each bent leg 5 times from R to L then L to R.

8. Stand up and move to a step (the top step of stairs will do), step up and down twice, beginning with the R leg and then the L leg.That is the complete routine.

It probably takes you longer to read it than it would to carry out the various tasks but once your routine is established, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can make a life-changing difference to your fitness.

Next time, try this:

BEFORE starting the routine, bend and try to touch your toes.  Then AFTERWARDS, when you have finished the routine, try again.  This isn’t part of the routine – just a way of showing how much more flexible your muscles are after this low-impact workout.

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

Did you enjoy this? Pass it on to friends. Exercise is a key factor in brain health.
Read an article exercise improving memory.

In 2005, Zach Jordan’s future father-in-law asked him to join him on his quest to climb Kilimanjaro.  He saw it as an opportunity to get to know each another and establish a strong relationship.

As they prepared for the climb, his own father began his journey ‘down the rabbit hole of Alzheimer’s’.  All three were facing the climb of their lives and the mountain became a metaphor.  Zach has filmed the story of his father-in-law, his father’s Alzheimer’s, and himself, a father-to-be, trying to glean wisdom and grow up in the face of new beginnings and the sunset of the man who was supposed to give him all the answers.

Read his story