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How Can I Retain My Memory as I Get Older?

By Sara Butler

Retain Memory While Aging

Many people worry about the state of their memory as they get older. After all, it can be challenging to recall facts, faces, or events, learn new skills, or even remember where you put your car keys as you advance to the fourth quarter of your life -- and no one wants to play into the role of the forgetful older person.

Mild forgetfulness is a normal part of the aging process. Still, people worry that the memory loss they’re experiencing is abnormal and wonder how to retain their memory as they get on in years. The good news is that there are decades of research on the cognitive function of the brain as it ages and the many things you can do to keep your brain sharp in the golden years.

Why Can’t I Remember Things Like I Used To?

It’s not uncommon to forget an appointment, the name of someone you just met at a party, or where you put something. In most cases, it occurs because you simply weren’t paying very close attention and focused on something else while going through the motions, so nothing was committed to memory.

It is important to understand that there are things in the environment beyond distraction that have an impact on memory as you get older. You may not be able to recall things as clearly as you used to for a variety of reasons, one of which is lifestyle choices.

Diet is a great example because of the role it plays in your overall health. If you have an unhealthy diet that results in high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or high cholesterol, then the vessels that feed your brain with nutrient-dense blood can get damaged or even clogged, creating memory issues.

Smoking is yet another lifestyle choice with repercussions on brain health. Smoking damages blood vessels, thus reducing blood flow to the brain, and can impact many of its functions, including memory.

Beyond lifestyle choices, it’s also important to understand that the aging process by itself can have a negative impact. Sometime after you hit your 20s, production of brain cells begin to decline and the chemicals they need to thrive also start to trend down. Every year from then on, you simply have fewer brain cells, so your memory naturally suffers.

What Can I Do to Improve My Memory

Don’t worry, your brain is not a goner because of your lifestyle choices or the fact that you’re aging. There are some things you can do to help improve your memory in your daily life, preventing memory loss, including:

  • Get organized - If you misplace items regularly, then always put them in the same place so they’re less likely to go missing. If you can economize your brain use so you don’t have to think about daily tasks, like where you put your keys, it’ll help improve your memory overall.
  • Write things down - Write your schedule down so you don’t forget important appointments.
  • Keep learning - Better mental functioning in older adults is directly associated with education, so make it a priority to never stop learning and constantly challenge yourself.
  • Repeat it - If you want to commit something to memory after you’ve read it or heard it, then repeat it or simply write it down. This will help you to make a connection or memory for the information.
  • Stay social - Staying involved in activities is good for your brain and your body, so make sure to keep up your social interactions as you get older so you can stay sharp. You can volunteer at a school or someplace important to you in the community. Simply spending time with friends and family can be great for you, too.
  • Eat well and exercise - Be physically active at least 30 minutes each day and eat a balanced diet to keep your brain healthy.
  • Make play time - You can reduce memory loss as the years go by if you play games. Sudoku, crosswords, chess, bingo, word searches, and puzzles all can help. According to the National Institute on Aging, video games that provide rich 3D environments resulted in improved recognition memory among adults 60-80 who played Super Mario™.

What Role Does Diet Play in My Memory?

Speaking of eating well, the role that diet plays in your memory cannot be overstated: it’s important. Research has found that a diet high in things such as saturated fat causes people to do worse on memory and thinking tests. Although researchers aren’t exactly clear on what the connection between saturated fat and memory is, studies have shown that there is a deep connection between the foods in the average diet and memory.

Diets high in sugar, unhealthy fats, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates have been linked to impaired learning and memory. Eating a diet high in these foods can increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's as you age.

Eating a balanced diet is the simple answer to this cognitive problem. You don’t have to go crazy, either. Simply make sure you are getting lean protein, healthy fats such as olive oil, complex carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables in your diet while keeping down the added sugars and other foods that promote inflammation.

What Can I Do to Retain My Memory?

If you don’t use it, you lose it -- so retain your memories by using your brain! It’s an unfortunate fact of life that memory declines with age, but you can improve your memory and reverse what you’ve lost, even making new neural connections as you get older.

Neuroplasticity is something humans are born with and getting older doesn’t negate that. Your memory isn’t a fixed thing, but instead malleable. If you continue learning, repeat things, use your senses, get organized, and keep yourself busy, you can rebuild the connections you may have lost over the years.

Is There a Way to Remember Things I’ve Forgotten?

Those who may be looking to reactivate memories and get back some of what’s been lost have hope. You can remember things you’ve forgotten by engaging other senses. Smell is one way to help bring a memory to the surface, but so can touch, taste, and sounds. All of your senses are stored in the brain when a memory is made so that the pattern can be recalled later. If you can set up cues in your environment that can help you retrieve a memory, you may be shocked at what you can recall!

Forgetfulness is normal, but if you’re ever concerned that your forgetfulness is going too far, then speak with the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic. They can help you determine if there is any underlying cause for your memory loss and help you stay healthy to fight back against some of the natural cognitive declines of aging.

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