Don’t forget them!
Already from the age of 20 you lose brain cells and your memory slowly but surely deteriorates. With the tips and tricks below you can keep your memory in optimal condition!
1. Breakfast well
One good breakfast is important for a good memory. A few sandwiches and a glass of milk won’t make you smarter, but you can remember things better, such as facts and a speech to be given later that day.
2. Do not use drugs
Your coordination, your problem-solving skills and your memory: they all deteriorate after smoking a joint. Those who use a lot of marijuana have a continuously impaired memory. Science still disagrees on whether marijuana use also leads to lifelong brain changes.
3. Drink little alcohol
Alcohol is a tricky substance in the food world. Has advantages and disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is impairment of your memory. Who alcohol drinks prevents his or her brain from storing new memories for long periods of time. And the more alcohol you drink, the greater this effect on your memory.
4. Avoid Stress
short-term stress makes you alert and sharpens your memory. You will therefore always be able to remember a sudden moment of stress, such as a major shock in your life. Long-term stress works the other way around: it shrinks parts of the brain, making it harder for you to concentrate and remember things less well. This is separate from all the other health problems associated with long-term stress.
5. Have fun puzzling
Regularly doing a crossword puzzle later in life can slow your memory loss by several years. Doesn’t matter how educated you are. Also good for your memory: dancing, reading, making music, playing games (memory!), exercising and being socially active.
6. Watch out for antihistamines and sleeping pills
Commonly used: medicines for allergies (antihistamines) and for a good night’s sleep. Research shows that both types of drugs can cause temporary memory problems. This also applies to medicines that your cholesteroll lower. Fortunately, the problems stop when you stop taking the medicine.
7. Sleep
During your well-deserved night’s sleep, your brain is working like crazy to store all the experiences gained during the day in your memory. Enough sleep is therefore of great importance for the proper functioning of your memory. On average, you need about seven to eight hours of sleep.
8. Eat healthy
Another classic advice: eat healthy. Eating healthy for your memory means: lots of broccoli and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and endive. Your memory thrives on it. Foods full of folic acid are also great for your memory, such as peas and lentils. And fish is important, because of the omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are good for the development of your brain, and therefore for the functioning of your memory.
9. Enjoy your cup of coffee
It’s not so much enjoying coffee that improves your memory, as does the caffeine in coffee. The stimulant caffeine has been proven to improve your memory ‘somewhat’. Caffeine stimulates the brain, among other things. You will not soon forget a good cup of coffee.