BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

196 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, DECEMBER 2015 bhg.com.au

Stay in touch

Be interested and involved in the

world around you;know what’s going

on, have an opinion, share it! Read a lot

(not just the gossip mags!), go out with

friends and always be open to meeting

new people in new places and situations.

EAT YOURSELF

SMART

betterwellbeing

Could

there be a

problem?

Memory loss is

one of the more

recognisable

early signs of

dementia. If your

forgetfulness

seems to be

escalating and isn’t

resolved by these

suggestions, visit

your GP. Other

signs to look

for include:

Q Misplacing items

in odd places (eg,

keys in pantry,

phone in fridge)

Q Repeatedly

asking the same

questions.

Q Sudden mood

changes.

Q Getting lost in

familiar places.

Q Finding it hard

to follow directions.

Q Mixing up

common words.

For example,

saying ‘hat’ instead

of ‘dog’.

Words

Samantha Harrison; photo

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Stockphoto

Investigate supplements

If your diet is lacking, memory boosting supplements

high in B group vitamins, Vitamin E, magnesium, and the

herbs ginkgo and brahmi (bacopa) may help give you a

kick along. Ask your doctor if supplements are safe for you.

Junk goes in, junk comes out!

To give your memory a boost,

aim for a diet rich in protective

antioxidants and healthy fats.

Think colourful fruits and vegies,

nuts, legumes, whole grains,

lean meats and oily fish. Munch

more on blueberries, spinach

and avocado, and less on

refined carbs, sugar and heavily

df d Get better in bed

With sleep, that is.Studies show people who

routinely get six or less hours of sleep per night

(and that’s a lot of us) have trouble shifting

information from short to longer term memory

storage. Make it your business to get more

sleep each night; you’ll not only wake

refreshed, but dang it, you’ll remember to pick

up the dry cleaning, too!

E

A

T

Y

O

U

Rprocessedfoods.

Be up for the challenge

Learning keeps life interesting and

your memory sharp. Whether it’s a

cryptic crossword, a sudoko puzzle,

scrabble, or learning how to sew, paint or

speak a new language, look for activities

that give your brain a run for its money

and challenge yourself daily. For really

cool brain games and memory training,

check out lumosity.com and brainhq.com

De-clutter your space

Clean up! It’s hard to find stuff (not to

mention think straight) if your home

looks like it could be featured in an

episode of Hoarders ‘R’ Us.

FORGOT
PASSWORD?
Can’t keep all
those user
names and
passwords
straight? Secure
online password
managers like
LastPass and
Dashlane
can help save
the day! Visit
lastpass.com or
dashlane.com