DAVIS, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A good memory can help you ace a test, work the New York times crossword puzzle, and figure out a complex computer program. But can your lifestyle affect your ability to remember?

They are the drivers behind your thoughts, decisions and actions. But too often -- they disappear. Some say they can't remember the first day of high school. Others have trouble remembering names.

What can you do to improve your memory?

 

The first brain booster: avoid stress! Too much triggers the release of hormones that can damage brain cells. "It reduces memory performance. It reduces your ability to pay attention to things," Charan Ranganath, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of California at Davis
told Ivanhoe.

Number two: get enough sleep. While you rest, your brain's two memory systems -- the hippocampus and the neo-cortex -- talk to each other. "Sleep is very, very important to consolidate information that we learned the day before," Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D., research associate professor at the department of bioengineering at the University of Washington
in Seattle told Ivanhoe. In one German study, those who slept eight hours were almost three-times as likely to solve a math problem on a quiz as those who were sleep-deprived.

 

Also: Number three: don't forget to exercise. "Exercise has been shown to not only improve memory function but to stimulate new cells in the hippocampus," Ranganath explained. In a recent study -- walking at least three times a week cut the risk of developing dementia by one-third.

Another booster: Number five: be social. "Social stimulation, for one thing, will get you more alert and aroused," Ranganath said. One report showed talking to another person for just 10 minutes led to significant improvement on memory tests. Researchers say pets count as companions, too!

 

Also: Number six: try neurobics. They're exercises for your brain. "The truth is the brain is like a muscle because the more you use the brain, the more effective it is," James McGaugh, Ph.D., neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine explained to Ivanhoe. The idea is to challenge it in unexpected ways. Even small changes in your daily routine can activate new connections in the brain. Try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand, closing your eyes to find your keys in your purse or reorganizing your desk.

 

Two other ways to improve your memory: Number seven and eight: music and dance. "Anything that you can do to engage the brain is going to make the brain work a little better," McGaugh reinforced. Researchers who followed nearly 500 people for 21 years found that ballroom dancing was the most protective physical activity. It reduced dementia risk by 76 percent!

 

Number nine: high-tech, computerized brain games. They can turn the clock back 10 years. "They tend to focus on what's called working memory, your ability to pay attention," Ranganath explained. Even simple games like tetris have been shown to enhance brain power.

 

The last tip: Number 10: become bilingual. Studies show knowing a second language increases the density of grey matter in the brain and can delay dementia by up to four years.
"The adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks really isn't true," Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D. told Ivanhoe. 
 

These are 10 ways to keep your mind sharp -- and your memory in tact. The researchers we spoke to said nutrition is also important for a good memory, but there's no scientific proof that supplements like ginkgo-biloba -- or other popular vitamin blends -- work. They also say crossword puzzles and games like Sudoku can't hurt because anything that challenges your brain and keeps it active is useful. 

  

American Health's annual Halloween Fete, a costume ball was held in the gracious home of Lowell and Jay Vanvechtn in Boca Raton.  More than 81 ghosts, goblins and Witches attended the party, but who knew their names since everyone came dressed to the hilt in outfits fit for Alice in Wonderland.

 

Bob & Carol Heller came as Jack & Jill, Jon Kaye came as the disfigured musical genius from Phantom of the Opera and Jon's wife Bonnie Kaye came as the Cereal Killer, with cereal boxes with pointed daggers coming from all sides of her body. 

 

Of course, Bonnie Kaye, as creative as she always is won for Best Costume.  There were violins in the garden playing through the night, while catered food galore pranced around the dinning room tables.  And, oh yes, wine was gracious served throughout the evening by a tattooed bodybuilder in a bathing suit.

 

Special thanks goes to Diane Feen and her lovely Cowgirl outfit who helped with the registration of all guests and to J. R. Gordon who sat like a Dummie from the movie the Mummie with his exasperated gawking snarling teeth welcoming all who arrived in support of American Health and its worldwide programs through its Citizen's In Action and the American Volunteer Corps.

 

The outrageous costume of the evening actually came from the "On the Money Guru" Steven L. Pomeranz when he arrived in his "wolf costume."  This costume actually might of come from Alice in Wonderland and Steve couldn't of been recognized even if Bernie Madoff came in prison garb.

 

Congrats to all who came and all who came had a blast.

 

Check out the pictures.

 

We welcome you to join Citizen's in Action and/or raise funds so we can make a difference to millions of children in Iraq & Afghanistan and worldwide with our various charities including Orphans of War, Victims of War, Orphans of HIV-AIDs in Africa and Orphans of Hope in Central & South America. thehealthsociety@aol.com to join.