How to Improve Your Memory. Can’t remember names, dates – or even why you walked into
a room? Luckily, there are lots of things you can do to increase your memory power.
You will need A puzzle game Grape juice Dried or fresh rosemary and/or sage Aerobic exercise
Catnaps A relaxation technique An active social life The herb bacopa and blueberries. Step
1. Do crossword puzzles, play Sudoku, take up bridge — games like these stimulate the
mind, helping the brain grow new neural pathways, improving your mental ability. Step 2. Drink
purple grape juice (not white). Research has found that drinking eight ounces of Concord
grape juice a day improves memory by 20%, thanks in part to loads of antioxidants. Spring
for organic grape juice; organic fruits and vegetables have 40% more antioxidants than
non-organic ones. Step 3. Both rosemary and sage improve people’s scores on word-recall
tests by stimulating the brain’s memory center. In fact, students in ancient Greece
wore sprigs of rosemary in their hair on test days. Need to remember a name? Picture it
written across the person’s forehead; the visual image will help you remember it later.
This was a favorite trick of Franklin Roosevelt, who was renowned for his ability to remember
names. Step 4. Hit the dance floor, jog, or do anything that gets your pulse racing. Physical
activity rushes oxygen to the brain and builds new cells in the brain region linked to memory.
Repeat whatever you need to memorize – a name, an address, a phone number – when
you first hear it. Saying it out loud helps lock it into your memory. Step 5. If you can
possibly swing it, take naps. Research has found that people who squeeze in a catnap
during the day retain twice as much of the information they learned that day as those
who don’t. Step 6. De-stress yourself by taking up yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
When you’re stressed, the brain activates an enzyme that impairs short-term memory.
If you’re trying to memorize something, do it on an empty stomach. The hormone that
improves memory is highest when the stomach is empty. Step 7. Be a social butterfly. One
study found that people who socialize regularly do far better on memory tests than their less
outgoing counterparts, since participating in conversations exercises the brain. Step
8. Have a handful of blueberries each day. Blueberries contain a chemical that dramatically
improves memory, and a half-cup is all you need to get the benefit. Step 9. Moving your
eyes side to side for 30 seconds every morning can improve memory by ten percent. How? It
gets the two sides of the brain working in harmony. Did you know The average person forgets
30% of what he’s heard after 20 minutes, and 50% of what he’s heard within half an
hour!