Your lifestyle habits and daily choices affect your memory, both short- and long-term.Not getting enough sleep, too much alcohol and a poor diet can negatively impact your memory.Trying new healthy recipes and engaging with family and friends supports your memory and brain health.<\/p>\n
Your everyday habits have a lasting impact on your health<\/a>, including how your brain works to process and store memories. Your daily choices can affect your memory both in the short term and long term. Getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and staying physically active<\/a> are just a few of the habits neurologists recommend<\/a> to help your brain function at its best.\n<\/p>\n According to Jon Artz, MD<\/a>, a board-certified neurologist, everyone begins to lose brain tissue starting in their 40s. However, some people can compensate for these changes because of their cognitive reserve. \u201cCognitive reserve is how you adapt or cope with the decline in your cognitive abilities<\/a> as you get older,\u201d says Artz.\n<\/p>\n While some people are better at adapting to the changes with age, one thing is for sure: the habits you practice throughout your life can help to maintain your cognitive reserve<\/a> so that your brain can perform at its best. Learn more about the everyday habits that may be hurting your memory and what you can do instead to keep your mind sharp.\n<\/p>\n 1. Not Getting Enough Sleep <\/p>\n One of the most detrimental habits<\/a> you can have when it comes to memory is not prioritizing sleep. According to Artz, poor sleep and not treating sleep apnea can lead to poor concentration, fatigue and irritability. \u201cIf you can\u2019t focus or concentrate, it makes it hard to retain information.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n These negative effects can carry over into the changes that occur in the brain overnight. \u201cDeep sleep is important for memory consolidation,\u201d says Artz. Without deep sleep, your memory suffers both in your ability to remember information during the day and in your ability to consolidate that information as memories overnight.\n<\/p>\n 2. Regularly Drinking Alcohol <\/p>\n While the debate over moderate alcohol consumption and its effect on health continues, Artz makes it clear that alcohol should be avoided when it comes to improving memory<\/a>. \u201cAlcohol has no benefit to the human body or the brain,\u201d he says. If you don\u2019t drink alcohol, there\u2019s no reason to start.\n<\/p>\n And if you do drink alcohol, consider reducing your intake over time. \u201cWe don\u2019t yet have all the answers when it comes to alcohol and brain health<\/a>, but we know too much is harmful, and there may be other reasons to avoid it,\u201d says Maggie Moon, M.S., RD<\/a>, best-selling author of The MIND Diet: 2nd Edition.\n<\/p>\n 3. Relying on A.I. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are at the tip of the iceberg for what AI is doing to our brains,\u201d says Dr. Kimberly Johnson Hatchett<\/a>, board-certified neurologist. \u201cStudies show that by using AI, some have found that we are not utilizing parts of our brain for creativity and deductive reasoning as much.\u201d However, Hatchett cautions against making broad assumptions about AI at this point since we are still learning how it will affect the brain and memory. Still, you may want to limit your reliance on AI for basic tasks to continue to flex your critical thinking skills throughout the day.\n<\/p>\n 4. Eating Too Much Added Sugar and Saturated Fat <\/p>\n Eating a diet that includes excess added sugar and saturated fat<\/a> can have a negative effect on your brain. \u201cI\u2019d limit the amount of fried foods and sweets to no more than a couple times a month as they\u2019re common sources of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars that can diminish how well brain cells communicate and function,\u201d says Moon.\n<\/p>\n Research also shows that people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of developing dementia<\/a>. \u201cGood nutrition provides critical nutrients to support the brain\u2019s complex memory processes, including memory formation, storage and retrieval,\u201d says Moon.\n<\/p>\n Moon recommends prioritizing seafood and plant-based sources of omega-3s<\/a>, lean protein foods, dark green leafy vegetables, and a variety of colorful plant foods, including fermented ones for optimal brain health.\n<\/p>\n 5. Sitting Too Much <\/p>\n Our modern lives make it easy to be sedentary. With many jobs supported by technology plus limited opportunities for active transport to and from work, school or other businesses, our daily movement is often limited. However, physical inactivity does not benefit the brain or any other aspect of our health. \u201cThere is nothing that a sedentary lifestyle is beneficial for when it comes to health,\u201d says Artz.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Artz recommends primarily aerobic exercise for the brain<\/a> as it\u2019s shown to have the most benefit. \u201cUp to 300 minutes per week is beneficial for health.”\n<\/p>\n 6. Not Managing Stress <\/p>\n No one will live a completely stress-free life, but some are better at managing their stress<\/a> than others. The stress response is accompanied by a release of cortisol<\/a>, the stress hormone. Cortisol can affect how the brain functions, particularly the areas of the brain involved in memory. \u201cStress steals our memory, so it\u2019s important to find ways to manage it in the moment and build resilience to it in the future,\u201d says Moon. \u201cPut a relaxation practice into place, which could include a few rounds of box breathing, a walk in nature or journaling\u2014these are all evidence-based stress management strategies<\/a>.”\n<\/p>\n 7. Not Monitoring Blood Pressure <\/p>\n \u201cHigh blood pressure can damage the small deep blood vessels in the brain that, over time, can close up and leave little dots that are visible on an MRI,\u201d says Artz. This damage to the blood vessels leads to damage to the brain\u2019s axons, parts of neurons that play a central role in the nervous system function.\n<\/p>\n This process can negatively impact brain function, making it essential to monitor and treat high blood pressure as soon as it develops. \u201cI recommend monitoring blood pressure<\/a> at home even if you\u2019re on medications,\u201d he says. \u201cCheck your blood pressure at home a minimum of three times per week using an upper arm cuff, not a wrist cuff.\u201d\n<\/p>\n MIND Diet Meal Plan to Try 30-Day MIND Diet Meal Plan for Cognitive Health, Created by a Dietitian<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Our Expert Take <\/p>\n Supporting your brain with healthy, everyday habits can go a long way for your cognitive function and memory<\/a>. Other than including movement in your day, eating a nutrient-dense diet, prioritizing sleep and reducing stress, you should also find other ways to engage your brain throughout the day.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
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