By MidLyfe Editor: We should not forget (excuse the pun) that in very many ways, our memories do indeed shape who we are. Memories make up our internal biographies. They are the stories we tell ourselves and to others about what we have achieved, how we failed and what we have done with our lives. Importantly, they tell us exactly how we are connected to the world and who we are connected to. Our memories bring us both great joy and warnings of danger in equal measure – such as personal and working relationships. In short, our memories are really the very essence of who we are as human beings.

One of the top fears we all have as we roll into our 50s are concerns about memory loss, of declining thinking and memory skills.

The mainstream media are full of ‘midlife-crisis’ stories and to watch out for the warning signs, most of which are made up nonsense. They offer little in the way of positive, balanced information or indeed what we can do ourselves to make us feel better about the future and to not worry. After all, it’s how they sell newspapers isn’t it – fear. And we are hard-wired as a species to heed these warnings, so we worry even more.

What causes some people to lose their memory while others stay sharp as a tack? Genes play a role, but so do choices.

The Harvard Medical School says (source) that – “Proven ways to protect memory include following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking, and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar in check. Living a mentally active life is important, too. Just as muscles grow stronger with use, mental exercise helps keep mental skills and memory in tone.”

It is obvious isn’t it that learning a new skill such volunteering, a new language and other activities that strain your brain are better than watching daytime TV.

There are no shortcuts – so don’t believe anything about ‘brain supplements.’ A very significant percentage of people take a supplement to improve their brain health. Again, in a different article at Harvard Medical School – “While these products promise benefits like enhanced memory and greater attention and focus, research has not found solid proof they work. People can get more brain benefits from doing regular aerobic exercise and adopting a plant-based diet.”

The advice is don’t spend money – spend time on keeping fit and healthy.

The link HERE looks at all manner of scientific evidence, studies and reports when it comes to brain health. From tips to improving memory to the effects of meditation. It deciphers what is known into facts versus myth. For instance – “A study of almost 28,000 men found that those who consumed the most daily servings of vegetables and fruit (six servings) were less likely to develop poor thinking skills than the men who consumed the fewest (about two daily servings or less).”

There’s a a surprisingly potent technique that can boost your short and long-term recall – and it appears to help everyone from new students to Alzheimer’s patients. This report (source) says that “taking the occasional down time – to do literally nothing – may be exactly what you need. Just dim the lights, sit back, and enjoy 10-15 minutes of quiet contemplation, and you’ll find that your memory of the facts you have just learnt is far better than if you had attempted to use that moment more productively.”

In another study (source), quite the opposite is recommended – “Cognitive benefits of exercise have been widely reported; but recently accumulating evidence suggests that even lots of exercise—even after encoding (learning) can lead to measurable improvements in memory. Such a possibility holds practical, in addition to theoretical, implications, as exercise routines can easily be introduced into settings where memory and learning are of central concern (e.g., nursing homes and schools). As of yet, the parameters underlying such putative benefits are little understood: for example, how much exercise is optimal, how long before or after encoding, and for whom are such benefits most apparent? Although some recent evidence suggests that post-encoding exercise enhances memory only with a several hour delay between encoding and exercise, the present results provide evidence that post-encoding exercise can enhance memory when engaged in immediately after learning and for as little as 5 minutes.”

In both examples, the memory appears to work better by doing something completely different after learning.

Catherine Loveday, neuroscientist and professor at University of Westminster – also happens to be a trustee of Age UK. ‘It’s never too late to look after your brain,’ she says.

It is much reported that we lose about 2 per cent of our braincells every year after the age of 20, but just how true is that worrying statement.  ‘Often, we are just losing the cells we don’t need,’ says Catherine, ‘and with the right lifestyle choices it’s possible to make new connections, whatever your age.’

Also, be mindful of the fact that some things even get better: ‘Knowledge is robust and generally people get wiser as they get older.’ This means we don’t fall so easily into life’s little traps – precisely because our memory is there. There’s a whole generation or two of people behind us doing just that – falling into traps because they don’t have a memory to refer to.

It is perfectly natural and a normal process of being in middle age to struggle to recall a name or think of a word. ‘We slow down and our brains slow down. But research shows if we take more time, our recall can be as good as a young person’s.’ In other words, don’t fret.

And don’t worry about looking things up on google. There’s no evidence that this will worsen memory. ‘Much worse is using a satnav,’ says Catherine. ‘Losing your brain’s ability to map and navigate your surroundings can lead to loss of brain cells and memory problems.’ Getting lost stimulates the brain. It goes into overdrive to find our way and tells us two things that are as important as each other – the right way and the wrong way. Knowing the wrong way is just as good a memory as it has more impact as you’re more likely to recall it quickly.

There are numerous ways, lots of little things you can do to keep your brain healthy, to keep your memory in tip top working condition – even simple things like looking at diaries, memory boxes, photo albums and playlists. Reminiscing is as good for you as learning something new. Or embrace novelty and challenge – try something new on the menu, take a different route to work, see a show you’d never normally see – it all helps.

Memory loss is not inevitable and there is a lot of fear mongering over it. The best way is to do something about it, which will make you feel better anyway. And don’t forget that the latest studies confirm that keeping fit in your 50s and beyond is one of the best ways to stave off memory loss and even dementia. Click HERE for Catherine’s top tips for a sharper, healthier brain – all 38 of them!