Exercise your brain and body to improve memory

LINK: Health News Article | Reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Memory exercises and stress reduction coupled with a healthy diet and regular physical exercise improves memory in older adults, a study shows.

This four-component lifestyle program "not only improved memory but also improved brain efficiency in just two short weeks," study chief Dr. Gary Small from the University of California, Los Angeles told Reuters Health.

"Initially, we were skeptical that we could have an impact in such a brief period of time but we were pleasantly surprised because the volunteers who followed the lifestyle program not only noticed better memory ability but when we tested them with objective tests we found that there was significant improvement in memory," he said.

In the 14-day study, 34 adults with normal memory were randomly assigned to no behavior modification or to a memory improvement plan that entailed the following:

Eating five small healthy meals per day rich in omega-3 fats from fish and olive oil, healthy whole grain carbohydrates and antioxidants. Eating five small meals instead of three larger meals prevents dips in blood sugar, the primary energy source for the brain.

"Initially, we were skeptical that we could have an impact in such a brief period of time but we were pleasantly surprised because the volunteers who followed the lifestyle program not only noticed better memory ability but when we tested them with objective tests we found that there was significant improvement in memory," he said.

In the 14-day study, 34 adults with normal memory were randomly assigned to no behavior modification or to a memory improvement plan that entailed the following:

Eating five small healthy meals per day rich in omega-3 fats from fish and olive oil, healthy whole grain carbohydrates and antioxidants. Eating five small meals instead of three larger meals prevents dips in blood sugar, the primary energy source for the brain.

Eat more veggies, less red meat to keep BP in check

LINK: Health News Article | Reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Consumption of vegetables, fruits, and other plant foods seems to reduce the risk of elevated blood pressure, whereas intake of meat raises the risk, according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition for December.