Parenting Pointers: Memory Boosts

As we get older, we might notice our memory slipping - even before we get to the age where it's considered the norm. Most of us have so much going around in our brains it's easy to see why things slip out sometimes.

Luckily there are some easy things we can do to help boost our memory. Of course, if your forgetfulness is serious, you'll want to consult with a medical professional to make sure you don't have early signs of a neurological condition.

So, if you want better recall, try these:
1) Stay hydrated.
2) Play brain games, such as at the free site Lumosity, or doing Sudoku or crossword puzzles.
3) Eat colorful fruits and veggies, foods with omega-3s like fish and nuts, and low-gl\ycemic carbs like oatmeal.
4) Don't multitask. It can fragment thinking and make recall harder.
5) Learn something new. It stretches your brain.
6) Sleep more (7 hours a night).
7) Exercise.
8) Use mnemonics, like acronyms for your grocery list, rhymes to remember people with a distinguishing characteristic, visualization of what you want to remember, or chunking large pieces of information