Floss Your Way to Better Memory

I found this interesting article on how to boost your memory by treating your brain right. Surprisingly, the first piece of advice is to FLOSS! Hold on, before you press the BACK button on your browser, hear me out: neglecting to floss leads to a build up of plaque on the teeth, causing an immune reaction that attacks the arteries that deliver nutrients to your brain!

My cat's vet tells me that the plaque on his (my cat's) teeth could lead to kidney disease. I wonder if it's also affecting kitty's memory. He can never seem to remember where his toy mice are. Maybe I should brush his teeth.

Back to the article: It also mentions some other important ways to preserve memory (including proper diet and exercise), and breaks down the advice by decade, i.e. what to do in your 30s, 40s, and 50s. I guess if you're 60 and you have poor memory, you're a lost cause.

One of my favorites for 50 somethings: Use chopsticks: "Studies show that engaging the concentrated areas of nerve cells in your fingertips directly stimulates your brain," says Maoshing Ni, Ph.D., author of "Second Spring: Dr. Mao's Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age." Truth is, any fingertip activity--using chopsticks, knitting, or even rolling a pen or pencil between your fingers--also helps your brain by boosting your circulation. And good circulation helps eliminate waste products that can prevent nutrients from reaching your brain.

Video games, here I come!