TV host, Jeanette Thomas, quizzed the ‘Memory Sisters’ on the Good Morning show on TV One.

Jeanette begins:

Gillian Eadie and Dr Allison Lamont are sisters on a mission to improve our memories with their new book 7-Day Brain Boost Plan. Memory expert, Dr Allison Lamont and educator, Gillian Eadie from the Memory Foundation have worked together for eight years to bring this best-selling book to everyone wanting a superb memory and positive habits that support brain health.

YOU HAVE A VERY PERSONAL REASON FOR SETTING UP YOUR MEMORY FOUNDATION. TELL US ABOUT THAT.

Yes, we do. It used to be thought that our brain couldn’t change. Now we know the brain has amazing potential to change right until the end of life.

Gillian and I combined our skills of memory research and education to create practical every-day solutions for brain and memory health.

Then our own mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease – this experience gave us enormous motivation to make sure everyone knows we can sharpen and improve memory.

IS IT NORMAL TO START EXPERIENCING MEMORY LAPSES AS YOU GET OLDER & IS THIS NECESSARILY A SIGN YOU’RE DEVELOPING DEMENTIA?

Yes, it’s quite normal to experience memory lapses because there are hormonal changes happening. But they don’t need to affect how well you remember because there are techniques you can put in place to overcome these changes.

And no, the odd memory lapse doesn’t meant dementia is developing. There are very distinctive patterns of memory loss with dementia – these quite different from not being able to find your car keys, for instance. You can find out about these on our website, https://www.brainfit.world/is-it-alzheimers/

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY IT WAS BELIEVED THAT BRAIN CELLS WERE LOST ON A DAILY BASIS AND FOREVER, BUT IS THAT NOT ACTUALLY THE CASE?    Neuroscience in the past 10 – 12 years has blown away all the old myths.  Did you know, that everyone has 100 billion brain cells? And yes, you do lose some of them but you are growing new brain cells and connections every time you actively remember and learn

SO YOU CAN REGROW YOUR NEURAL CONNECTIONS?  Yes you can but you need to be doing something that is a challenge for you.

YOUR NEW BOOK ‘ THE 7 DAY BRAIN BOOST PLAN’ HAS LOADS OF PRACTICAL TIPS TO HELP BEOME MORE ‘BRAIN FIT’. CAN WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THEM?

A common complaint is forgetting where the car keys are, for instance. Actually, you haven’t forgotten where you put them because your brain didn’t have a chance to register where they were in the first place. That’s the problem with things we do automatically.

We have to deliberately let the brain know to notice what we are doing, and remember it. You do this by creating memory traces.

• Use your non-dominant hand to place the car-keys down, preferably across the body so the brain is registering ‘Oh, this is different’.
• Say to yourself ‘I’ve put my keys by the fruit bowl’, or wherever.

Maybe make this into a little repeated ditty! 

• Imagine yourself taking a mental photograph of your keys sitting by the fruit bowl.
• Then your brain has four or five memory traces of where your keys are.
• It really works!

 We have a free Brain Tune™ mini-course on our website, too that shows you how to rate your memory, gives you step-by-step tips for remembering names and finding those car keys! https://www.brainfit.world/brain-tune/

The art of paying attention is really what memory is all about.

Another worry we hear about is the memory difficulty experienced as ‘baby brain’ or as brain overload – sometimes described as ‘my hard drive feels full’ because of busy-ness and stress.

Both of these are usually made worse by not sleeping well, and baby brain is often caused by the hormonal changes going on.

SO WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THAT?

• First of all, give yourself permission not to remember every detail, to slow down and say ‘No’ to unreasonable demands.
• Take a deep breath to let yourself step back from rising tide of worry and anxiety that you are not remembering well at the moment.
• Use organisers, write down the important things and reduce the number of things you need to remember.
• Keep a sense of humour!

HOW DO YOU SET UP THE HABIT OF USING YOUR BRAIN WELL?

That’s why people have asked us for a plan – a way to get their brain and memory back on track.

You will find everything you need to get started in your 7 Day Brain Boost Plan – brain food, exercise, brain challenges and loads of tips and information about your improving your memory.

HOW IMPORTANT IS PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND DIET IN BOOSTING MEMORY?

Both are really important. Recent research shows that even a moderate exercise can delay dementia by up to 30%. And that result was gained exercising well for just 15 minutes, three times a week. We can all do that!

You’ll find what to do in the 7-Day Brain Boost Plan.

YOU CAN BUY THE BOOK AND GET A FREE ‘BRAIN TUNE’ FROM THE MEMORY fOUNDATION WEBSITE. https://www.brainfit.world