A senior moment is basically a lapse of memory. We all have lapses of memory (where did I put the car keys for example) and unfortunately, as we get older, we have more of them. The problem is that our brain gets old along with the rest of our body so it shrinks (among other things that shrink and droop as we age) and dries out over time. The key is the word “dry” because most of our brain is liquid. If the water in our brain is reduced through lack of liquid replenishment, then we start to have more senior moments. Another way to compensate for our senior moments is to learn how to use both sides of our brain as we get older.

OK, now I’m NOT a doctor so what I’m telling you is my opinion based upon research that I’ve done. If you want expert advice, ask your doctor. Or do your own research at the local library or on the Internet. I will list below some information worth researching if you want to learn more about keeping your brain in good condition. And you better want to keep it in good condition because you’ve only got one of them.

Let’s start with water. The brain consists of approximately 75% water, 10% fat and 8% protein and it’s the engine that runs our body. To keep your brain in top working condition you need to drink 8 to 12 glasses of clear water a day. And unless you have a mountain stream supplying your drinking water, it’s best to drink pure bottled water or filter the water that comes out of your faucet. I have a bottled water dispenser in my kitchen that dispenses cold water and that works great. Finally then, coffer, tea and soft drinks while containing some water are, for a variety of reasons, not sufficient supplier's of water for the brain.  

Foods that we eat also affect how well our brains function. Like most contemporary diets, a healthy brain relies on nuts such as cashews and peanuts, whole grains such as rye. whole wheat and brown rice, and protein based foods such as eggs, tuna, salmon and lean meat such as chicken and turkey. Flax seed is beneficial brain food and may studies show Ginkgo as being a good natural herb to increase blood flow to the brain.

Physical exercise that stimulate the brain are also important as we get older. The trick to understanding brain exercise is to think of your body as two halves just like your brain. Your brain has a left side and a right side. What you want to do is exercise both sides of the brain by exercising both sides of our body which, is not always as easy as it sounds. Any activity that causes us to cross our arms or legs from one side to the other is good for your brain. For example, swinging a golf club is a good exercise because it moves both arms of your body from one side of the body to the other. Along those lines raking leaves, canoeing, playing solitaire, doing puzzles, playing tennis and yoga are all good brain exercises. Sitting at the computer or watching television is not good exercise for our brains. So perhaps it’s time for me to end this section and get out and get some exercise for my brain.  

There are many books you can read and sites on the Internet that you can visit to learn more about your brain. One book I recommend is “Overcoming Senior Moments” by Francis Meiser and Nina Anderson which is available from all libraries in the Clevnet Consortium which covers most of the northern Ohio libraries. It’s short, easy to read and packed full of information. There's a new company called “BrainGym” which is doing some interesting research work on developing brain exercises that people can do on a daily basis. They have a site on the Internet and they may be on the verge of some real breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.  Here is the URL of the BrainGym Internet Site. Click on to visit their site:

http://www.braingym.com/index.html

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