The small choices you make every day – what you ate for breakfast, what music you listened to, how much exercise you did – have a significant impact on brain function. Find out how your habits are affecting your health.
“Two-thirds of what determines how well you age comes from non-genetic factors – as in, your everyday behaviours,” says psychiatrist Dr Gary Small, author of 2 Weeks to a Younger Brain.
In Dr Small’s poll of more than 18,000 people, those with healthier habits – a balanced diet, regular exercise – reported fewer memory complaints. And he’s found that when people learn and use memory techniques on top of that, brain scans reveal changed neural circuitry and a measurable boost in memory.
Which strategies are best for your brain? Take this quiz to find out.
1. If you’re having trouble concentrating at work, what should you do?
A Organise your desk
B Eat a cookie
C Grab a cup of coffee
Answer: A
Cleaning not only relieves stress, but also declutters your brain. When US researchers looked at task performance in organised versus chaotic environments, they found that clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, decreases your performance and increases your stress levels.
2. The best place to stroll?
A Through the local park
B In a foreign city
C On a treadmill
Answer: A
Memory and attention improved by 20% when people opted to walk in a park rather than in an urban environment, according to US research. Study co-author Marc Berman, a psychology researcher, says this is because nature has a calming effect, while busy surroundings overstimulate the brain.
3. How can you boost your brain function?
A Cook more often
B Do some long division
C Learn a new language
Answer: C
Breaking your familiar routine and exposing yourself to new situations can help you maintain a higher level of brain functioning, says psychologist Dr Keith Lyle.
“If you’re not exercising your brain, it’s like when you’re not using a muscle very much: your body doesn’t put resources into that organ. It says, ‘I don’t need to, because I can get by with a relatively low level of resources here,’” he explains.
This can involve learning a new language, reading different books or simply taking an alternate route home.
4. What’s the best thing to do before an important work meeting?
A Give yourself a pep talk in front of the mirror
B Catch up on gossip at the watercooler
C Browse online
Answer: B
Chatting with co-workers temporarily increases your intelligence and improves decision-making skills, according to a study published in Social Psychology and Personality Science.
5. Lifting weights does what to your brain?
A Damages brain cells
B Improves your memory
C Nothing
Answer: B
Strength training for 60 minutes, three times a week, improves both long- and short-term memory, says a study from the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
New to lifting weights? Get started with these six simple moves with light weights.
6. Which of these fatty foods isn’t a brain booster?
A Salmon
B Margarine
C Egg yolk
Answer: B
Eggs and fatty fish are full of brain-healthy nutrients, but the trans fats often found in artificial spreads can damage brain activity, found a recent study in the journal Nutrition.
7. Which of these drinks can hurt your memory?
A Green tea
B Fruit juice
C Water
Answer: B
Can’t remember where you put your keys? Blame the added sugar packed into your glass of orange juice. A study, published in the journal Neurology, found that elevated blood sugar levels are damaging to both your long- and short-term memory.
8. True or false: the more organised you are, the easier it’ll be to remember your wallet.
Answer: True
Good organisation and memory go hand in hand. If you consistently put things in the same spot, then you won’t have to waste time trying to remember where you put them. For instance, when your wallet always goes in the top drawer of your dresser and your gym bag always gets stashed behind the laundry door, finding them is a no-brainer.
Bonus: You’ll free valuable storage space in your brain for more complicated recall-related tasks.
9. True or false: loneliness increases your chances of dementia
Answer: True
A Dutch study found that people who describe themselves as lonely are more likely to develop the degenerative brain disease dementia. In fact, the busier your social life, the better you are at decision-making recall.
10. Which of these colours boosts your creativity?
A Red
B Green
C Blue
Answer: C
Canadian researchers found that blue triggers feelings of freedom and tranquility, through associations with the sky and ocean.
11. Putting a plant on your desk can boost productivity by…
A 5%
B 23%
C 12%
Answer: C
Any plant – even a fake one – will increase your efficiency and output by 12%, says a US study.
12. True or false: your short-term memory is limitless
Answer: False
“You can hold only a certain amount of information in your short-term memory before it’s full and you have to kick something out,” says Ruth Curran, author of Being Brain Healthy. Do yourself a favour and group several items into one unit whenever possible.
After all, trying to remember 10 ingredients is more difficult than simply remembering that you want to make your favourite tacos. So, instead of going to the supermarket and thinking, “tomatoes, salsa, cheese, shredded lettuce, olives, beans, etc”, consider tacos as one unit and you should be able to recall all the components as you walk through the aisles.
13. How can you remember a meaningful moment?
A Take a picture
B Talk about it
C Both A & B
Answer: C
“If you want to really remember a meaningful moment, try to incorporate as many senses as possible while it’s unfolding,” Ruth says.
For instance, if you’re cooking with your grandmother and you don’t want to forget the day, pick up a lemon and inhale the scent. The next time you want to elicit that memory, a whiff of a lemon may take you back there.
Or, say you’re going on a romantic walk on the beach with your partner and you want to remember and cherish the experience. “Pick up a pebble and hold it in your hand. The next time you see and hold the pebble, it’ll be a visual and tactile trigger for that memory,” she says.
14. Which of these foods can help stave off memory loss?
A Fruit and yoghurt
B Red meat
C Green salad
Answer: C
Apparently, your mum and dad were onto something when they nagged you to eat your greens. These provide essential nutrients, like protein, iron and fibre, but they’re also good for your brain.
Research published in the journal Neurology says that eating one to two servings of leafy greens a day improves your memory and overall cognitive ability.
15. Which type of music boosts your brain power?
A Rock
B Pop
C Classical
Answer: C
Listening to classical music benefits the brain at any age, found a Finnish study, published in the journal Scientific Reports. “By affecting dopamine pathways, music silenced the genes that are risk factors for dementia,” explains lead researcher Dr Irma Järvelä.
16. Which of these is the quickest (and easiest) way to improve your IQ?
A Going to the gym every day
B Reading a different newspaper
C Taking an online class
Answer: B
Changing your newspaper or preferred news website once a month can add three points to your IQ, found a US study. This is because it alters your reading style and causes you to reevaluate, question or mentally justify your beliefs.
17. True or false: the best way to remember something is to say it out loud
Answer: False
It’s easier to remember things when you write them down. Dr Lyle stresses the importance of using diaries, calendars and notepads to enhance your memory.
18. Where should you put your mobile phone so you don’t forget it?
A On the kitchen table
B Next to your bed
C In your shoe
Answer: C
Using visual cues can help you remember where you put things – or to pick them up so you don’t forget them. Let’s say you often forget your phone when you leave the house. While it’s easy to bypass the bedside table on your way out the door, you can’t leave the house without putting shoes on your feet!
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