I’m sorry to report the weekend edition of the Carnival of Healing that was scheduled to be hosted on July 5th by Marcia at Aquatic Meditations Blog didn’t happen. I’ve sent Marcia a couple of emails asking what could have happened, b…

There are many reasons for an apparent decline in memory performance and certainly what we ingest will have an impact. This appears to be a well researched article and brings the issue of the effect of blood sugar levels to a level that we lay people can understand.

I suppose the only challenge with this knowledge is how do we know what our blood sugar levels are and whether they are too high or too low? And what of our glucose regulation performance – is mine at the optimum level? If it isn’t how will I know?

If there are tests to give us this information then perhaps we can modify our eating habits to adjust the blood sugar level accordingly in light of that knowledge.

Perhaps the ordinary person isn’t going to go to these lengths to improve their short term memory and so it is here that commonsense should prevail.

Clearly what we eat will affect all aspects of our bodily functions, not least the cognative ones. So a good healthy balanced diet – plenty of fresh stuff, lots of green stuff, good hydration and the right mix of carbohydrates and proteins should be a great place to start.

Seeking nutritional advice is always a good idea too but plenty of greens and fresh “alive looking” food will get you going until the professionals can guide you properly.

If you do begin to have short term memory problems then maybe then is the time to get the blood sugar levels tested.

However before you do, make sure that you have fully explored the other possible causes too.

As someone who helps people understand how to use their memory more effectively through a variety of techniques (mnemonic devices and the like), there are other reasons why the short term memory may appear to fail us but actually are caused by other factors which are well within our control.

If you have ever put your keys down at home and then are unable to find them again (even if you are the only one at home!) then have a read of my article “Short Term Memory Loss – What Causes It” on my Memory Improvement Blog

I continue to be impressed with the huge impact of life’s little steps. Eating right, maintaining a healthy weight level, exercising on a consistent basis – these are truly the hallmarks of healthy living.

I appreciate your highlighting the issue of blood sugar levels among the elderly. As you know, many studies support the benefits of active exercise for this group. Personally, I always favor a non-medical intervention when possible – things like natural foods, fresh air, maybe a walk through the park…

Thanks again for the article,

tim