Free Memory Tips, March 2016 Issue

Below is the March 2016 issue of Free Memory Tips. To learn more about this free email newsletter, or to start receiving it, please visit the Subscription Page. I send out the newsletter about once a month. You can unsubscribe at any time.

So much to remember, so little time

Welcome to the MARCH 2016 issue of my free Memory Tips email newsletter. Below are powerful strategies for improving your memory. Ready to boost your brain power?

Below are powerful strategies for improving your memory. Plus I've included links to free online brain games that can strengthen your thinking skills.

In this issue:

William Curtis' Natural Treatment for Parkinson's: Coconut Oil Coffee
Stand Up to Learn Better: Standing Desks Boost Test Scores by 14%
What's Your Blood Type? AB Linked to 82% Higher Risk of Dementia; O Blood Type Lower Risk
FREE Online Brain Games: Improve SHORT-TERM MEMORY skills

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My goal is to help you learn faster and remember more. That's why I created Memory-Improvement-Tips.com and this email newsletter.

The secret to a more powerful brain is two-fold: 1) improve your brain health, and 2) learn memory techniques. This can lead to more success and fulfillment in life!

William Curtis' Natural Treatment for Parkinson's: Coconut Oil Coffee

If you or a loved one has Parkinson's disease, William Curtis has some exciting news. William is a long-term sufferer of Parkinson's, and he has discovered a simple "ketone" drink that relieves his symptoms.

I've seen William's Youtube videos. They show him with and without the ketone drink in his system. Amazingly, the ketone drink removes most of his shaking.

Normally his hands and legs shake, even while on his prescribed Parkinson's medications. But after he drinks his special recipe, William can hold his hands still. He can even play the guitar! (He's really good.)

This is not a gimmick. William has tapped into the new science of coconut ketones and found a natural treatment for his Parkinson's. Here is his recipe as posted on his website ketonesforparkinsons.com:

"Ketone Coffee- Simple Recipe I use for My Parkinson's. This is what I use personally and it helps my symptoms tremendously. I am not giving medical advice and it might not work for everyone:"

3 Tablespoons of Kerrygold Butter (a grass feed butter)
2 Tablespoons organic whipped heavy cream (ie Horizon brand is fine)
1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil (or MCT oil)
2 packets of Stevia (optional, but definitely no sugar)
Organic Coffee or Sugar-free Chocolate Syrup
Best if put in a blender

Please visit William's site for more about his ketone coffee recipe and experiences.

Ketones Provide the Brain with Energy

Your brain uses glucose (a form of sugar) as it's primary fuel. Brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's interfere with the glucose pathway, preventing brain cells from receiving the glucose they need.

But it turns out the brain has a secondary source of fuel for use during times when glucose is less available. This fuel is "ketones" which are derived from fat rather than sugar.

Someone in a fasted state who has used up all their stored carbohydrates (the source of glucose) can still think and use their brain. That's because the body, in a desire to survive, switches automatically to using fat-derived ketones for fuel.

That's why the coconut ketones coffee relieves William's Parkinson's symptoms. He is providing concentrated ketone fuel as a supplement for the damaged or blocked glucose pathways in his brain.

According to expert Dr. Mary Newport, individuals with different neurodegenerative such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's may experience relief by adding coconut oil, MCT oil, and other sources of ketones to their diet:

People who have a neurodegenerative disease that involves decreased glucose uptake in neurons could benefit from taking higher amounts of coconut and/or MCT oil to produce ketones which may be used by brain cells as energy.

These diseases include Alzheimer's and other dementias, Parkinson's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's), multiple sclerosis (MS), Duchenne muscular dystrophy, autism, Down's syndrome, and Huntington's chorea.

Much of our understanding of how ketones work is due to the research of Dr. Richard Veech, a scientist who has studied ketone metabolism for many years. As a lab chief at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Veech has developed a highly concentrated ketone ester drink that in multiple studies was shown to decrease the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Veech's ketone ester drink is not yet widely available. In fact, his work needs much greater exposure to help raise awareness and drive down the cost of production.

In the meantime, you can make your own ketone drink as William Curtis and others have done. I myself drink ketone coffee every morning for the mental boost it provides after an overnight fast.

There is no cure for these terrible brain diseases. Until one is found, ways to slow down the progress of these conditions or at least relieve symptoms are worth examining. The Parkinson's ketone coffee William Curtis drinks each day is one such intervention. Not to mention these ketone drinks may give a brain boost to anyone.

If you wish to contact Mr. Curtis with questions, his contact email is available on his website, ketonesforparkinsons.com.

Stand Up to Learn Better: Standing Desks Boost Test Scores by 14%

According to more new research, standing desks improve students' academic performance. Related studies indicate too much sitting increases the risk of dementia. So if your job has you sitting most of the day, it might be time to take another look at the idea of using a standing desk in your work.

For many people, the idea of standing while working isn't appealing. And if your job requires you to stand most of the day (for example, a nurse on a busy ward), you probably do stand enough already.

But suppose you're a student, have a desk job, or sit much of the day for other reasons. Your mental performance may be impaired by all the sitting you're doing.

A study published recently by the Texas A&M School of Public Health found up to 14% improvement on neurocognitive test scores by students using a standing desk. The researchers followed 27 high school students for one school year. Think about it: 14% is the difference between an A average versus a B average on exams.

"Continued utilization of the stand-biased desks was associated with significant improvements in executive function and working memory capabilities," concluded the researchers.(5)

I've been using a treadmill desk myself for some time. With a treadmill desk, I have the option to either walk or stand while working.

If fact, I'm walking and writing this article right now at a leisurely 1.5 miles per hour. Standing or walking, either way I'm not sitting!

Evidence for the health risks associated with too much sitting is overwhelming. Sitting contributes to increased risk of early death from all causes. This includes greater chance of heart disease and diabetes, and higher odds of Alzheimer's dementia.

The health hazards of not moving much are wide ranging, says Dr. Joanne Foody, who directs the Cardiovascular Wellness Center at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "While we often think of the dangers of inactivity in terms of worsening cardiovascular health, there are a myriad of negative effects," she says. (1)

You probably sit more than you realize. The average person spends more than half their waking hours sitting, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The time spent in front of a computer, watching TV, commuting, or otherwise sitting down really adds up.

If you exercise, you might think it reverses the negative effects of being sedentary. But this is not the case. The Annals of Medicine report found that a regular exercise program did not significantly reduce the risks of prolonged sitting.

According to much research, the idea that exercise can undo the effects of sitting...

...makes scarcely more sense than the notion that you could counter a pack-a-day smoking habit by jogging. (3)

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But to counteract sitting and live a longer, healthier life (while enjoying optimal brain function), you simply need to stand or walk more hours of the day.

Need more motivation? Standing is an easy way to help you lose weight. People who stand burn 50% more calories per hour!(4)

Standing three hours a day five days a week at work, you would burn 30,000 extra calories a year. That's about 8 pounds of fat loss.

As expressed by Dr. John Buckley, a researcher at the University of Chester in the UK who studies the health effects of sitting:

"If you want to put that into activity levels, that would be the equivalent of running about 10 marathons a year. Just by standing up three or four hours in your day at work," said Dr. John Buckley, a researcher at the University of Chester in England who studies sitting. (4)

If you're serious about your brain's health and want to do everything possible to boost your brain power, consider investing in a standing desk. Build one, buy one, or find some location where you can stand at work or school. Your brain will thank you for it.

References:

1. Harvard Health Blog, "Standing Up for Better Health" http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/standing-up-for-better-heart-health-201508058167
2. Sedentary Time and Its Association With Risk for Disease Incidence, Mortality, and Hospitalization in Adults (Annals of Internal Medicine) http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2091327
3. Is Sitting a Lethal Activity? (New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html
4. Calorie burner: How much better is standing up than sitting?
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24532996
5. Standing Up for Learning: A Pilot Investigation on the Neurocognitive Benefits of Stand-Biased School Desks http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/1/59

What's Your Blood Type? AB Linked to 82% Higher Risk of Dementia; O Blood Type Lower Risk

According to a recent study, people with AB blood type may be at 82% higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. AB blood is found in 4% of the population.

If you have the rare AB blood type, take extra care to protect the health of your body and brain. On the other hand, if you have O type blood, you might be somewhat protected from dementia.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the UK discovered that individuals with AB blood have less gray matter in regions of their brain linked to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. While there are theories about the cause, the reason has not been confirmed.

Not everyone's blood is the same. There are four main blood types in the widely used ABO blood type system: A, B, O, and AB. You inherited one of these blood types from your parents, and it cannot be changed.

The scientists in this study used MRI scans to compare gray matter volumes of healthy volunteers.

"What we know today is that a significant difference in volumes exists, and our findings confirm established clinical observations." - Prof. Annalena Venneri, a researcher in this study.

Interestingly, researchers in this study found the O blood type provides a protective effect.

People with the O blood type have increased brain volume in the cerebellum. Other factors being equal, type O people appear to have lower risk of developing cognitive deficits.

You can't change your blood type. So if you are AB, it would make sense to take extra care of your brain. (Really everyone should.)

Do all you can to live a healthy lifestyle, including eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and staying mentally active.

Form habits around activities that build up your brain's cognitive reserve. For example, take up meditation and engage in social activities like dancing or volunteer work.

Play intellectually challenging games, and be a lifelong learner. And since there is yet no cure for Alzheimer's dementia, consider adding coconut ketones to your diet.

Don't know your blood type? Ask your physician to test your blood. Or you can use an at-home blood-type testing kit to identify your blood type yourself.

Self-administered blood type test kits are available at some pharmacies and online. One popular example is the Eldoncard blood typing kit, available on Amazon for about $10.

References:
1. "It's in your blood: Links found between blood type and risk of cognitive decline." The University of Sheffield, press release.
10 June 2015 https://www.shef.ac.uk/alumni/news/blood_type_cognitive_disease-1.471234
2. Why do certain blood types have higher risk of dementia? https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201506/why-do-certain-blood-types-have-higher-risk-dementia

FREE Brain Games: MATH SKILLS

There are 269 free online brain games on my website, Memory-Improvement-Tips.com. You can play them online anytime.

The games are free to play. No restrictions, no logging in. Just pick a game, go to the game page, and start playing.

Below are links to three of the online games that strengthen short-term memory, an important brain ability. Short-term memory is used when learning new information and during problem solving.

Play these free games now to give your brain a boost:

Pattern Memory. This Pattern Memory game trains spatial recall including memory for visual patterns and location of objects.These brain skills can help you remember where you left your keys or parked your car.

Velma Vision. You get a few seconds to look at the face of a criminal in Velma's memory. Then you recreate the face for the police sketch artist for points. This game can help you remember the details in people's faces.

Simon Memory. This Simon memory game knock-off trains short term memory. Watch the computer click the colored buttons then repeat the same sequence using your memory. Click the lights in the same sequence as they light up. You need to be fast, so watch the lights closely.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading! For even more strategies for improving your brain, visit the Get a Better Memory page on my website.

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