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Your Health

Tips to help you remember

So long as your brain is healthy, it is capable of learning new things and remembering what you want to remember, says Paul Nussbaum, senior brain health advisor to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and president of the Brain Health Center in Wexford, Pa.

The key is to give your brain a little help:

Write lists. If you need something from the grocery, write it down. If you have appointments, keep a written calendar. Post the lists and calendar on the refrigerator so you are more likely to see them regularly.

Follow routines. Get in the habit of always putting your car keys on the table near the back door. Or keeping your reading glasses on the table next to your bed. If you put things in their place, finding them will be easier.

Set alarms. If you have to take several different pills at several different times each day, organize them in a pill box and set an alarm to go off on your phone, your watch, or your alarm clock to remind you that it's time to take your medicine.

Slow down. Stress can wreak havoc on our bodies and our brains. Take a deep breath (or several), slow down, and focus on one thing at a time.

Be social. Spending time with others having fun, talking, playing cards, or simply having a conversation are all ways to help your brain and your memory.

Learn how to know if memory lapses are "senior moments" or something more serious.

Try these puzzles to help keep your brain in shape: crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and word search puzzles.