In eight easy lessons, Dr. Green shares the best ways to remember faces and names, telephone numbers, lists, appointments, PINs, and more. Drawing on the latest medical research, she also explains what lifestyle factors can cause memory lapses, suggests a diet to boost brain power, and discusses the pros and cons of herbal remedies. NPR sponsorship.

Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D., is the founder and director of The Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, where she teaches memory wellness classes to adults of all ages. Dr. Green, who holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from New York University, has been on the staff of Mount Sinai Medical Center since 1990, where she is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She lives with her family in northern New Jersey.

Acknowledgments

ix

Introduction: Your Total Memory Workout

1

(6)

Meet Your Memory

Wake Up Your Memory with the A.M. Principle

7

(33)

The Lifestyle Connection

Ten Factors Most Likely to Lower Your Memory Potential---and What to Do About Them

40

(36)

Food for Thoughts

A Diet to Boost Your Brainpower Plus the Scoop on Supplements

76

(19)

Get Organized

The Best Ways to Remember What You Need to Do, What Was Said, and Where Things Are

95

(34)

Train Your Brain

Eight Techniques to Keep Your Memory Sharp

129

(28)

Remember What You Read and See

Seven Ways to Learn a List and How to SING for Your Stories

157

(27)

Remember the People You Meet

Rev Up Your Recall for Names

184

(24)

Total Memory Maintenance

Tips for Maintaining Your Maximum Memory Fitness

208

(13)

References

221

(12)

Index

233

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"It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well."
-- Rene Descartes

What did you forget today? Perhaps it was your keys as you were walking out the door. Maybe it was an important conference call, a permission slip for your child's field trip next week, or a stop at the dry cleaners. Chances are, whoever you are, you forgot something you wish you'd remembered.

Forgetting is a part of being human. All of us forget, no matter how young we are, how many balls we juggle. Perhaps you have noticed changes in your memory as you've grown older and are feelig a bit anxious about them. Maybe you have more responsibilities at work, young children at home, and are finding it hard to keep track of everything you have to do. Concern about how well we remember knows no age limit. Memory fitness is a hot topic for everyone, from professionals in their twenties determined to get ahead at work and working parents with young children who fear that the kids are eating their brain cells, to baby boomers who are worried about keeping up and recent retirees who want to enjoy their new pursuits to the fullest.

Even though it may be normal to forget from time to time, it's still frustrating when we can't remember what we really need to. Can we remember better? Absolutely. For the past several years, I have been teaching people how to achieve maximum memory fitness. I am a clinical psychologist who has specialized in memory functions and memory disorders for years. Over time, my colleagues and I found that we were seeing a large number of people who were perfectly healthy yet worried about their memory. While we could reassure them that nothing was seriously wrong with their ability to remember, we found that there was little practical information available to help people understand and improve their memory health and wellness. The Memory Enhancement Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City was established in response to this growing need.

As founder and director of this program, I have had the opportunity to develop a unique memory wellness series designed specifically for healthy individuals interested in improving their memory. This course has already helped hundreds of healthy adults of all ages learn simple but powerful ways to boost their brainpower. My clients come from all walks of life--they are busy professionals, real estate agents, firefighters, soccer moms, artists, lawyers, musicians, retirees. A thirty-three-year-old film producer comes to improve his memory skills so he can be more effective at work. A ninety-one-year-old grandmother attends because she is anxious to be better at remembering her lines for acting class. What my clients have in common is that they are all active, involved individuals who want to make the most of their memory. In other words, they are just like you.

Total Memory Workout allows you to benefit from this unique training just as if you were working with me personally or attending one of my seminars. Drawing on my expertise as a memory specialist, I will teach you:

* How memory works and how it doesn't.
* How factors in your daily lifestyle, such as fatigue, medications, and stress, can lower your memory potential, along with advice on how to minimize their impact
* The pros and cons of current medical interventions for memory improvement, including hormone replacement therapy, vitamin supplementation, and herbal remedies.
* The best way to use memory tools, such as appointment books, calendars, and checklists, so they really work for you.
* Practical techniques for remembering information that you read in books and newspapers, or see in shows or movies.
* Simple steps you can take to boost your brainpower in remembering names.

You will find that Total Memory Workout is very different from other books on memory. What makes this book unique? After all, memory improvement programs have been around for many years. Other memory experts teach difficult, cumbersome techniques for people who want "super" memories. Such complex memory systems can be effective, but they require too much time to master and to be of interest to the average person. To tell you the truth, I rarely meet people who want to remember the names of everyone in a crowd of two hundred people. In other words, such methods can work, but can they really work for you?

Total Memory Workout uses a memory wellness approach . You will learn that memory is not merely an intellectual skill to be manipulated, but rather an integral part of ourselves, affected by many aspects of our daily lives. This book will teach you all about memory, from the basics of how we acquire and remember information to what elements in our lifestyles can lower memory potential. You will be trained in memory techniques that are easy to learn and that you can really use. I will teach you simple methods that you can instantly fit into your lifestyle and adopt good memory habits to enhance your memory effectiveness. Several alternative techniques will be offered in the program's steps, so that you can find the ones that work best for you. There is no single right way or best way to improve your memory. We all need to find out what works best for us and -- most importantly -- use it.

Excerpted from Total Memory Workout: 8 Easy Steps to Maximum Memory Fitness by Cynthia R. Green
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.