Here is a link to WebMD's sympton checker. You need to add your sex -- male or female -- and age to use it. Be sure to contact your doctor's office for immediate follow-up after using the Symptom Checker.
Symptom Checker
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Don't trash frugality with your garbage
We all have our own ways in which we save money. Lately, I have determined that I no longer need to buy chicken or beef stock. When I roast or grill chicken, beef or fish in the oven, I deglaze the pan with water and save the stock for soups and stews.
I also dice and add bits of vegetables, like tomatoes, onions and bell peppers that I know I might forget to use, to the stock instead of leaving them in the fridge where they inevitably go bad.
Now I always have stock that is frozen and ready to be thawed for cooking soups and stews and my food has much more flavor.
Here is a tip regarding reuse of garbage bags that makes a lot of sense and can save you money that you can use to reach your goals.
Don't trash frugality with your garbage
"Every little bit counts" has become a popular phrase in our recovering economy. It certainly applies to this month's highest-rated frugal sense tip. Lisa McMahon, of Memphis, Tenn., has found an easy way to save money on garbage bags. And she doesn't mind that her daughter now calls her the "dry-cleaner plastic queen."
Lisa McMahon won $100 for submitting the following tip.
Reusing dry-cleaner bags
"My husband gets a couple of dry-cleaner bags every week, and I never knew what to do with them. It seemed so wasteful to throw them out. Now I tie a knot in the part that sits on the hanger so it's closed like a bag, and I use them as kitchen can liners (30-gallon size). I have bagged leaves and yard trash with them, and I use them as filler for packing and shipping boxes. I have also used them to keep dust out of my delicate glass Christmas ornament boxes. They are strong and watertight. I haven't had one break yet, even full of kitchen garbage! I save them by folding them, push all the air out and they fold up into a small square, and I put them in a shoe box until needed." -- Lisa McMahon of Memphis, Tenn.
Read more tips
Submit your tipBankrate.com: How did you get this idea?
Lisa McMahon: My husband still has to wear a dress shirt to work. He likes his shirts to be starched. I just can't iron a shirt the way he wants it, so these dry-cleaner bags just started piling up. I hated to throw them away.
I was in the kitchen one day and I couldn't find the box of garbage bags. The great big long dry-cleaner bags were the ones I used first. I tied a knot at the bottom. In the laundry room, I don't put wet garbage in that garbage can, so I can let it get really full. There's nothing in there that would smell. I found out, "Oh my God, it really holds a lot of stuff." Then I started saving the bags.
I use the short dry cleaner bags for the bathroom. I used one of the big ones to pick up yard trash. That's the other thing about these bags: They're made from really strong plastic. It's a lot stronger than it needs to be. I just started using them for everything. I pack clothes in the plastic; it helps them from wrinkling. It was just one of those things where I found, if I can use the bags for this, I can use it for this, too.
My daughter lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Instead of using tissue paper, I wrap things in dry-cleaner bags. It makes really good packing material. ... My daughter laughs at me and says I'm the dry-cleaner plastic queen.
Bankrate.com: How long have you been doing this?
Lisa McMahon: Probably a couple of years. My husband is one of those people who likes to wear a tie. He doesn't know what the point of wearing a dress shirt is if you don't wear it with a tie. He doesn't care for it being open at neck. So he still takes everything to the dry cleaner. ... He's hoping they'll reinstate ties at the office. He's a real funny person. He's really great, but he's really picky.
Bankrate.com: So do you still buy garbage bags and do you use them?
Lisa McMahon: Oh yeah, I use those, too. My husband doesn't like to do what I do. You know how every household has its own division of labor? His thing is doing the garbage. So he takes out the trash. When he's doing the trash, he uses the store-bought bags. When I take out the garbage, I get one of my dry-cleaner bags. So it depends on who's doing the garbage. I probably don't buy garbage bags but once a year. A box of 80 bags will last about a year. We only have to take out the garbage a couple of times a week. We have two cans -- one in the laundry room and one in the kitchen. Usually he does the kitchen. It probably takes a couple of weeks to get the dry-cleaner bags full.
Bankrate.com: Where does your sense of frugality come from?
Lisa McMahon: My father was a letter carrier. My mother didn't work a lot of the time when we were young. We had five kids in family. You get creative when you're trying to figure out how to feed and clothe everybody. My mother always had little things she did to stretch dollars.
I also dice and add bits of vegetables, like tomatoes, onions and bell peppers that I know I might forget to use, to the stock instead of leaving them in the fridge where they inevitably go bad.
Now I always have stock that is frozen and ready to be thawed for cooking soups and stews and my food has much more flavor.
Here is a tip regarding reuse of garbage bags that makes a lot of sense and can save you money that you can use to reach your goals.
Don't trash frugality with your garbage
"Every little bit counts" has become a popular phrase in our recovering economy. It certainly applies to this month's highest-rated frugal sense tip. Lisa McMahon, of Memphis, Tenn., has found an easy way to save money on garbage bags. And she doesn't mind that her daughter now calls her the "dry-cleaner plastic queen."
January's Frugal $ense winner: Lisa McMahon
Lisa McMahon won $100 for submitting the following tip.Reusing dry-cleaner bags
"My husband gets a couple of dry-cleaner bags every week, and I never knew what to do with them. It seemed so wasteful to throw them out. Now I tie a knot in the part that sits on the hanger so it's closed like a bag, and I use them as kitchen can liners (30-gallon size). I have bagged leaves and yard trash with them, and I use them as filler for packing and shipping boxes. I have also used them to keep dust out of my delicate glass Christmas ornament boxes. They are strong and watertight. I haven't had one break yet, even full of kitchen garbage! I save them by folding them, push all the air out and they fold up into a small square, and I put them in a shoe box until needed." -- Lisa McMahon of Memphis, Tenn.
Read more tips
Submit your tip
Lisa McMahon: My husband still has to wear a dress shirt to work. He likes his shirts to be starched. I just can't iron a shirt the way he wants it, so these dry-cleaner bags just started piling up. I hated to throw them away.
I was in the kitchen one day and I couldn't find the box of garbage bags. The great big long dry-cleaner bags were the ones I used first. I tied a knot at the bottom. In the laundry room, I don't put wet garbage in that garbage can, so I can let it get really full. There's nothing in there that would smell. I found out, "Oh my God, it really holds a lot of stuff." Then I started saving the bags.
I use the short dry cleaner bags for the bathroom. I used one of the big ones to pick up yard trash. That's the other thing about these bags: They're made from really strong plastic. It's a lot stronger than it needs to be. I just started using them for everything. I pack clothes in the plastic; it helps them from wrinkling. It was just one of those things where I found, if I can use the bags for this, I can use it for this, too.
My daughter lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Instead of using tissue paper, I wrap things in dry-cleaner bags. It makes really good packing material. ... My daughter laughs at me and says I'm the dry-cleaner plastic queen.
Bankrate.com: How long have you been doing this?
Lisa McMahon: Probably a couple of years. My husband is one of those people who likes to wear a tie. He doesn't know what the point of wearing a dress shirt is if you don't wear it with a tie. He doesn't care for it being open at neck. So he still takes everything to the dry cleaner. ... He's hoping they'll reinstate ties at the office. He's a real funny person. He's really great, but he's really picky.
Bankrate.com: So do you still buy garbage bags and do you use them?
Lisa McMahon: Oh yeah, I use those, too. My husband doesn't like to do what I do. You know how every household has its own division of labor? His thing is doing the garbage. So he takes out the trash. When he's doing the trash, he uses the store-bought bags. When I take out the garbage, I get one of my dry-cleaner bags. So it depends on who's doing the garbage. I probably don't buy garbage bags but once a year. A box of 80 bags will last about a year. We only have to take out the garbage a couple of times a week. We have two cans -- one in the laundry room and one in the kitchen. Usually he does the kitchen. It probably takes a couple of weeks to get the dry-cleaner bags full.
Bankrate.com: Where does your sense of frugality come from?
Lisa McMahon: My father was a letter carrier. My mother didn't work a lot of the time when we were young. We had five kids in family. You get creative when you're trying to figure out how to feed and clothe everybody. My mother always had little things she did to stretch dollars.
Source: Bankrate.com
Submit your frugality tips: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cheap/tips_form.asp
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Mangoes: Natural Weight-Loss Food
We grew up eating lots of mangoes in Ghana so how come we never realized that mangoes can help one to lose weight. Now mango is the new super fruit joining the ranks of acai and noni.
Ghana can probably earn more from exporting mangos than from extractive industries like gold mining.
So before Americans get over this latest fad, I suggest that a sizeable acreage in Ghana be devoted to growing and exporting mangoes. However, Ghana's mangoes have more fiber than the mangoes that Americans prefer so it may make sense the plant the less fibrous varieties.
So before Americans get over this latest fad, I suggest that a sizeable acreage in Ghana be devoted to growing and exporting mangoes. However, Ghana's mangoes have more fiber than the mangoes that Americans prefer so it may make sense the plant the less fibrous varieties.
Whether this is another fad or not, mangoes are good for you. Now I have a good excuse to indulge in lots of mangoes without guilt!
Mangoes: Natural Weight-Loss Food
This "fruit of India," as it is sometimes called, is unique in its wealth of nutrients and richness of flavor. Its pungent flavor is loved by most but may be an acquired taste for some. It delivers a great one-two nutrition punch.
Nutritional Values
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Mango
Calories: 54 Fat: 0 g Saturated Fat: <1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 14 g Protein: <1 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Sodium: 2 mg Vitamin A: 631 IU Niacin: <1 mg Riboflavin: <1 mg Thiamin: <1 mg Vitamin B6: <1 mg Vitamin C: 23 mg Calcium: 8 mg Magnesium: 7 mg Potassium: 129 mg Carotenoids: 381 mcg |
Health Benefits
If you're limiting your calorie intake, eating concentrated sources of nutrients makes sense. And mangoes deliver. Mangoes are a superior source of beta-carotene. In fact, they are one of the top beta-carotene providers you can eat. Consuming large amounts of this antioxidant has been linked to a reduced risk of some forms of cancers.
Mangoes are rich in another carotenoid called lycopene, which is a potent antioxidant. Lycopene works to protect cells and suppress tumor growth.
Just one mango provides almost an entire day's worth of vitamin C. Unlike many other fruits, mangoes contribute several B vitamins and the minerals calcium and magnesium.
Selection and Storage
There are hundreds of varieties of mangoes in every shape, size, and color. The color of mangoes ranges from yellow to red and will deepen as the fruit ripens, though some green may remain even in perfectly ripened fruits. When ripe, a mango has a sweet, perfumey smell. If it has a fermented aroma, then it's past its prime. Choose mangoes that feel firm, but yield to slight pressure. The skin should be unbroken, and the color should have begun to change from green to yellow, orange, or red. Though it's normal for mangoes to have some black spots, avoid those mottled with too many. It's a sign the fruit is overripe. Ditto for loose or shriveled skin. If you bring home a mango that isn't ripe, you can speed the process by placing it in a paper bag with a ripe mango. Check daily to avoid over-ripening.
Preparation and Serving Tips
Mangoes are very juicy. You can peel the fruit and eat it as you would a peach, but just be sure to have plenty of napkins or paper towels on hand to sop up the juice that runs down your chin.
The best way to prepare a mango is to first slice off the "cheeks." These are on both sides of the thin, elongated seed found in the middle of the mango. Once you have two halves, lay them skin-side down on the cutting board. Cut the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin. Then pick up the mango half and bend it backwards, so the cubes will pop up. Cut exposed cubes off of the skin.
Try eating chilled mangoes as dessert or as breakfast fruit. For extra zip, sprinkle them with a little lime juice. Mangoes are an indispensable ingredient in sauces and chutneys.
Complex carbohydrates, such as mangoes, help to jump-start your metabolism, so your body will burn more calories. When those midafternoon hunger pangs start to kick in, and they will, reach for that mango instead of that milk chocolate.
Source: Discovery Health "Mangoes: Natural Weight-Loss Food"
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Home Remedies Around the World
In Ghana where I grew up, one of the best home remedies for chest and nasal congestions was rubbing shea butter on the chest, face and nose of a feverish child, after a lukewarm bath to reduce a raging flu or malaria fever. Shea butter has proven medicinal properties and helps to protect and improve one's skin.
Koko (a corn-based porridge) or "kose" (a millet-based spiced porridge); and Ghana style "light soup" or "nkrakra" (a spicy tomato based soup with chicken, fresh or smoked fish, or mutton) with "agidi" (made from dehusked corn meal and steamed in banana or other leaves like a tamale) helps to soothe one's ailing soul.
There are so many other home remedies that Ghanaian families have used for years, including herbal remedies that can be purchased from a market or through a herbalist.
Other countries also have their home remedies and Woman's Day has compiled some home remedies from around the globe below.
Home Remedies Around the World
Find out how mothers cure common ailments—and whether it really works
By Danielle Braff Posted July 15, 2010 from WomansDay.com
Chicken soup may be good for the soul, but some people swear that it’s also good for the body. Many Americans reach for a steaming bowl of chicken soup whenever they’ve got a cold, while the equivalent remedy in Japan is ginger tea. But are these home cures, passed down from generation to generation, really therapeutic? We consulted experts about folk remedies from around the world to see if they’ve got any merit.American Moms: Chicken Soup for Cold Symptoms
Dosage: Sip on as much soup as you can manage, and repeat as necessary.
Verdict: Chicken soup inhibits white blood cell movement by a whopping 75 percent, which can reduce the symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection, according to a study by University of Nebraska researchers.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Native American Moms: Garlic Rub for Bee Stings
Dosage: Crush garlic bulbs and wrap them in a cloth. Rub the poultice onto the sting.
Verdict: Do it. Bee venom is acidic, and the natural components of garlic will neutralize the pain so you’ll feel immediate relief, says Ranella Hirsch, MD, clinical assistant professor at Boston University’s School of Medicine in Massachusetts, and past president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Greek Moms: Chamomile Herbal Tea with Honey and Brandy for Cold Symptoms
Verdict: This could help, says Kathi Kemper, MD, author of The Holistic Pediatrician and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine in North Carolina. Chamomile has relaxing properties, honey can help with a cough, and orange and lemon are used in cleaning products to zap germs, Dr. Kemper says. And the brandy? “It would probably be an enjoyable addition,” she adds.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Texas Moms: Meat Tenderizer for Jellyfish Stings
Dosage: Rub meat tenderizer powder directly onto the sting. Wash it off after 10 minutes. Note: The seasoned form of tenderizer may cause irritation, so make sure you use plain meat tenderizer.
Verdict: Skip it. A May 2010 study by researchers at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography found that papain and bromelain, ingredients commonly found in meat tenderizer, will actually make you feel worse. The pain from a jellyfish sting is caused when there is discharge of jellyfish nematocysts. Unfortunately, meat tenderizer causes even more nematocysts to be discharged.
Photo courtesy of eCrater.com.
Japanese Moms: Ginger Tea for Cold and Flu Symptoms
Dosage: Mix 2/3 cup of boiling water with 2 teaspoons of grated ginger and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add a few slices of fresh ginger root and drink the tea.
Verdict: Helps with some symptoms. Ginger can stimulate your circulation, which will help your body get rid of a cold faster. It’s also been shown to reduce nausea, and drinking liquid when you’re sick can help with congestion, Dr. Kemper says. Adding to that is a 2009 Iranian study that found women who were nauseated and vomiting decreased their illness by 50 percent after taking 1,000 mg of ginger daily.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Chinese Moms: Egg Rub for Headaches
Dosage: Hard-cook three eggs and peel off shell quickly. Wrap one in a cotton handkerchief and rub it on your head, face, neck and back. When the egg cools, throw it out and repeat the rub with a new, warm egg. Don’t shower for 24 hours.
Verdict: Skip it. Not one of our experts could figure out any positive effects of this remedy. “The use of an egg in the Chinese home remedy baffles me,” says Judy Fulop, MS, ND, integrative medicine specialist at the Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. And while Dr. Kemper says that they may be using the egg as a heating pad, it would only be helpful for a backache.
Photo by Shutterstock.
German Moms: Apple Cider Vinegar Rub for Sunburn
Dosage: Rub apple cider vinegar onto the burn. If the burn covers your entire body, pour two or three cups of the vinegar into your bath and soak in the water.
Verdict: It’s a toss-up. Aloe vera would work much better on a sunburn, but when all else fails, an apple cider vinegar rub couldn’t hurt, Fulop says. In fact, an apple cider vinegar poultice is commonly rubbed onto aching body parts because the alkaline nature of the vinegar decreases pain.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Spanish Moms: Garlic Herbal Tea with Honey for Cold Symptoms
Dosage: Bring 3 cups of water with 3 cloves of garlic to a boil. Turn off the heat, and add ½ cup of fresh lemon juice and ½ cup of honey. Drink ½ cup of the warm mixture three times daily.
Verdict: Each ingredient can help with a cold or the flu, Dr. Kemper says. The garlic has antibacterial properties, lemon is loaded with vitamin C and the honey will soothe your cough. “But it sounds like it will taste terrible,” she adds.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Russian and Ukrainian Moms: Vinegar Rub for Fever
Dosage: Soak a cotton bed sheet in a mixture of vinegar and water, and wipe it on your entire body.
Verdict: Eh. “I don’t know what vinegar would do, but if you use lukewarm water, it could lower your fever,” says Jon Abramson, MD, physician-in-chief at Brenner Children’s Hospital in North Carolina, and former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases. Instead of making the mixture and spoiling a sheet, Dr. Abramson suggests simply hopping into a lukewarm bath to slowly lower your body temperature to the 98–99°F range.
Photos by Shutterstock and Getty Images.
South African Moms: Honey and Cinnamon Paste for Acne and Facial Blemishes
Dosage: Mix 4 tablespoons of honey with 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Before going to sleep, apply it to your face; leave it on overnight. Apply as often as needed.
Verdict: The cinnamon is the most important part of this mix because it acts as an anti-inflammatory, and will take down the redness and puffiness, says Dr. Hirsch. But honey is also known for its healing and moisturizing properties when it’s applied to the skin.
Photo by Shutterstock.
Source:
Home Remedies - Home Remedies Around the World at WomansDay.com
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Senior Brain Boosters: Tips for Avoiding Age-Related Memory Loss
For most of us that are seniors or Baby Boomers, brain function and memory loss are a real challenge. Virginia Anderson of WebMD.com has compiled a number of things that you can do to boost your brain health and prevent memory loss.
Some of the tips such as sleep, exercise, drinking red wine and other drinks that contain the antioxidant resveratrol, and eating foods that boost brain function are real easy to incorporate in your daily life. Other tips such as mental workouts require some practice.
Mental exercises: A website that I recommend in addition to those listed below is Luminosity. You can set aside time to practice a few exercises each day.
Please feel free to share this link on your facebook page or with your friends and family.
7 Brain Boosters to Prevent Memory Loss
Experts share tips to help ward off age-related memory loss.
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Baby boomers have long been spending millions to save their sagging skin, fix their crow's feet, and plump their lips. Now, however, boomers are turning to brain boosters to fight an invisible effect of aging: memory loss.
While body parts sag and wrinkle, the brain actually shrinks with age, neural connections slow down, and fewer nerve cells are created, experts explain.
The process begins as early as your 30s and affects tens of millions of Americans, leaving them not only frustrated but also causing a loss of self-confidence, social impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life that can sometimes lead to self-neglect and serious health issues.
To thwart age-related memory loss, many people have turned to brain exercises and brain games such as chess, crossword puzzles, reading aloud, brushing teeth, and computer games like MindFit and Posit Science that promise mental sharpness if you practice enough.
But do those activities really work?
To find out, WebMD turned to several experts who study the effect of aging on the brain. They say there are steps we can take to keep our brains younger. Here's what you can do:
Brain Booster No.1: Exercise
Exercising is one of the most frequently cited activities to improve age-related memory.
"The one that has the most robust findings is physical exercise," says Molly Wagster, PhD, chief of the behavioral and systems neuroscience branch division of the National Institute on Aging.
And it helps if the exercise is aerobic, Wagster says. Studies have shown that older people who exercise -- and we're talking fairly easy exercise of moderate walking a few times a week -- outperformed couch potatoes after six months.
Experts do not fully understand why exercise helps boost brainpower, but it could be for several reasons. First, exercise diminishes stress, a key drain of brain energy, and it also helps overall health. It also helps people sleep better, which improves memory and keeps the blood flowing to all parts of your body.
"In general, what's good for the heart is good for the brain," says Gary Small, MD, director of the UCLA Center for Aging and author of iBrain, which examines, among other things the effect of the Internet on our brains.
Brain Booster No. 2: Eating a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables
Experts stress that people must pay attention to their diets and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, five to seven servings daily ranging from leafy greens to blueberries to tomatoes to sweet potatoes. While there is no one "brain food," antioxidants -- which are often found in fruits and vegetables -- help to curb free-radical damage to cells.
"Our brain kind of gets rusty with age," explains Small.
Also, experts say there's no magic brain vitamin or supplement that will protect against memory loss. P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD, chief of biological psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and author of The Alzheimer's Action Plan, says that B vitamins may help, as could the spice turmeric, but that studies are inconclusive.
Brain Booster No. 3: Mental Workouts
To keep your brain sharp, many experts say, you need to challenge it regularly.
"It's just like it is with muscles," says Randolph Schiffer, MD, director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
There is some evidence that mental gymnastics can help preserve memory, but some of the promises of computer games outstrip the reality of the benefits, researchers say.
"Nothing has met the gold standard," explains Doraiswamy. "If they had, they'd all be sold as prescription drugs."
Still, the games can't hurt, says Brenda Plassman, PhD, a professor in the department of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and the principal investigator of the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study. Plassman says she would simply caution older people not to spend money on something that hasn't been proved to work to help age-related memory loss.
"I would encourage people to look at various options for free," says Plassman.
Brain Booster No. 4: Sleep
Healthy sleep patterns are crucial for cognitive performance, especially memory, the experts say. That means at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Sleep is essential to lower levels of stress hormones, to relax and refresh your entire body, and to literally turn off your brain. "There are parts of sleep where memory gets archived," says Doraiswamy.
While it may be tempting to take over-the-counter -- or even prescription -- sleeping medications, be aware that many may impair memory. Check with your doctor about side effects of sleep medications, as well as all drugs.
Also, limit your intake of alcohol if you experience sleeping problems, as it can disrupt sleeping patterns.
Brain Booster No. 5: Red Wine
Some studies indicate that red wine is good for the heart and thus the brain, the experts say. Not all the reasons are understood, but many researchers believe red wine may be good for you because it contains the antioxidant resveratrol.
There is a possibility, however, that the benefits associated with red wine could come from other factors, such as the social aspect of wine drinking or income level associated with those who drink wine.
A 2007 study of elderly Italians showed that drinking alcohol in moderation may slow the progression to dementia in elderly people who already have mild mental declines. Defined in the study as less than one drink a day, low to moderate drinking was associated with a significantly slower progression to dementia among people with mild age-related cognitive declines, compared with nondrinkers.
Brain Booster No. 6: No More Multitasking
One of the biggest causes of failing to remember something, explains Small, is that "people aren't paying attention."
"As our brain ages, it's more difficult to do several things at once," says Plassman.
Multitasking thus becomes an impediment to remembering names, a recipe, or something you just read. That's because the brain first has to encode information before it can retrieve the information as memory. Unless the brain is paying attention and taking in the information it will later need, the brain cannot encode the information.
Brain Booster No 7: Learning New Memory Tricks
Small, who also authored the best-selling book The Memory Bible, says he teaches a technique called "look, snap, connect" in which participants are taught how to focus on someone or something and make a connection that will help them remember.
"These kinds of techniques can be learned very quickly," Small adds.
Long-practiced strategies such as linking a person's name to something else or another person are also helpful, or using sound associations, says Plassman. Check your local library, senior center, or hospital to see whether free classes might be offered.
While age-related memory loss is typically minor, be on the lookout for more serious memory loss in yourself or a loved one. "Forgetting where you parked your car is one thing," says Doraiswamy. "Forgetting that you have a car is another."
If memory loss is making an impact in your everyday life or getting worse, consult with a doctor.
Also, try to laugh a little about the age-related memory loss while doing what you can to curb it. While the loss is real, it's not as if you are losing control of your brain. The loss is relatively subtle, and in most cases, your brain still works like the incredible organ that it is.
"For many people, if you have a relatively good memory, forget about it," says Doraiswamy. "Shooting for the impossible (the memory we enjoyed in youth, for example) only induces stress."
Source: www.WebMD.com
"These kinds of techniques can be learned very quickly," Small adds.
Long-practiced strategies such as linking a person's name to something else or another person are also helpful, or using sound associations, says Plassman. Check your local library, senior center, or hospital to see whether free classes might be offered.
While age-related memory loss is typically minor, be on the lookout for more serious memory loss in yourself or a loved one. "Forgetting where you parked your car is one thing," says Doraiswamy. "Forgetting that you have a car is another."
If memory loss is making an impact in your everyday life or getting worse, consult with a doctor.
Also, try to laugh a little about the age-related memory loss while doing what you can to curb it. While the loss is real, it's not as if you are losing control of your brain. The loss is relatively subtle, and in most cases, your brain still works like the incredible organ that it is.
"For many people, if you have a relatively good memory, forget about it," says Doraiswamy. "Shooting for the impossible (the memory we enjoyed in youth, for example) only induces stress."
Source: www.WebMD.com
Top Concentration Killers: Multitasking, Boredom, Fatigue, and More
Attention deficit disorders can disrupt your life and have a negative impact on your ability to reach your goals. Often the solution that people are offered involves drug therapies that can actually compound your problems.
Jen Uscher of WebMD.com identifies six things that can negatively impact your concentration and then proposes a number of solutions to help you to refocus your concentration to enable you to keep on target with your goals and lead a much more orderly life. The key is to avoid behaviors that negatively affect your ability to concentrate. Since life happens, you then need to find a way refocus your attention and minimize the distractions.
6 Top Concentration Killers
Straying from the task at hand? Here's how to regain your focus.
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
Unanswered emails are clogging your inbox, you’re wondering when you’ll find time to pick up the dry cleaning, and your brain is foggy from too little sleep.
It’s not surprising you have such a hard time tackling the projects at work and at home that demand your full attention.
To help you concentrate, experts say you first need to identify what's derailing you. Here are six common concentration wreckers and what you can do about them.
1. Multitasking
“Multitaskers might feel like they’re getting more done, but it almost always takes longer to multitask than to devote your attention to one thing at a time,” says psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino, PhD, author of Find Your Focus Zone: An Effective New Plan to Defeat Distraction and Overload.
We lose time shifting between tasks. In a 2001 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, researchers from the University of Michigan and the Federal Aviation Administration did tests in which people solved math problems or classified geometric objects. The researchers found that people lost time when they switched between tasks. And when the tasks were more complex or unfamiliar, they took even more time to switch tasks.
The key, Palladino tells WebMD, is be choosy about when you multitask. It’s OK to talk on the phone while you’re folding the laundry, for example, but not while you’re working on a difficult or high-priority task - say, proofreading a report.
2. Boredom
Dull tasks can sap your ability to focus and make you more vulnerable to distractions.
“When you’re bored, almost anything else can be more attractive than what you’re doing,” says Gordon Logan, PhD, a psychology professor at Vanderbilt University.
Logan's tip: Give yourself little rewards, like a coffee or a favorite snack, for staying on task for a specific period of time.
“When a colleague of mine had to review a complex grant proposal, she rewarded herself with a chocolate-covered raisin each time she finished reading a page,” Logan says.
It’s also good to schedule breaks -- to take a 10-minute walk outside, for example -- so you’ll have something to looking forward to and a chance to recharge.
Boredom is one case when multitasking may work in your favor.
“Multitasking is often a help when you’re doing something so boring that you’re understimulated,” Palladino says.
If you’re having a hard time focusing on washing the dishes or filing your receipts, for instance, listening to the radio or texting a friend at the same time may keep you motivated.
3. Mental Distractions
When you’re worrying about money, trying to remember if you took your vitamins, and replaying a conversation in your head that didn’t go as planned, it's hard to settle down and stay focused on a project you’re trying to complete.
Those types of distractions -- the ones that are in your head -- “have a lot of power over us,” says Michael J. Baime, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and director of the Penn Program for Mindfulness.
One way to let go of these nagging thoughts is to quickly write them down. Add items to your to-do list, for instance, or vent your frustrations in a journal entry.
If you’re stressed about a certain problem, find a time to talk about it with someone you trust. “If you have a supportive, active listener, it can help drain away some of the tension that is bouncing around in your head,” says Daniel Kegan, PhD, JD, an organizational psychologist.
Meditation can also help.
“When you’re meditating, you learn to manage distracting thoughts so they don’t compel your attention so strongly. You discover how to refocus the attention and take it back and place it where you want it,” Baime tells WebMD.
In a 2007 study, Baime's team found that people who took an eight-week meditation course improved their ability to focus their attention.
To learn the basic techniques of meditation - such as focusing on the sensation of breathing and then transferring that focus to other sensations in the body -- Baime recommends taking an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction class, either in person or online.
4. Electronic Interruptions
“It’s easy to fall into aiding and abetting in your own distraction by checking your email all the time,” Kegan says. “If you’re trying to concentrate, you can lose your train of thought every time you hear ‘You’ve got mail’.”
We often feel like we need to respond to an email, text, instant message, or voice mail as soon as it’s received. But Palladino suggests drawing some lines so you’re not letting technology control you.
Carve out blocks of time when you can focus on your work without electronic interruptions. Try checking your email at set times each day (rather than constantly), and close your email program the rest of the time.
It may also help to change location. Take your laptop to a spot where you know you won’t have wireless access to the Web for a few hours, for example.
5. Fatigue
Many studies show that loss of sleep impairs attention, short-term memory, and other mental functions. “Your attention falls apart when you’re sleep deprived,” Baime says. Sleep needs vary, but most adults do best with 7-9 hours of nightly sleep. Getting at least seven hours of sleep will go a long way toward improving your focus during the day.
Also, try scheduling tasks that need more concentration during the times of day when you’re feeling the most alert. “Pay attention to your own biorhythms,” Kegan says, “and learn which times of day you work best.”
6. Drug Side Effects and Other Medical Issues
If your concentration problems hamper your ability to function at work or at home, or if you’re also noticing a physical symptom like weight gain or insomnia, tell your doctor. Poor concentration can stem from conditions such as ADHD, sleep apnea, depression, anemia, or thyroid disease. Certain medications, such as those used to treat depression, epilepsy, or influenza (flu) infections, may cause concentration difficulties as a side effect, as well.
Source: WebMD.com
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