New York Times columnist Jane E. Brody wrote recently,  "When I complained to my 30-something son that I cannot seem to remember anything unless I write it down and stare at it, he said reassuringly, 'Mom, by now you've got so much crammed into your head, something is bound to fall out.'"

Most people from middle age onwards know what she's talking about. Memory loss is a common problem that is often joked about..Cleverly, Brody has come up with a 'cheat' way of remembering things, so she doesn't have to resort to fudging phrases like 'thingamajigs' and 'you know who'. She's discovered 'mnemonics'. If you ever learned a rhyme in school to help you remember the notes of the musical scale you'll know what it means.

Brody explains, "To remember what I have to do or buy when I can't write it down I concoct an unforgettable mnemonic like 'Babies Are Little Children' for bananas, apples, lettuce, cereal." To read more of her amusing personal account, click here.

Mnemonics are a valuable tool prescribed by neuropsychologists for getting around memory loss. But there is an even smarter way and that's to improve your brain's memory capacity.

In the past decade scientists have discovered that memory cells aren't finite as previously believed. In fact, new cells are constantly being generated and our supply can be increased by various activities. In addition the connections between brain cells, which are vital in transmitting memories, can be boosted by brain training exercises. HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness offers computer-based brain training exercises that target the brain pathways associated with memory, attention, speed and problem solving. Why learn a rhyme when you can automatically memorize the name of the person you just met? Find out more by clicking here.

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The San Francisco Chronicle reports that aging baby boomers, who decades ago created the physical fitness boom, are now "investing time and money to maintain what's above their six pack abs and rippling biceps: their brains."

The paper says that an enterprising San Francisco couple have opened the first brain 'boutique' offering a wide range of brain training products.

"Studies show that regular mental workouts are WD-40 for the brain," the store's co-founder Lisa Schoonerman told the Chronicle. Their store, planned as just the first in a chain around San Francisco, offers a wide range of brain training programs including classes, lectures, author appearances and a sunny sitting room where tea and 'smart snacks' like walnuts - rich in Omega 3 fatty acids - are in reach. For the full report in the Chronicle, click here.

The good news is that you don't have to live in San Francisco to enjoy the best brain training available. Leading neuroscientists have created a targeted, computer-based brain training program for HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness, available for less than $20 a month. Regarded among the finest ever developed, it stimulates the different brain pathways associated with memory,  attention, speed and problem solving. To find out more, click here.

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Worried about losing your memory as you are getting older? The San Francisco Chronicle recently published the Alzheimer's Association 10 Top Tips to Maintain Your Brain. There are things you can do now to protect your brain from memory loss:

1. Head first. Good health starts with your brain. It's one of the most vital body organs and needs care and maintenance.

2. Take brain health to heart. What's good for the heart is good for the brain. Do something every day to prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke - all of which can increase your risk of Alzheimer's.

3. Numbers count. Keep your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels within recommended ranges.

4. Feed your brain: East less fat and more anti-oxidant rich foods (fish, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts).

5. Work your body. Exercise keeps the blood flowing and may encourage new brain cells. Do what you can - like walking 30 minutes a day - to keep both mind and body active.

6. Jog your mind. Keeping your brain active and engaged increases its vitality and builds reserves of brain cells and connections. Read, write, play games, learn new things, do crossword puzzles.

7. Connect with others. Leisure activities that combine physical, mental and social elements may be most likely to prevent dementia. Be social, converse, volunteer, join a club or take a class.

8. Protect your brain. Take precautions against head injuries. Use seatbelts, unclutter your house to avoid falls, and wear a helmet when cycling or rollerblading.

9. Use your head. Avoid unhealthy habits. Don't smoke, drink alcohol excessively or use street drugs.

10. Think ahead. Do something today to protect your tomorrow.

Increasing evidence suggests that another important way of maintaining your memory is to train your brain, in a similar way to training your body. In fact  the latest scientific studies suggest that brain training can even restore ailing memory and keep your concentration, memory and mental speed in peak condition throughout your life. Neuropsychologists have developed targeted brain training exercises, now available as a software computer program, through HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness. To find out more, click here.

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It's now known that only about a third of people who have Alzheimer's Disease actually develop the debilitating symptoms. The rest live perfectly normal lives and only after they have died do autopsies reveal their brains were riddled with the tell-tale Alzheimer's scars. And so what is it that causes these people to resist the disease in their lifetime?

A report in The New York Times says scientists now believe the reason is what's known as 'cognitive reserve' - that some brains develop extra neurons and connections which act as a kind of spare supply, so later on if their brain experiences any loss of memory cells, their brain automatically draws on the reserve and people appear to function quite normally. You can read the full report by clicking here.

So how do people get this 'cognitive reserve'?'The New York Times says scientists know of several key ways in which this happens.

Brain stimulation is crucial. A New York study founds that people who enjoy a busy life full of leisure activities that are active and social had a 38 per cent lower risk of developing dementia. Most helpful are mentally stimulating activities pursued with other people - like community gardening, taking classes, volunteering, or participating in a play-reading group.

Physical activity plays a role, too by improving blood flow to the brain, which in turn stimulates the growth of new neurons, or memory cells, and neuronal connections. People who exercise regularly - just a half hour walk several times a week will do - are one third less likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease in their 70s. Even those who start exercising in their 60s cut their risk in half.

Another way is through brain training exercises. Neurospychologist Nicola Gates has developed brain exercises which are designed to activate different functional systems, including memory, attention, language, speed and problem solving. Regularly doing these tasks can strengthen these areas of the brain and has been shown ti protect the brain against age-related memory disease. Headstrong Cognitive Fitness offers these exercises on a computer software program. To find out more, click here.

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It's now a well-known scientific fact that as we age, we need to 'use or lose' our brains. What is now emerging is how important it is that when we use it we are extending ourselves.

"You need to feel as if you are mentally sweating in order to really affect the brain, and that's regularly, not just once a month," says a new report in The Times of India.

No wonder it's often dubbed 'brain exercise' or even 'brain gym'  by mental health experts who encourage people from their mid fifties onwards to push their brain's beyond their comfort zone., in the same way that getting fit means doing what makes you puff!

Whether it is doing crossword puzzles, playing an instrument, taking up a new hobby or meeting new people, getting your brain to reach a little bit further encourages the production of fresh brain cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain which controls concentration and memory.

As researchers understand more about how our brain works,  neuroscientists like those at HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness, are able to create highly targeted activities which stimulate those areas of the brain responsible for memory. These are far more effective than sudoku or other puzzles at ensuring your brain stays in tip top health regardless of your age. In fact, recent studies have found that doing regular brain exercises can protect the brain from the onset of dementia and even Alzheimer's Disease for years to come. What to find out more? Click here to see what Headstrong's computer-based brain training program can offer you.

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Use it or lose it! It  Working out your brain with regular exercise is so important in staving off memory loss that a leading Alzheimer's expert warns "You, yourself, have the capacity to ward off the worst."

Dr Sid Gilman, a University if Michigan Professor of Neurology and President of the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center told the Detroit Free Press, "People who use their brains for games, reading and the like, wind up doing much better than people who do not actively use their minds."

"When you keep your brain working, using its fuel, that slows down the processes that lead to Alzheimer's, dementia." 

While doing puzzles and games like Sudoko have proven to be helpful, they only target a small part of the brain. For a comprehensive mental workout, a leading neuropsycholgist has developed a series of software-based brain training exercises for HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness. In the same way that regular physical exercise keeps your body fit, regularly practising these exercises is known to boost the brain's memory and protect against age-related illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. To find out more, click here.

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British neuropsychologist Dr Lauren Stewart has spoken out in favor of brain training software, warning that people can either "use it or lose it" when it comes to memory as we age.

"Learning of any kind does forge new neuronal connections," she told CNN. There are numerous examples of learning in adulthood and structural brain changes accompanying this," she said.  Indeed, the more you practise certain memory tasks, the stronger the connection becomes between the memory cells in the brain. As a result, the brain works more quickly and memory comes comes more easily.

HeadStrong Congitive Fitness is a world leader in brain training exercises. Their computer-based exercise program has been developed by a neuropsychologist to target the brain pathways responsible for attention, memory and problem solving. You can join up for as little as US$20 a month and enhance your memory skills and protect against age-related  illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. To find out more, click here.

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Little things like walking into a room and then forgetting why you walked in, are early signs of  brain deterioration that happens naturally with age. And they can lead to more serious problems like dementia if left unchecked.  But retirees in Michigan are fighting back and reinvigorating their ailing memories at a new six-week workshop being conducted at Troy Community Center. The course is led by retired psychologist Betty Coven, 75.

The six week course, available to those over 55, includes activities and games aimed at improving memory and thinking skills. Homework  for participants requires going to a new restaurant, writing, learning a new skill and crossword puzzles. After just a few weeks participants report they feel small improvements in their memory.

"We used to think that, as you aged, if  you lost brain cells they were gone forever. Now they know, the more you use it, the more you have; the more you have, the more you use it," Coven told the Detroit Free Press Website. To read the full story, click here.

Mounting scientific evidence supports Coven's view that a mind that is kept active with a combination of thinking and memory challenges can stave off age-related brain decline. If you're keen to protect your memory against the effects of aging, HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness offers computer-based brain exercises, developed by a neuroscientist,  which target the neural pathways associated with attention, memory and concentration. Ongoing practice of these exercises can protect the brain for years to come against the debilitating affects of memory loss. To find out more, click here.

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