Willie Nelson crooned the love tune Sweet Memories. But the truth is sweets and memories don’t go together. For the 105 million North Americans who have too-high blood sugar levels, memories are more likely to be swept away than sweet. And, according to the journal Neurology, even for people who have normal blood sugar levels (70-100mg/dL, fasting), high-normal levels dampen verbal recall more than lower-normal levels do.
What does this mean for you? Your ability to learn and consolidate memories is affected by your diet, physical activity and stress-management choices. (Soon we expect a smartphone app and attachment that gives minute-to-minute blood sugar readings—you’ll know which foods and activities are protecting—or damaging—your memory!)
So, to reduce your risk of memory problems, here’s a simple plan that’ll have you singing Thanks for the Memories!
- Guard against mid-section belly fat that's linked to dementia by eliminating the Five Food Felons (added sugars and sugar syrups, any grain that isn’t 100 percent whole and saturated and trans fats).
- Get up and moving—sitting down too many hours a day raises triglyceride levels, lowers good HDL cholesterol and triggers insulin insensitivity (a hallmark of type 2 diabetes). Dr. Mike’s treadmill desk is one smart solution; so is walking for 10 minutes after every 90 minutes of sitting. And start a daily walking routine—heading for 10,000 steps a day.
- Reduce your stress with 10 to 20 minutes of meditation—using progressive relaxation, mindfulness or breathing routines.
Medically reviewed in January 2020.
