Supporting Memory

Photo: HE Garchen Rinpoche & the Venerable Traga Rinpoche meeting again in Asia, 2017

In the last year, my ideas about supporting memory have shifted considerably. I for sure wouldn’t describe memory disabilities as a one-way path downhill, as they often seem to be portrayed. Instead, I’ve seen some surprising recoveries and at least one pretty shocking episode of memory loss with substantial reversal.

I’m in my seventies. My beloved family members and clients are aging. Supporting memory in myself and others has become paramount for independence, healthy connections, and quality of life. First I’m going to say some things you already know, yet may be ignoring.

Then I’ll go on to the newer break throughs and ancient practical supports, plus some free recipes. Yet first off, here’s lifestyle observations, from the perspective that memory is a whole-body process.

Fatigue

When we’re exhausted, our memory abilities can plummet. Pacing oneself, not running yourself routinely into the ground is crucial for memory at any age. Key Ayurveda herbs for enhancing memory often also support sleep and equanimity. More on this further down

Paying attention and the role of distraction

Awareness, paying attention to details and writing lists all support healthy functional memory. Conversely, distraction, on the rise in a digital age, can trip it up swiftly.

The senses in supporting memory

If you don’t see or hear something, it’s hard to remember it. Our senses support our interface with the world. Untreated mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia. Visual impairment also has a connection with memory. People receiving cataract surgery reduce their risk of dementia as much as 30%. Addressing treatable sensory deficits can improve our risks of long life and memory substantially.

There’s interesting research happening in the realm of aroma, exploring whether olfactory memory, which can be vivid, may be used in supporting memory. Loss of smell can be a warning sign for neurological challenges.

Disassociation and depression

Healthy connections are crucial in supporting memory. I’ve been shocked this past year to see several people I love check out – then check back in. Their mental acuity came back as they re-engaged with life. This was both exciting, noticeable - and relieving.

If there’s a history of trauma, disassociation can be a learned survival skill. We may unconsciously “choose” to check out as a coping mechanism when life is challenging later. Yet if we’re not connecting with awareness, memory can strongly diminish. This is a reversable condition. Yet it can also become a lifelong pattern.

Depression can be mistaken for dementia. Depression can include episodic memory loss. If and when the depression clears, memory can substantially improve. Yet it needs to be recognized to have a chance to heal.

Supporting memory with healing substances

Ayurveda

Ayurvedic herbs have a long history of strengthening memory through support of the brain and the whole nervous system, enhancing sleep, and clearing toxins for whole-body health. Healthy movement and breath are teamed with herbs to support memory.

Shankhapushpi, brahmi/bacopa, ashwagandha, gotu kola, and tulsi are commonly used for these purposes. Here’s a good intro to these and how to use them.

TCM

Traditional Chinese medicine offers other options in supporting memory. One of the most effective and easily available substances currently is the therapeutic mushroom, lion’s mane. It strengthens memory, cognition, and the cardiovascular system; it is anti-inflammatory; and it can help relieve mild depression and anxiety. It also plays a healing role in leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome. Brain fog and gut distress can both be addressed with this natural ally.

I appreciate how easily both the Ayurveda herbs and lion’s mane can be used as powders in daily drinks and foods. See the recipes at the end of this Substack for ideas you might apply in your own life.

Western medicine

Western medical practitioners have made key breakthroughs in supporting memory in recent years. The work of Dale Bredesen, MD has inspired many people to better mental and physical health. His book The Ageless Brain includes thorough discussions of food, supplements, and lifestyle practices for supporting memory. I’ve seen them make a definite difference.

Choline (in the form of sunflower lecithin), Omega 3 foods and supplements, B complex vitamins, and acetyl-L-carnitine supplements are all substances he discusses. Each of these I’ve found helpful in improving cognition and memory.

Bredesen is outspoken in what foods he finds useful and those he advices his patients to eliminate. On his YES list: high phytonutrient foods (think whole fruits and veggies, colorful foods), high fiber foods, foods high in healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, wild-caught low-mercury fish, pastured poultry and eggs, grass-fed meats, dark leafy greens, some fermented foods, like beets or sauerkraut.

On Bredesen’s NO list are simple carbs, especially white sugar, caffeine, preservatives, alcohol, grains, and dairy. We’ve found an interesting grain-free bread, Base Culture brand, that works well for sandwiches. NOTE: it’s not vegan; it does have eggs. Like many Paleo products, it is pricy – close to $10 per loaf. Yet I’ve found it worth the cost so far.

Here’s a few more specific conditions that can affect memory:

ADHD: Organizing space and time

If you’ve worked with ADHD directly in your own life, the frustrations related to organization and memory can become heightened with aging. Yet there are strategies that work well for ADHD in countering memory challenges. Interestingly, these approaches aren’t helpful in dementia, as it impacts a different part of the brain than ADHD.

For ADHD, organizing spatially by consistently putting key objects in the same places and applying easy to use formats for scheduling the day can relieve a substantial amount of mental suffering. One evening years ago I was at a lecture at Southwestern College given by a psychiatrist with ADHD who also worked with ADHD patients. At least half the audience was intimately familiar with ADHD. The number of ways to organize time and space discussed that night were remarkable.

Oxygen and memory

We need oxygen to think, at every age. Oxygen directly supports cognition and memory. Pulse oximeters are simple finger clips that can be used to assess one’s blood oxygen saturation levels. Levels of 90% and above are best for healthy function. If you have a respiratory condition that seriously impairs your O2 levels, addressing this issue is an important way to preserve your memory.

Medications and memory loss

Anti-anxiety drugs, benzodiazepines, tricyclic depressants, sleeping aids, opioid painkillers, urinary continence drugs, and others have documented deleterious effects on memory and cognition. Click here to look at a full list with alternatives. Mixing these can be especially dangerous, yet this commonly occurs.

I work with a strong number of people over 80 years of age. One experience in the last few months completely shocked me. A healthy elder was given the standard dose of a muscle relaxer for an appropriate condition, 10 mg capsules. What they and their practitioner didn’t realize was that previously they had tolerated HALF that dose well, 5 mg. Since the last time they’d used the drug, their kidney function had deteriorated, making clearing of medications slower. The drug was building up in their system without anyone realizing it. The client, their PCP, and their family were all aware conscientious people.

Yet three days on the wrong dose of muscle relaxers and the person could barely speak. A few days before they had been quite articulate. Now all they could manage was, I don’t know and look helplessly at their loved ones. Suddenly they lacked the cognition and memory to be able to do even the most basic self care tasks.

Their PCP quickly titrated them off the drug. Yet it took a full week for them to remember daily events or routines with any acuity. And months before their basically good cognition and ordinary mediocre short-term memory kicked back in. This simple and horrifying assault on memory threatened their ability to remain safely at home. They did recover fortunately and are still living independently with support.

Uplift on this new moon day

The new moon was at 5:51 am MT this morning. Yet its effects will percolate through this day and beyond. One Substack that steadily uplifted me in the midst of this chaotic and fast-moving day was written by Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer) Michelle Berry. Thanks for the inspiration! She describes the auspicious conditions for spiritual insights between now and April 19^th. LINK

Meeting my teachers

The two Tibetan monks pictured here are HE Garchen Rinpoche on the right and the Venerable Traga Rinpoche on the left. When I first met them, they each looked at me with recognition. Ah, we know you. Glad to see you again. I was dumbfounded. We came from such different cultures and life conditions. How could this be? Yet I remembered them, too. There’s different kinds of memory.

Earth Day tomorrow

Remembering Mother Earth with gladness: Earth Day will be celebrated tomorrow April 18^th and also April 22 this year. Find out more here.

May Day Strong

Reflecting on what values matter now, I invite you to May Day Strong, hosted by the Women’s March and many other community groups this May 1^st. No work, no school, no shopping is the plan. Gather in support of the present and future you want to create for yourself and your loved ones.

Supporting Memory Recipes

Here’s two favorites in our household. Feel free to modify them to suit your needs.

MEMORY ELECTROLYTE WATER

Takes 10 minutes, tri-doshic, healthy in all seasons.

In a clean glass jar (we use recycled 12-oz Kombucha bottles), place:

1 teaspoon lion’s mane powder (supports memory and nervous system)

½ teaspoon organic tulsi powder (antioxidant, adaptogen)

Pour in:

¼ cup boiling water (no need to be exact. I put in about ¼ of the bottle.)

Steep for a few minutes while you do other things.

Add:

8 oz more pure cool water

1 – 2 tablespoons organic lemon juice

Pinch of mineral salt

1/8 teaspoon organic stevia powder (or other sweetener as desired)

Shake.

Add:

2 capsules acetyl-L-carnitine, 500 mg/capsule (open them up, shake them in) (optional, memory support)

Shake. Bless.

Can be drunk throughout the day as a restorative when thirsty.

With much thanks to my mentor and friend, Dr. Rich Panico for his guidance on this one.

MEMORY SUN BALLS

Time: 20 minutes Makes about 24 balls

Calms Vata, calms Pitta, neutral effect on Kapha eaten in moderation

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsps raw or toasted sunflower seeds

¼ cup unsweetened sunflower or almond butter

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract (optional)

3 Tablespoons raw honey

2 Tablespoons tahini

2 Tablespoons sunflower lecithin powder

1 teaspoon lions mane powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of mineral salt (optional)

¼ - ½ cup carob powder or shredded, unsweetened coconut

Grind the sunflower seeds in a blender until fine. Mix the ground seeds with all the other ingredients (except the carob or coconut) in a bowl. Needs to be sticky enough to hold together into balls.

Pour the carob or coconut on a small plate. Make 1-inch balls and roll in the carob or coconut. The smaller you make them, the better for Kapha. These are nutrient-dense, heavy.

A good snack food.

NOTE: the lecithin, lion’s mane, and sunflower seeds are all fine brain supports.

Here’s a friendly dairy-free alternative, if you’re needing one:

PUMPKIN SEED MILK

Suitable for all seasons, tridoshic

Soak over night:

1/3 cup raw organic pumpkin seeds in

1 quart water with

½ teaspoon mineral salt

In morning, strain, add a fresh ¾ cup water to the seeds and blend well until smooth. Makes about 1 quart Pumpkin Seed Milk. Store in glass mason jar in fridge.

Thanks for hanging in here!

Love, Amadea

Image: Meeting thanks to a Dharma sibling in Asia

Bio: I’m a Polarity Therapist and Ayurveda health educator practicing in Santa Fe, NM. My most recent seasonal cookbook Easy Healing Drinks from the Wisdom of Ayurveda is on special here.