Internal strategies are things we ‘do inside our brain’ to remember things. This includes paying attention by focusing on what is being said and reducing any background distractions. Another method is organizing information in small chunks of five or six ‘bits’ of information together. Making visual pictures is an effective strategy to remember things. ‘A picture is worth 1,000 words.’ We remember pictures and images better than words. Thinking of a picture activates the right hemisphere of the brain; just thinking of a word uses mainly your left brain.

Your gums are constantly changing. When the remaining gum or residual ridge atrophies or “shrinks”, it changes the shape of the face and mouth. These changes happen gradually and then your denture no longer fits properly. Your denturist is the most qualified person to tell you if refitting or “relining” the denture base to compensate for these changes can be made or if your dentures need to be replaced. Here are some signs that your dental prosthesis need to be checked. *Problems chewing certain foods, *Thinning lips, sagging mouth or change in facial features, *Prosthesis loose or falling out when speaking or laughing *Discoloration and odor.

Chronic stress is harmful to people of all ages, but its impact on older adults can be particularly severe, increasing the risk of age-related diseases, hastening cognitive decline and even triggering falls. Stressors that are common amongst the elderly include: loss of control, personal loss, declining health, financial worries, personal safety and loss of independence. To reduce stress, get regular exercise, eat balanced meals to ensure the mind and body are properly fueled and ask for help. Talking with a trusted family member, friend or healthcare professional, at the very least, releases pent-up stress and may even lead to a solution.

As many may agree, wealth is about having money and possessions (our net worth). However, you may have also heard that ‘money cannot buy happiness’. By shifting the concept of wealth to “Wellth”, we shift the priority from finding the tangible/objective (wealth) to the internally realized/subjective (wellth), which leads to greater wellness and health for individual and for our community. By emphasizing “Real” we highlight that it is in the here-and-now, not focused on the future or past. Building wellness and health today is what really makes us wealthy, which supports our idea of “Real Wellth” and why it needs to be a priority.

As we get older, health conditions, mobility limitations or lack of energy can keep us from being as socially active as we once were. A diminishing social life might happen gradually as close friends experience the same conditions and family members grow busy. We may not notice how long it has been since we last spent time with a friend! Isolation has many physical and emotional health risks. Especially if you live by yourself, staying socially active is critical to enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Volunteer at a local organization, join a senior living community or find a group that focuses on similar interests.

There are a few baseline supplements that are highly recommended and proven to improve and enhance your state of health and nutrition profile, and to help you feel your best self! These include: Vitamin D, Probiotics, a good greens powder, Omega 3 EFAs, and a good multi and/or B complex. Taken daily, these supplements together with a whole foods diet, stress management, sufficient exercise, and creating more joy in your life will take good care of you and your loved ones this Autumn season.

Our brain is the most amazing part of our body. It comes up with creative ways to express our thoughts and emotions, coordinates movements, stores our most precious childhood memories, and solves the Sunday crossword. But it’s easy to take these powers for granted. As we age, our brain needs more activity to keep it young. Learning to play a game or music increases brain stimulation. In-depth reading stimulates the brain to think, focus and analyze. Research studies indicate reading just 30 minutes a day boosts memory because it uses many parts of the brain. It is believed reading fiction enhances brain connectivity and function.