At 95, your brain should be just as sharp as 24.
This is according to Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith, a diplomate of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians.
This is something that I always tell the women who go through our programs: It’s hard for us to reconcile with our brains still feeling young while our bodies are lagging behind.
I can do things with my body now that I couldn’t do when I was 18, because I’ve trained consistently for the past five years, but this is not easy for everyone.
But with the combination of nutrition, exercise, cognitive training, socialization, the mindset of staying young and keeping our bodies in good shape… all the things you want to do can be achievable.
Retirement is not the end. It’s the beginning of a whole new life.
You can learn new languages, hobbies, arts, music… all these are so good for your brain.
Brain fog is one of the symptoms women experience in menopause.
And when it comes to memory, there are some hormones that are involved.
In today’s episode of The Best of The Menopause Movement Podcast, we talk about ways on how to support brain fog with Rena Yudkowsky, who is a professional memory coach and geriatric social worker.
During the podcast, Rena shares how she became a memory coach, the role hormones play in memory and the memory hormone, PLUS:
• Why it’s important to have skin in the game
• Being a recovering perfectionist
• Removing obstacles
• Remembering all you can about a scene when you’re writing
• The inception of ideas and where they come from
• Imposter syndrome
• Permission
• Bringing back an old skill and how words have power
And stay to the end to find out how to deal with imposter syndrome and find more ambition.
Resources:
• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.menopausemovement.com/podcast)
• Connect with me on Instagram (@drmichellegordon)
• Follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/drmichellegordon)
• Check out my LinkedIn posts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon/)
• Rena Yudkowsky’s Website and Facebook Group
Books mentioned in this episode:
• Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington https://amzn.to/2Wv9Spj
• The Brain Warrior’s Way: Ignite Your Energy and Focus, Attack Illness and Aging, Transform Pain into Purpose by Daniel Amen and Tana Amen https://amzn.to/3hicFMd
• What You Must Know About Memory Loss and How You Can Stop It: A Guide to Proven Techniques and Supplements to Maintain, Strengthen, or Regain Memory by Pamela Wartian Smith https://amzn.to/2WyaxGn
• Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley https://amzn.to/2WxCYUP
• Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food by Catherine Shanahan, M.D. https://amzn.to/2KJNiq2
• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg https://amzn.to/37yFLn3
• The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale Bredesen https://amzn.to/3nCO4nF
Amazon pays me a small fee when you buy using these links.
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
[02:40] Rena’s background and professional experience
[05:00] Role of hormones in memory
[07:58] Why sleep matters for everyone
[08:21] What sleep does for the brain
[09:23] Exercising to maintain the sharpness of the brain
[13:04] How to find balance in strengthening the body and mind
[13:53] Opportunities of retirement
[15:13] What is the memory hormone
[18:48] Sally’s story
[19:58] Why lifestyle modification positively affects people
[21:39] Helping someone who is suffering from a cognitive problem
[22:55] Advice for people caring for loved ones with cognitive impairment
[25:49] What can you do if you have brain fog
[26:23] Stop multitasking and be more mindful
[30:50] Use your senses to encode a memory
[32:47] Not doing things automatically
[33:48] Behavior change is hard but not impossible
[35:23] The difference between normal and abnormal memory loss or function
[38:53] You can fight your genes
[40:43] Importance of self talk and not beating yourself down
[41:52] Reaching out to people who have memory loss or cognitive impairment
About the Guest:
Rena Yudkowsky is a memory coach and geriatric social worker. With over twenty years of professional experience, Rena has helped many individuals—particularly seniors and midlifers—overcome struggles with memory functions. She is the founder of Memory Matters, a course and group that helps improve the memory processes of different people. She aims to encourage people aged fifty years and older that they can age beautifully, both in the physical and cognitive state.