Having a Senior Moment? Blame Sugar

By Kelley Herring

If you've had embarrassing lapses in memory, it may be time to pay better attention to your blood sugar.

New research published in the journal Annals of Neurology focused on an area of the hippocampus - the "dentate gyrus" - that is responsible for age-related memory decline. The researchers conducted brain scans on humans and animals, and found that reduced activity in this memory center was closely linked to blood sugar. What's more, they found that it doesn't take off-the-charts levels of blood sugar or the presence of diabetes to damage the dentate gyrus.

Maintain your memory by enjoying a low-glycemic diet packed with brain foods like wild fish, organic omega-3 eggs, raw nuts and seeds, nutrient-packed organic veggies, and grass-fed meats. And when the sweet tooth strikes, reach for berries or cherries (which are naturally low in sugar), or a dessert made with all-natural, zero-glycemic erythritol.

It's Good to Know: Why We Still Have Fax Machines

"Poor line condition... what the heck does that mean?"

"Arghh! This machine is eating my pages!"

Ah, the joys of the fax machine! This surprisingly old technology (patented in 1843) is still holding its own in offices worldwide (consuming about 200 billion pieces of paper per year), despite the advent of the Internet and e-mail. So why is it still around?

For one thing, fax machines are everywhere: doctors' offices, grocery stores, real estate offices, your mechanic's shop... the list goes on. It includes the many small businesses that haven't yet joined the Net revolution. (Yes, they are out there.) Furthermore, fax machines are easy to use. And they are all completely compatible with each other. You can even use your computer to send a fax to a fax machine, or vice versa.

(Source: Wired)

Word to the Wise: Contravene

To "contravene" (kon-truh-VEEN) - from the Latin for "to oppose" - is to act against or be in conflict with.

Example (as used by Jacob Heilbrunn in a New York Times review of Baptism by Fire: Eight Presidents Who Took Office in Times of Crisis by Mark K. Updegrove): "As president... Jefferson contravened his own strict view of the presidency's limited powers by authorizing the Louisiana Purchase, which more than doubled the size of the United States and plunged it into debt."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2577, 01-28-09], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.