By Hu Naiwen｜Translated by Minghui Wang
Pictures by Shutterstock
Have you ever forgotten your phone or wallet at home? Do you ever turn everything upside down just to find an everyday item?
The busy, modern lifestyle has made these scenarios more common among working adults, with some people even experiencing symptoms of memory loss. This often comes down to the chronic stress from overworking, staying up late, irregular sleep schedules, excessive brain activity, and chronic fatigue. When our body is not able to fully rest, our memory tends to perform poorly. If the issue is neglected for too long, early-onset dementia could be only a step away.
In this article, we’ll show you how to help keep your brain “young” with acupoint massage, simple recipes, and a daily 15-minute habit to enhance your memory.
Four Acupoints for Clear Memory
On the top of the head, there is a Baihui (One Hundred Meetings) acupoint. It is located at the intersection where a line between the tips of the two ears meet. The Sishencong acupoints are located one inch from the Baihui acupoint in all four directions. Gently tapping these acupoints with your hand or a comb (a wooden or horn comb) can enhance your memory.
According to traditional Chinese medicine studies, there are 12 standard meridians in the human body, and each corresponds with an organ. The meridian of the heart goes through the arm. Its path traces from the inner corner of the pinky through the arm. Along that path, at its intersection with the wrist line, you’ll find the Shenmen (Spirit Gate) acupoint, another acupoint capable of strengthening your memory.
As its name suggests, the Spirit Gate acupoint is crucial for maintaining a clear consciousness. Massaging it often can invigorate the mind and bring about better rest. It restores energy the brain can use to process information, which in turn enhances memory.
The Zusanli (Leg Three Miles) acupoint under the knee of either leg also helps with memory. To find it, place four fingers horizontally below the lower end of the kneecap. The Zusanli point is closely associated with stomach metabolism, and massaging it can promote a more efficient transfer of the needed nutrients to the brain. This is one way memory can become stronger.
A 15-Minute Daily Habit to Clear Your Mind
The outside information we take in, our input, needs to be processed before we can turn it into valuable output. The massages mentioned above can help with this processing. Brain-clearing exercises are great too. As the brain enters a relaxed, serene state, it’s able to sort through the input more effectively. That’s why moderate exercises (like biking) for 15 to 20 minutes a day can optimize brain operation and help reduce the chance of early memory loss. Soon you’ll find that as your mind becomes clearer, you also work better and more efficiently.
Meditation is a great way to clear the mind. It lets your brain “tidy up” the information you took in earlier. Listening to slow-paced music has this effect too. Try the one-beat-per-second kind. It calms your spirits and allows you to concentrate better, thus elevating your productivity. When enjoying unhurried music, my heart rate slows down, as does my breathing, and I feel calmer. When the pressure is alleviated, the hippocampus in the brain is able to relax and absorb like a sponge, the optimal state for learning new information.
Recipes to Improve Memory
Longan and Lotus Congee
This nutritious Chinese porridge is the perfect afternoon snack to help school-age children clear their minds before studying. It’s great for adults too, especially for those who need to stay up late at night.
Ingredients: Jujube (0.18 oz.), longan (0.5 oz.), glutinous rice (1 oz.), and lotus seed (0.5 oz.).
Recipe: Soak the glutinous rice in water for about an hour and clean all other ingredients. Put everything into the pot, along with 4.25 cups of water. Boil with the lid closed for 30 to 60 minutes. Lastly, add in some brown sugar for taste.
Each ingredient complements the others to clear the mind and enhance the memory. Longan calms the mind; lotus seed soothes the brain and the spleen-stomach system; jujube and glutinous rice help to fill and balance the stomach-spleen.
Wisdom-Enhancing Decoction
Ingredients: Walnut pieces (0.2 oz.), poria cocos (0.2 oz.), spine date seed (0.18 oz.), longan pulp (0.14 oz.), and tremella mushroom (0.18 oz.).
Recipe: Soak the dry tremella mushroom in water for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain the water. Then tear the mushrooms into smaller pieces and cook thoroughly by boiling them in a quart of water for about 15 minutes. They should turn from white to translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients to the water. When it boils, turn down the heat and cook for 30 minutes. Next take out the spine date seed. Lastly, add the crystal sugar. Let the mixture cool before serving.
According to an old Chinese saying, you can heal a body part by eating a food that looks similar. Since the walnut is shaped like a brain, it functions to nourish that organ. Poria cocos grows on the roots of pine or cedar trees. A type of fungi, poria cocos clears one’s mind and improves sleep. Likewise, the spine date seed is a tonic for insomnia. The longan pulp improves brain function and prevents memory loss. The decoction is completed with sliced tremella mushroom, which will give it a delightfully thick texture.
Other Foods That Strengthen Memory
Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene and antioxidants. Pumpkin also contains selenium, the element associated with vision development. Compared to humans, eagles have especially high amounts of selenium in their eyes, which gives them amazingly sharp eyesight. Adding selenium-rich foods to the diet can improve vision.
Strawberry is another memory-boosting food. It has an abundance of anthocyanins, a chemical that prevents brain aging. However, due to strawberry’s susceptibility to disease and pests, it’s crucial to pay special attention to pesticide residue. If possible, buy organic strawberries, and always be sure to clean them well before eating.
Eggs, a very accessible food, are among the most brain-strengthening ones. Though people warn that the yolk contains cholesterol, they often overlook the fact that eggs also contain lecithin, which not only helps to lower cholesterol levels, but also works to clean out the blood vessels.
One of the major components of lecithin, choline, helps to form the chief neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). ACh is involved in many important functions, including learning and memory formation. If one’s ACh level is too low, the brain can’t function properly, and problems like memory loss can appear. Simply put, eating eggs can prevent diseases associated with memory loss, and even help reduce the chance of dementia.
Please note: The ingredients mentioned in the dishes must be applied proportionately. Some ingredients might have different effects on people with various physical conditions. Please consult a medical or TCM professional.
‘Let’s Talk With Dr. Hu,’ translated and edited for clarity with permission of NTD Television.
【About Dr. Hu】
Currently a professor at Nine Star University of Health and Sciences in Sunnyvale, California, Dr. Hu Naiwen was previously a pharmacological researcher of Western medicine in Taiwan. He was also the director for traditional Chinese medicine clubs at numerous Taiwanese universities.
