Frank MD Minirth - Memory Builders

Brain on Board

You dont see it or feel it. You cant hear it or hold it.

Its out of sight, out of mind.

Dont drift through your thirties, forties, and fifties, then suddenly realize your brain is fading.

Dont settle for it being just good enough. You deserve better than that.

Dont take your brain for granted.

I wrote this book for those who want a basic understanding of the brains strengths and vulnerabilities and what can be done to reduce the risk of mental decline. My hope is that the content will motivate you to take personal action to keep your mind sharp.

Ive included many lists throughout this book because its the best way to package a lot of information so it can be processed and retained by the brain. Scan the lists and stop on the items that catch your attention. Some repetition exists because repetition helps learning.

Ive designed this book as a personal workbook for readers of all ages and as a caregivers handbook. Its a helpful resource for every person, family, counselor, care center, health-care provider, senior citizen group, and mental health-care agency.

Keep a Pen and Highlighter Handy

I encourage you to mark meaningful passages for frequent review and to highlight the action tips and how-to lists. Noting these will provide a good basis for making a personalized brain-care action plan. Keep refreshing the plan by reviewing this book for more ideas.

Its also important to engage in the Brain Boosters mental exercises. They are designed to be reviewed over and over because cognition works through repetition. Learning broad knowledge rekindles and increases memory tracks. If you have difficulty with some of the exercises, dont quit. Researching the answers will help you retain the knowledge. Keep studying and repeating these exercises until you master them with speed and accuracy. The answers can be found in appendix D.

Brain Fitness Is a Ticket to a More Vital Life

I encourage everyone, whether youre thirty or sixty or eighty, to take this book to heart because a mind is a terrible thing to lose. Every individual has to make the personal choice to protect his or her memory for a better chance to make it through old age with an intact, robust mind. In this case, choices really do matter. Dont let each birthday mark more lost memories, diminished skills, and waning relationships. Lifes many opportunities and blessings can drift away with age if the brain isnt nourished and exercised.

Note

Medical information about the brain changes at a rapid rate. What is thought to be true today may be better elucidated tomorrow, so errors are possible. Never disregard or delay seeking medical advice because of something heard from the media, read in a book, or seen on the internet.

Some of the content of this book is technical, but readers will glean a greater awareness of and appreciation for the complexity, vulnerabilities, and miraculous powers of the human brain.

This book is not intended as a specific guide for any medical diagnosis or treatment; medical doctors should be consulted for all medical conditions. It includes general references to common information. When deciding on specifics of any medical actions, symptoms, diagnoses, prognoses, or treatments, many aspects must be considered. The information given here may not be absolute or complete; variations, coinciding factors, and updates may exist.