Your health: Keep your memory sharp

A brain workout

In the interest of having as many resources at your disposal as possible, clinical psychologist Cynthia Green, author of “30 Days to Total Brain Health,” offers these tips for staving off memory loss:

타 Play games against the clock. Instead of just regular old brain games, try timed mental challenges, which target the skills most affected by aging, such as being able to think quickly and to multi-task. Start with a clocked board game such as Boggle.

타 Learn how to remember. Research has shown that targeted cognitive training can help people better absorb such information as names and passwords — and retain it longer. That’s true for even basic memory-boosting strategies such as repeating material as you’re learning it.

타 Seek social connections. Studies suggest that people who engage with family, friends and others on a regular basis can significantly reduce their risk of memory loss and other cognitive impairments.

타 Develop a purpose. Last year, researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago reported that older people with a positive attitude and a greater sense of purpose in life had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment.

Write out emotions

Stress, trauma and unexpected life developments — such as a cancer diagnosis, a car accident or a layoff — can throw people off stride emotionally and mentally, according to Harvard Medical School.

Writing about thoughts and feelings that arise from a traumatic or stressful life experience — called expressive writing — may help some people cope with the emotional fallout of such events.

But it’s not a cure-all, and it won’t work for everyone. Expressive writing appears to be more effective for people who are not also struggling with ongoing or severe mental health challenges, such as major depression.

Chili pepper relief

If you have pain in your knees from osteoarthritis, a cream made from a substance in chili peppers might help, suggests Harvard Medical School.

Capsaicin, which gives peppers its hot taste, is an ingredient in many over-the-counter topical pain-relief preparations. When first applied, topical capsaicin causes a burning sensation. This sensation lessens within a few minutes and also over time with repeated applications.

Doctors don’t know exactly how capsaicin works, but it’s thought to stimulate the release of substance P, a chemical that helps transmit pain signals from sensory nerve fibers to the brain.