ENHANCE YOUR MEMORY

Everyone of us want to enhance our memory and for it, we do exercises, take various kind of syrups as well as use many types of therapies like yoga etc. Overall, we do as possible which can be done by us. But we have to done some concrete efforts to achieve this.

By nature, brain is very mystic. Scientists have explained some mysteries, but a lot of work has to done yet. Brain is probably the most complex structure in the known universe. It is the product of many millions of years of evolution, some of the structures unique to the human species have only appeared relatively recently.

In one large study in which patients were treated for severe depression, the National Institute of Health compared three approaches, antidepressants medication, cognitive therapy (learning how to eradicate negative thoughts) and inter-personal psychotherapy (enhancing relationship skills). Researchers were surprised to find that each of the treatments was equally effective in treating depression. Many people in the medical community think that the benefits of medication far out-weight the benefits of therapy. Not surprising was the fact that combining all three treatments had an even more powerful effect.

A researcher in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences noted that a daily dose of vitamin E may help protect the brain and its memories from the ravages of time. And the beat goes on: other evidence indicates that zinc, iron and boron may pump up short-term memory attention span and cut the time it takes to perform mental tasks. Neuronutrients-mentally helpful vitamin, mineral, amino acids and trace elements offer an exciting key to keeping mental functions from succumbing to the degenerations of aging and disease. Vitamin E can not only prevent deterioration of the brain, but actually reverse an important element of deterioration. Vitamin E as one of the most potent antioxidants, a fighter of the electrically charged free radicals that attack and break down cell membranes and nerve endings.

Vitamin E and other memory aids are believed to protect brains chemicals called neurotran-smitters, the ferrymen of the brain's communication system, that influence concentration and memory.

Tips:

Keep working: The mental challenges and social interactions of a job prevents lapses in the brain's synapses.

Learn something new: A second language, musical instruments or unique puzzles and games keep neurons working like new.

As you provide for your physical and mental vitality through healthy exercise and diet, you can augment your regiments with other supplements that research has shown to boost brain power. Antioxidants including the previously mentioned vitamin E, provide crucial help for vigorous cerebral function. The free redials created by tobacco smoke, air pollution, ultraviolet light and certain carcinogenic chemicals deconstruct cell membranes and may foster microscopic brain cell havoc. Antioxidants enzymes convert free radicals to more neutral, benign substances and nutritional antioxidant can neutralize free radical by linking up with them.

Vitamin C, a brainy antioxidant all star, performs so well, its levels in the brain are almost 15 times higher than in other parts of the body. This nutrient, aids mental and physical longevity. In a UCLA study, people who ingested at least 300 mg of vitamin C daily lived more than 6 years longer than those who ingested less.

As a brain protector, selenium ranks high. Your brain consists of about 60 percent fat and selenium is a master at restricting detrimental at oxidation, At the same time, zinc takes part in antioxidant processes that quell free radicals and strengthens neuronal cell membranes, protecting nerves from damage.

Added to this mix, magnesium also scavenges free-radicals. Plus, experts recommend grape seed extract (Phyto-chemicals that protect a wide range of cellular structures) to safeguard verve cells and mental capacity.

Iron also may strengthen memory. Since iron is involved in distributing oxygen to brain cells, when you lack this mineral you may find it hard to concentrate. In the early 1990s, Harold Sand stead, MD, professor of preventive medicine at the University of Texas, discovered that women whose diets lack zinc and iron experienced more difficulties on standard exams than women with an adequate dietary supply.

Boron plays a crucial part in mental function. Scientists at the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center have linked boron deficiencies to chronic lethargy and fatigue. In brain studies, they found that the electrical activity of the gray matter in the boron deficient indicated drowsiness and mental sluggishness.

Borrowed from Chinese folk medicine, Huperzine A ( Hup A ) recently has attracted attention from researchers who credit it with enhancing cognitive function and helping folks suffering from disease related dementia.

Normally, the brain manufactures sufficient levels of the chemical phosphatidylserine, a lecithin-derivative that helps boost neurotransmitter release, but deficiencies of vitamin B 12 and folic acid , or a essential fatty acids, may retard that production. Low levels of phosphatidylserine in the brain are related to impaired mental function and depression in the elderly.

Researchers also have demonstrated that Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) increases brain function mostly by boosting acetylcholine receptors and the transmission of nerve impulses, with no significant adverse reactions. GBE is effective not only for folks with Alzheimer's; it also helps when mental function is impaired by vascular deficiencies or depression. Keep in mind that experts believe that GBE requires about 12 weeks of supplementation to reach optimal effectiveness.

Another ingredient in what seems like an alphabet-soup of brain nourishment is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fat essential for normal brain function. Researchers met recently at The New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center's Nutrition Information Center to discuss" Keeping Your Brain in Shape: New Insights into DHA.'' Their findings revealed links between low levels of DHA and Alzheimer's depression, memory loss, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and certain behavioral traits including aggression and hostility. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health point out, however, that fish is an excellent dietary source of DHA.

DHA is also crucial to the neurological development of children, according to findings published in Pediatrics. Researchers suggest that DHA-rich breast milk should be that model for infant formulas that enhance babies' neurological development.

If you are a vegetarian, or have other cause for concern about a potential lack of DHA in your diet, you can rely on dietary supplementation of DHA. Bruce J. Holub, PhD, of the University of Guelph in Canada provided vegetarians in his research project with DHA supplements over a 42 day period and substantially increased their DHA blood levels.

Learning should be a lifelong process for everyone. The potential rewards of continuously learning new things can not be overstated. Whether learning new skills for the jobs, or studying a topic of personal interest, everyone can benefit from continuing their education.

There are many factors that may impede the learning process. The two most important factors are low self esteem and lack of motivation. Poor study habits, poor memory, lack of reward, poor nutrition, and even medication can also adversely affect an individual's ability to learn new things. Fortunately, hypnotherapy can help with all these things.

Motivation comes from within. Knowing the benefits of success is not enough . Feeling a strong desire to acquire those benefits is essential. If too many desires complete for the individual's time and attention, he may not be able to focus. The desires can loose their strength, and less will be accomplished. The individual should set priorities. Once that is accomplished, hypnotherapy can reinforce those priorities and strengthen his focus.

Self-esteem is built up with a series of successes and rewards. Setting interim goals as steps to achieving an ultimate goal can help. Each time a goal is achieved, the individual should recognize their success and reward themselves. Hypnotherapy can help establish this type of pattern in a person's attitude.

Good study habits include time management and elimination of distractions. Bad time management can drain a person's energy and emotions.

People use three types of memory when learning : Sensory Memory, Motor Skill Memory and Concept Memory. Sensory memory deals with sights, scents, sounds, tastes and touches. Motor Skill Memory deals with movement and coordination such as riding a bicycle, typing or dancing. Concept Memory deals with words and ideas. Written material must be meaningful and organized. A good way to study is to read the broad concepts first then arrow in on the specifics. This helps with comprehension, and also helps to avoid reading irrelevant material.

Poor nutrition and medications pose a different problem. lack of protein in a diet may sometimes cause concentration and retention problems. Antihistamines and many other medication can cause drowsiness, also making concentration difficult.

As per as study is concern, the first type of study is learning from your text book. Studying a text book is a careful and thoughtful process. At the beginning of the preparation, examine your text just as you would examine any new tool. How are the chapters organized? Are they grouped into units with introductions? what is the structure of each chapter? Do they contain summaries, introductory outlined, boxed inserts, graphs and charts, problems questions? What appendices exist? Is there a glossary (a dictionary of terms used in the book), index, background information, (science books after contain an explanation of the scientific method. If a study guide exists for the text, buy it ; it is worth every rupee.

Be sensible about where, when and how you study. Study first, and then party, rather than the other way around. Study at a high energy time because effective studying is hard work and you will need all the energy you can get.

Chapter are the normal units of textbooks. Although you may spend several settings studying a chapter, it is best to consider each one as a whole . To study a chapter effectively you will have to go through it several times. The first step is to look over the entire chapter. Read the main headings and the summary if there is one . Think about the two or three main ideas that this chapter is about. Write them down. You may want to phrase them as questions. These ideas will form the foundation of what you will learn, and they will be the primary method by which you will remember the information in the chapter.

Most textbooks for IIT-JEE/PMT are partitioned into sections and subsections. This deliberate structure helps you to learn for as you acquire new ideas and information you need to store them in your memory. Research tells us that items stored at random are hard to remember, but ideas and items stored on the basis of their meaning and context are much easier to remember. Thus, understand the material first; then only work to remember it.

As you study each section, do the following: read the heading and look for the primary idea about the heading in the first or second paragraph. When you find it, mark it by underlining or highlighting . Then read the first subsection without marking anything. stop and think. What in that subsection is important about the primary idea? you may find one or two or three items to mark, but be selective, for if you mark too much, the markings are useless. Work your way through each subsection, back and forth, reading..... thinking..... marking and make a note. As you work, be sure to look over any charts, graphs or boxed inserts. They can help you understand the ideas. Work for fifteen or twenty minutes and then get up and take a five minute break. Then back to work.

If text material is especially difficult, make an outline of the section. If there is new terminology, make flash cards with the terms on one side and the definition on the other. Flash cards also work for identifications and grouped items. Carry them in your purse or pocket and practice them several times a day. If you are lucky enough to have a study guide for the text use it to organize your efforts by going back and forth between the guide and the text.

The end result of a productive study session is two fold: you have an understanding of the main ideas of the text reading, and you have a marked text that will help you prepare for exams. The markings are yours, your choices; that is why it is useful to buy unmarked texts. Other people's decisions will not help you. This will further help in preparing your individual notes to be used just before the examination for the refreshing purpose.

If you have read this far and are fairly intimidated by these suggestions, take heart; you can learn how to study. Most IIT-JEE/PMT aspirants rarely read their text, and few if any study them. One of the hardest adjustments most of them must make is learning to study their textbooks because it is a new behavior. It will take many false starts and miscalculations, but with practice you can learn. You will not only get better with practice, you will get faster.

Our brain's always looking out for us, so return the favor! Treat brain well by eating good foods, exercising and getting enough sleep. Protect your brain by always wearing a helmet when playing sports or riding your bicycle. And don't drink alcohol, take drugs or use tobacco the cells in your brain hate this stuff because it kills them! Take care of the boss of your body and it won't let you down -it's the hardest worker around.

READING DIFFICULTIES---

There are three kinds of reading difficulties that are much more serious and require direct intervention.

The first is poor concentration (or gifted daydreaming ), if your mind wanders each time you pick up a text book, the cure is ruthless. Study in ten-minute sessions. Read the chapter one subsection at a time. Turn the heading into a question and when you find the answer, write it down. Hold yourself accountable for every minute you are looking at the page. If one have to stand up and hold the book, do so. After each ten-minute session, test yourself on the material. Daydreaming is a habit; so is concentrating. Get in the habit of concentrating when you are looking at a text. Each time your realize that you are daydreaming, pull your mind back to the information on the page.

The second kind of reading difficulty is lack of terminology. If every tenth word is unfamiliar, you need to do specific vocabulary development. The fastest method is to go the campus learning lab and study their origin. Another is to keep a subject-wise dictionary with your at all time and use it. Make vocabulary cards, write sentences using new words, and become a wordsmith, a craftsman with language. Reading will greatly aid your vocabulary development. Persistence is the key; if you can truly learn one new word each day. Your vocabulary will grow as your intellectual abilities grow.

A third kind of reading difficulty occurs when IIT-JEE/PMT aspirants have problems with understanding the basic content of the text. If you are try to read and seem to miss the main points the professor and other students talk about, then find expert help, that will assess your reading skills. There may be a learning or reading lab, an education department, a counseling center. This is not the time to be shy; reading difficulties can be overcome, but you will need the help of specialists.

Study in groups

Groups can be either opportunities or dangers for competitive examination like IIT-JEE/PMT. The dangers are obvious; you may visit instead of learn; your partners may give you wrong information; you may spend all your time teaching them and not learning anything new; your group may contain a leech who cannot contribute but clings to others. However, the opportunities are equally great. Students in effective groups combine their skills and knowledge as well as motivate each other to greater accomplishment

If one want to establish an effective study group, choose two other students who share your desire for success. This should be mentioned that three is the magic number for a group. Set a specific time, place and topic. A good place is the library. Except everyone to have completed the initial study of the material and to bring questions to the group. Compare notes from the lecture across the group. Focus the discussion on two points; the unanswered questions about the material from the lecture and the reading and the predicted questions for the next test. Emphasis should be given on the pattern of the question in previous year.

A lively, competitive interaction in a group will help everyone's learning. Debate the issues or quiz each other. Assign topics and let each person " teach" for five minutes. If you have been unwise enough to choose a lazy person or a leech, eject him from the group. Older returning students are good additions to a group because they are usually highly motivated and willing to work hard.

Studying for IIT JEE/PMT is not just reading or memorizing, although it encompasses both. Studying is the active learning of academic ideas and information. It is the work of a student. Most study skills books tell students to study two hours for every hour of class. Not a bad average, but it is an average. Some courses i.e. Mathematics and Numerical Physics etc. will require four hours for every hour of class and some subjects will require thirty minutes.

Studying for such competitive examinations is like any job. With time and effort and attention, you can learn to do it well. Practice in studying will allow you to master the most powerful skill in the human arsenal; the ability to concentrate. All those will be reflected in the merit list of IIT-JEE/PMT.
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