Improve Your Memory Quickly With These Nine Tips

Though you may not nitice it until you reach your mid-60's, your memory starts a gradual decline around the ripe old age of 25, according to University of Michigan psychologist Denise Park.

"Younger adults in their 20's and 30's notice no losses at all, even though they are declining at the same rate as people in their 60's and 70's, because they have more capital than they need," says Park in Scientific American.

Most of this mental decline is quite harmless, though it may lead you to have trouble recalling certain facts or make multitasking more difficult. The good news is that, like your muscles, your brain can be built up and strengthened at any age, and here are the top tips to do so.

1. Exercise
2. Meditate
3. Get a good night's sleep
4. Concentrate
5. Make sure you'r getting enough iron
6. Eat apples
7. Use your brain
8. Don't worry about it
9. Have a cocktail (in moderation)

Scientific American

The World's Best Diet

Boost the planet's health, not to mention your own with essential strategies for eating well every day.

1. Eat local and organic foods
2. Wean yourself off the plastic water bottle
3. Drink organic, too
4. Ask for sustainable seafood
5. B.Y.O. non plastic bag
6. Grow your own
7. Be takeout savvy
8. Become whole food conscious
9. Eat less meat
10. While you're at it, eat less of everything

Rice for Words

John Breen had two lofty goals: help end world hunger and prepare his son for the SAT's. For this computer programmer, the solution was simple. He created Freerice.com, a non-profit online vocabulary quiz that gives 20 grains of rice to someone in need for each word defined correctly. (the rice is paid for by the site's advertisers and distributed by the United Nations World Food Program.) The more you get right, the more you help one of the 25,000 people who could potentially die from hunger each day. Don't expect it to be easy, though. Breen wrote the program to get more difficult with each correct answer, making the donations you do achieve that much more rewarding.

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Keeping hydrated is very important - especially in the summer months. Each day you should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water. (for example - 140 lbs. means you drink 70 oz. of water daily. Make it cool water to experience a temporary boost in your metabolism. Drinking cold water rather than room temperature makes your body work harder to warm it - hence the boost in metabolism.

Are Artificial Sweetners Safe and Help You Lose Weight?

If you're looking to lose weight, turning to artificial sweetners might actually backfire. Scientists at Purdue University recently discovered that choosing saccharin-sweetened foods and drinks may cause greater weight gain than plain old sugar. Although their research focused on lab rats, it gels with emerging evidence that obesity risk could be higher among people who frequently drink diet soda.

When you consume sweet foods or drinks, your body readies itself to take in a lot of calories. If those calories aren't delivered, the new study suggests, your metabolic system can get thrown off, making it harder to burn off calories and increasing your chances of overeating later on.

What's more, saccharin (and aspartame) has been linked to cancer in a number of other animal studies. So instead of chugging diet soda or eating artificially sweetened snacks, try satisfying your sweet tooth with healthier foods like fruit, sorbets, or a few square of dark chocolate.

Making Makeup Safe for Kids

Whether or not to let children use makeup for playtime is a personal decision for parents to make. But if you do decide to let them make themselves up, there are steps you can take to make it safer.

1. No powders. Makeup in powder form is easily inhaled into lungs, and can damage them.
2. Phthalate and touluene-free nail polish. These are linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and allergies.
3. Fragrance free. Fragrances are common allergens, and they usually contain phthalates.
4. Easy on the lipstick. It can contain lead. Opt instead for a tasty, shiny, beeswax-based lip balm.
5. Use common sense. This is self explanatory.

Fruit Can Keep Your Arteries Squeeky Clean

A study on juices made from apples or purple grapes showed that both the juices and the fruits themselves can help prevent clogged arteries.

Purple grape juice was the most potent, followed by purple grapes, apple juice, and apples. Other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and carotenoids may also contribute to their overall effect.

BBC News