Improve Your Memory: How to Care for Your Brain and Maximize Your Cognition with Dr. Swainston

Why Caring for Your Brain Health Improves Memory and Cognitive Function

Your brain is the command center of your body, orchestrating everything from basic bodily functions to complex thoughts and emotions. Just as you exercise to keep your muscles strong, supporting brain health is essential for maintaining sharp memory and good problem-solving ability. Caring for your brain can enhance mental clarity, improve recall, and even delay memory loss with age.

The Brain’s Remarkable Ability

One of the brain’s most extraordinary features is its ability to adapt, form new nerve connections, and reorganize itself throughout life. This ability is the foundation for learning and memory. When you do activities that challenge your brain, such as learning a new skill or solving puzzles, you stimulate the growth of new connections, strengthening nerve networks. This directly improves your ability to store and retrieve information, improving both short-term and long-term memory.

Caring for your brain health optimizes this ability For instance, regular mental stimulation—through reading, playing a musical instrument, or even engaging in strategic games—protects against age-related decline.

Physical Health Fuels Cognitive Power

Your brain relies on a steady supply of oxygen, nutrients, and energy to function at its best. Lifestyle choices that promote physical health directly support your brain's performance and memory. Regular exercise, for example, increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and glucose while promoting the release of a protein that supports brain nerve cell growth and survival. Aerobic exercise improves memory and thinking.

Sleep is another important aspect of brain health. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, transferring information from short-term to long-term storage. Poor sleep disrupts this process, reducing memory, learning and problem-solving.

Nutrition also plays a starring role. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins—such as the Mediterranean diet—protect brain cells.

This workshop covers much more about what impacts our brain health and actionable solutions to reversing cognitive decline and maximizing your brain's potential at any age.

If you can't make it to the event in Cape Town, tickets are available for the transcript, in English and Afrikaans.

About Dr. Swainston

Dr. Swainston, medic, author, cognitive scientist, philanthropist and well-known pioneer of natural medicine. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, she spent three years in London researching and studying alternative and complementary medicine.

Dr. Swainston has worked with Nelson's Homeopathic Pharmacy in London (UK), Neal's Yard Apothecary in Brighton (UK), and Weleda Anthroposophical Pharmaceuticals in Johannesburg (RSA) .

Dr. Swainston established a free clinic in Cape Town in the 90's, using the profits of her own natural product range. Once the clinic was set up and running smoothly with a staff of 3 doctors, Dr. Swainston left for a trans-Africa research expedition (by motorcycle), sponsored by her products.

This invaluable experience enabled her to use natural methods to treat illnesses that in the developed world would only be treated with chemical drugs where she experienced the true efficacy of natural medicine.

After the expedition, Dr. Swainston wrote a bestseller on the cure for obesity published by Struik in 1997. Since then Dr. Swainston has focused on research and writing, amongst raising a family and enjoying the beautiful Cape Town lifestyle.

Waarom die versorging van jou breingesondheid geheue en kognitiewe funksie verbeter

Jou brein is die beheersentrum van jou liggaam, wat alles van basiese liggaamsfunksies tot komplekse gedagtes en emosies orkestreer. Net soos jy oefen om jou spiere sterk te hou, is die ondersteuning van breingesondheid noodsaaklik vir die handhawing van skerp geheue en goeie probleemoplossingsvermoë. Om vir jou brein te sorg, kan geestelike helderheid verbeter, herroeping verbeter en selfs geheueverlies met ouderdom vertraag.

Die brein se merkwaardige vermoë

Een van die brein se mees buitengewone kenmerke is sy vermoë om aan te pas, nuwe senuweeverbindings te vorm en homself deur die lewe te herorganiseer. Hierdie vermoë is die fondament vir leer en geheue. Wanneer jy aktiwiteite doen wat jou brein uitdaag, soos om 'n nuwe vaardigheid aan te leer of legkaarte op te los, stimuleer jy die groei van nuwe verbindings en versterk senuweenetwerke. Dit verbeter direk jou vermoë om inligting te stoor en te herwin, wat beide korttermyn- en langtermyngeheue verbeter.

Om vir jou breingesondheid te sorg, optimaliseer hierdie vermoë. Gereelde geestelike stimulasie – deur lees, 'n musiekinstrument speel of selfs deelname aan strategiese speletjies – beskerm byvoorbeeld teen ouderdomsverwante agteruitgang.

Fisiese Gesondheid Voed Kognitiewe Krag

Jou brein is afhanklik van 'n bestendige toevoer van suurstof, voedingstowwe en energie om optimaal te funksioneer. Lewenstylkeuses wat fisiese gesondheid bevorder, ondersteun direk jou brein se prestasie en geheue. Gereelde oefening verhoog byvoorbeeld bloedvloei na die brein, wat suurstof en glukose lewer terwyl dit die vrystelling van 'n proteïen bevorder wat breinsenuweeselgroei en -oorlewing ondersteun. Aërobiese oefening verbeter geheue en denke.

Slaap is nog 'n belangrike aspek van breingesondheid. Tydens slaap konsolideer die brein herinneringe en dra inligting oor van korttermyn- na langtermynberging. Swak slaap ontwrig hierdie proses en verminder geheue, leer en probleemoplossing.

Voeding speel ook 'n hoofrol. Diëte ryk aan omega-3-vetsure, antioksidante en vitamiene – soos die Mediterreense dieet – beskerm breinselle.

Hierdie werkswinkel dek baie meer oor wat ons breingesondheid beïnvloed en bruikbare oplossings om kognitiewe agteruitgang om te keer en jou brein se potensiaal op enige ouderdom te maksimeer.

Oor Dr. Swainston

Dr. Swainston, geneesheer, skrywer, kognitiewe wetenskaplike, filantroop en bekende pionier van natuurlike medisyne. Nadat sy aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad gegradueer het, het sy drie jaar in Londen deurgebring om alternatiewe en komplementêre medisyne te ondersoek en te bestudeer.

Dr. Swainston het saam met Nelson's Homeopathic Pharmacy in Londen (VK), Neal's Yard Apothecary in Brighton (VK), en Weleda Anthroposofical Pharmaceuticals in Johannesburg (RSA) gewerk.

Dr. Swainston het in die 90's 'n gratis kliniek in Kaapstad gestig met die winste van haar eie natuurlike produkreeks. Nadat die kliniek opgestel en glad verloop het met 'n personeel van 3 dokters, het dr. Swainston vertrek vir 'n trans-Afrika navorsingsekspedisie (per motorfiets), geborg deur haar produkte.

Hierdie onskatbare ervaring het haar in staat gestel om natuurlike metodes te gebruik om siektes te behandel wat in die ontwikkelde wêreld slegs met chemiese middels behandel sou word waar sy die ware doeltreffendheid van natuurlike medisyne ervaar het.

Na die ekspedisie het dr. Swainston 'n topverkoper oor die kuur vir vetsug geskryf, gepubliseer deur Struik in 1997. Sedertdien het dr. Swainston gefokus op navorsing en skryfwerk, tussen die grootmaak van 'n gesin en die geniet van die pragtige Kaapstadse leefstyl.

As jy nie by die geleentheid in Kaapstad kan uitkom nie, is kaartjies beskikbaar vir die transkripsie, in Engels en Afrikaans.