b' Include physical activity in your daily routine.Cherie Binns, a registered MS nurse, is the Physical activity increases blood ow to yourpatient healthcare liaison for our organization. whole body, including your brain.In her article, Routinely Taking Care of Ourselves,Stay mentally active. Mentally stimulatingin the MS Focus magazine, she mentions making activities help keep the brain in shape.or tweaking lifestyle changes that promoteSocial interaction helps ward off depressionoptimal health. These include: and stress, both of which contribute to Whole-food diets without processed memory loss.components, and high sugar or salt content.Get organized. They say you are more likely Doing some form of regular physical to forget things if your home is cluttered.activity or exercise.Write down appointments, lists, and events. Reducing and managing stressors.Sleep well. Sleep is important in helping you Finding enjoyable pastimes and enriching consolidateyourmemories.Mostadultswork. need seven to nine hours of sleep daily. Smoking cessation is a must.Eat a healthy diet. Eat fruits, vegetables, andShe said routine care is not just something whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sourcesthat is done to or for us. Each of us is responsible such as sh, beans, and skinless poultry.for routinely caring for ourselves in the form of a well-balanced diet, regular exercise, doing What you drink counts too.what we can to reduce stress in our lives, asManagechronicconditions.Followyourwell as managing what cannot be eliminated. doctors treatment plans for medical conditions.I am hopeful all these ideas will be helpful Because medications can affect memory,to you. Try to incorporate them into your review your medications with your medicallifestyle routines or consider joining a support providers regularly.group. Please welcome this newly affiliated group: Rooted and Resilient Womens MS Support CircleWeston, Wis., Leader: Wendy Bjork Visit our website at msfocus.org or email us atsupportgroups@msfocus.org to nd the support group nearest to you. Ways You Can Help Us Help Others Matching gifts are a great way to double the effect of a gift to MS Focus. Ask the company you work for if they have a matching gift program or encourage them to set one up. Individual companies vary but every matching gift program can increase your donation to MS Focus and make your dollars go further to help those living with MS. Many companies would love to support a charity if given the opportunity, so ask them to support MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.31 msfocusmagazine.org'