Quiz: How healthy is your brain?

The small choices you make every day – what you eat, where you work, how much you move – have a significant impact on brain function. See how your habits are affecting your brain health.

Test your knowledge of how to protect your memory and concentration

Two-thirds of what determines how well we age comes from non-genetic factors – our everyday behaviours, says psychiatrist and brain ageing specialist Dr Gary Small, author of 2 Weeks to a Younger Brain. In Dr Small’s poll of more than 18,000 people, those with healthier habits – a balanced diet, regular exercise – reported fewer memory complaints. Are you doing all that you can to boost your brain health? Take this quiz to find out.

1 How can you expand your brain’s grey matter?

A. Cook more often B. Do some long division C. Learn a new language

C. Break your familiar routine and expose yourself to novel situations to help you maintain a higher level of brain functioning, says Keith Lyle PhD. “If you’re not exercising your brain, it’s like when you’re not using a muscle very much – your body doesn’t put resources into that organ. It says,

‘I don’t need to. I can get by with a relatively low level of resources here,’” he says. This can involve learning a new language, reading different books, listening to a new kind of music, or simply taking a different route home.

2 Lifting weights does what to your brain

A. Damages brain cells B. Improves your memory C. Nothing

B. Strength training for 60 minutes, three times a week improves both long- and short-term memory, according to a study published in the journal Medicine & Science

in Sports & Exercise.

3 If you’re having trouble concentrating at work, what should you do?

A. Organise your desk B. Eat a cookie C. Grab a cup of coffee

A. Cleaning not only relieves stress but also declutters your brain. When researchers in the US looked at task performance in organised versus chaotic environments, they found that clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, decreases your performance and increases your stress.

4 PUTTING A PLANT ON YOUR DESK CAN BOOST PRODUCTIVITY BY…

A. 5 per cent B. 23 per cent C. 12 per cent

C. A US study found that any plant – even a fake one – will boost your productivity by 12 per cent.

5

Which type of music boosts your brain power?

A. Rock B. Pop C. Classical

C. A study from the University of Helsinki, published in the journal Scientific Reports, found that listening to classical music boosts the brain at any age. “By affecting dopamine pathways, music silenced the genes that are risk factors for dementia,” says lead researcher Dr Irma Järvelä, an associate professor of medical molecular genetics at the university.

6 What’s the best thing to do before a big work meeting?

A. Give yourself a pep talk in front of the mirror B. Catch up on the gossip in the work kitchen C. Surf the Internet

B. Chatting with co-workers temporarily increases your intelligence and improves decision-making skills, according to a study published in Social

Psychology and Personality Science.

7

Which of these drinks hurts your memory?

A. Green tea B. Fruit juice C. Water

B. If you can’t remember where you put your keys, blame the added sugar packed into your glass of OJ. According to a study published in the journal Neurology, elevated blood sugar levels are damaging to both your long- and short-term memory.

8

Which of these fatty foods isn’t a brain booster?

A. Salmon B. Margarine C. Egg Yolks

B. Fatty fish and eggs are full of brain-healthy nutrients, but the trans fats often found in artificial spreads can damage brain activity, according to a new study.

9 True or false? Your short-term memory is limitless.

False. “You can hold only a certain amount of information in your short-term memory before it’s full and you have to kick something out,” says Ruth Curran, author of Being Brain Healthy.

Do yourself a favour and group several items into one unit whenever possible. After all, trying to remember 10 ingredients is more difficult than simply remembering that you want to make fish tacos. Instead of going to the supermarket and thinking, “fish, coriander, lime, cabbage, cayenne pepper, sour cream, red onion, tortillas...” consider “fish tacos” as one unit, and you should be able to recall the components when you get to the supermarket.

10 Which of these colours boosts your creativity

A. Red B. Green C. Blue

C. Canadian researchers found that the colour blue triggers feelings of freedom and tranquility, through associations with the sky and oceans.

11

Where’s the best place to take a stroll

A. Through a park B. Through the CBD C. On a treadmill

A. Memory and attention improved by 20 per cent when people opted to walk in a park rather than in an urban environment, US researchers have found. The study co-author and psychology researcher, Marc Berman, says this is because nature has a calming effect, while busy surroundings can overstimulate the brain.

12

True or false? The more organised you are, the easier it will be to remember your wallet.

True. Good organisation and memory go hand in hand. If you consistently put things in the same spot, then you won’t have to waste time trying to remember where you put them. When your wallet always goes in the top drawer of your bedside table and your gym bag always gets stashed on the left side of the wardrobe, finding them is a no-brainer. The bonus is that you’ll free up valuable storage space in your brain for more complicated recall-related tasks.

13 Which of these lunches can help stave off memory loss?

A. Fruit and yoghurt B. Red meat C. Green salad

C. Greens provide essential nutrients, such as protein, iron and fibre, but they’re also good for your brain. Research published in the journal

Neurology says that eating one to two servings of leafy greens a day improves your memory and overall cognitive ability.

14

True or false?

Loneliness increases your chances of dementia.

True. A Dutch study found that people who describe themselves as lonely are more likely to develop the degenerative brain disease dementia. In fact, the busier your social life, the better you are at decision-making recall.

15 WHICH OF THESE IS THE QUICKEST (AND EASIEST) WAY TO BOOST YOUR IQ?

A. Going to the gym every day B. Reading a different newspaper C. Taking an online class

B. US scientists found that changing your newspaper or preferred news website once a month can add three points to your IQ.

This is because it changes your reading style and causes you to re-evaluate, question and strengthen or mentally justify your beliefs.

16 If you’re working inside, where should you sit if you want to feel refreshed and energised?

A. In a corner B. By the window C. Near the kitchen

B. A US university study found that a good dose of natural light from a window reduces fatigue. It also helps regulate your circadian rhythm, so you sleep better at night and wake refreshed.

17 WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT YOUR MOBILE PHONE SO YOU DON’T FORGET IT?

A. On the kitchen table B. Next to your bed C. In your shoe

C. Using visual cues can help you remember where you put things – or to pick them up so you don’t forget them. Let’s say you often forget your phone at home. While it’s easy to bypass the bedside table or kitchen table on your way out the door, you can’t leave the house without putting shoes on your feet.

18

How can you remember a meaningful moment?

A. Take a photo B. Talk about it C. Both A & B

C. If you want to remember a meaningful moment, try to incorporate as many senses as possible while it’s unfolding. For example, if you’re cooking with your grandmother and you don’t want to forget the day, pick up a lemon and inhale the scent.

The next time you want to elicit that memory, a whiff of a lemon may take you back there.