As any elder care provider will reaffirm, losing our memories is something that seems natural as we get older. However, there are some folks that live into their late 90s or even past 100 with their memories staying as sharp as other. What is the difference between the two? Some of the reasons our memories fail might surprise you.

Medications and Their Interactions

Dr. Cara Tannenbaum, research chair at the Montreal Geriatric University Institute, recently completed an in-depth chain of 162 studies on a variety of common drugs taken by seniors, and found out that an amazing number of them had impacts on cognitive ability, ranging from loss of focus (and thus short-term memory) to problems moving memories from short-term to long-term storage, thus leading to problems with what scientists refer to as 'episodic' memory -- the ability to recall how events led to one another.

"Patients need this information so that they are more comfortable talking to their doctors and pharmacists about safer pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatment options," she explained. The medical industry benefits enormously from assigning people to take lots of pills, but a good number of them have perfectly healthy, non-pharmaceutical alternatives. Ask your doctor how many of your pills are actually irreplaceable.

Poor Sleep

Matthew Walker, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at UC Berkeley, was the senior author of a recently-released paper that connects lack of deep sleep with memory loss -- and aging with a lack of deep sleep.

"When we are young, we have deep sleep that helps the brain store and retain new facts and information," explained Walker, "But as we get older, the quality of our sleep deteriorates and prevents those memories from being saved by the brain at night."

Why does the quality of sleep deteriorate? There are many potential causes. Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, incontinence, chronic insomnia, and a host of other problems that get more and more common as we age can all add to the problem.

Is it possible for seniors to get older without needing medications and without losing sleep? Of course -- but those aren't the only potential culprits behind memory loss.

Eating too Much

Yonas Geda of the Mayo Clinic did a study way back in 2006 that he's still following up on today -- a study that showed that people who consume more than 2200 calories each day have twice the risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment that people who consume 1,500 or less calories do.

"People should be very, very careful not to overstretch our findings at this point," Geda says. "Certainly people should not look at those three categories and say, 'Well, if I consume less than 1,500 calories, then I will not have MCI.' That would be the wrong conclusion." The problem is that there are a lot of variables other than calories in your food -- it may be, for example, that the people who regularly overate did so because they were on a blood-sugar addiction cycle that kept them eating low-nutrient-density white carbs -- and it may be the nutrient density, not the absolute caloric value, that's the culprit.

Breaking our Boundaries

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor Gabriel Radvansky has performed a series of studies that prove that even young, nimble minds' ability to remember is so strongly linked to the environment that the learning took place in that they can forget significant amounts of a recent activity or lesson because they're in a different place.

He calls doorways and other environmental shifts "event boundaries", and proven that even virtual event boundaries -- such as walking from one room to another in an entirely VR environment -- can act as a cause for memory loss. The solution? Simple; go back to where you were. Being back in the same environment that a learning opportunity or activity occurred in makes it once again easier for your brain to retrieve the details of that event.

It's certainly not possible to say with confidence that you won't experience memory loss -- but it's obviously possible to do basic things that will help you keep your memory strong. The brain is like a muscle -- not only in that it needs working out, but in that it needs a healthy body to keep it strong. Avoid unnecessary medications, eat right, get plenty of sleep, and you're already doing almost everything you can. Just remember to go back into that room if you need to remember what happened there! If you need more tips, check with a local elder care provider.

A great way to make use of your garden herbs is by drying them. Drying herbs is not just an economical solution, it's also great to have aromatic herbs ready when you're fixing something up in the kitchen. Among the most common ways to dry herbs is air drying. Not only is this easiest and cheapest way to dry fresh herbs, the drying process is slow enough that it doesn't deplete the natural oils from the herbs. Air drying works well for herbs which don't have a good amount of moisture in them such as Marjoram, Rosemary, Thyme, Bay, and dill. For herbs such as basil, mint, chives, and all other moisture dense varieties, they are best preserved if you freeze them or place them in a dehydrator.

When you're harvesting herbs from your garden, do it before they're flowering. If you've been harvesting throughout the season, your plants usually don't have a chance to flower. If you have non-hardy herbs, they'll usually start to decline in cooler temperatures so, it's best to dry the herbs during the later parts of summer. When cutting herbs, do them before noon time, just enough to let the dew dry.

How to Dry Herbs

When drying herbs, start by cutting healthy branches from your plants, making sure you're removing the diseased leaves along the way. Yellow, spotted, or those with holes in them aren't worth drying because their flavor is likely diminished. If you see any insects, shake the plant gently because you aren't going to thoroughly wash the stems when you're drying the herbs.

Once you've picked enough herbs while the plants are dry, shake off excess soil which may cling to them. If necessary, just rinse with cool water and have the herbs dry on paper towels. Be sure you have a lot of air circulation so that the herbs dry out quickly. We herbs will easily rot or form molds so keep them dry at all times.

If you have a lot of herbs, bundle about 4-6 branches and use a string to tie them together. If the string or rubber band doesn't loosen, it means the herbs aren't drying well so adjust and make smaller bundles instead.

Get a paper bag with punched holes in them and label it with the name of the herb which you're drying. Get the ends of the bag and gather them around your bundle. Tie a string to close the bag while making sure the herbs aren't crowded. Simply finish off by hanging the bag upside down in an area that's warm and airy. Check your bag weekly until your herbs are dried thoroughly, and ready to store.

Storing Dried Herbs

When you're done drying herbs, they should be kept in air tight containers such as zippered plastic bags, and even attractive canning jars. No matter what you choose, be sure you have adequately labeled your containers with the herb's name, as well as the date which you made it. Another great tip is keeping the leaves whole because they retain so much more flavor. Although you're making precautions, be sure to check the containers often and discard the herbs at the first sight of mold.

Have a healthier, easier, and smarter way to grow vegetables and fruits at home with the compact, state-of-the-art Tower Garden. With its unique vertical design and compact aeroponic system, you get to eat and live healthy, without needing a large area for planting fresh produce.

For families with school age children, summers take on a new meaning. Approximately 90 days with kids who have no agenda other than to kick back and relax is probably one reason the great American road trip came to life. It keeps children contained, occupied and the family engaged! But road trips only last so long, a long vacation isn't always a possibility, and sometimes a road trip brings family and friends to you. So what is a family to do during the summer to keep the kids entertained, a little active and maybe create some family fun and togetherness? Below are five cool (literal and figurative!) ideas to keep kids and families of all ages in summer fun.

Driving Adventures
The earlier road trip may not be a possibility, but a little driving may still be in order. Spend a day reenacting NASCAR or another racing competition while speeding along in go-karts. Or create a multi-visit competition schedule that has you visiting the go-kart track once month or so, eliminating drivers until it is time for the winner's victory lap.

Arcade Daze
For families with kids too young for go-karts, take a similar track and enjoy an indoor arcade's driving games. Or, take a day to enjoy the arcade with all of its glory. There is a memorable summer moment with a child learning the joys of video game classics from a parent or other adult family member or friend.

Take a Swing
For families with growing athletes or sport fans, summer can be a great time to bond away from the game or competitive environment. A summer focused on quality time and social interaction can be easily achieved by enjoying time at a mini golf course, batting cages. Such adventures are often fun for boys and girls and may offer an opportunity for a group of school friends and their parents to get together for all to bond and enjoy a chip shot over a lazy river.

Water World
A great way to stay cool during the summer is to get in the water. But family fun is taken, literally, to the next level by enjoying the challenge of an aqua wall. Put rock climbing, coordination and thrill seeking to the test by rock climbing on a wall with spray and other water features. If the family is new to rock climbing, start with the basic climbing wall and then move onto the aqua wall. Or enjoy a day of both, comparing and contrasting the different experiences.

If the aqua wall isn't a good fit for your family, stay in the water with bumper boats! Have fun while staying cool with splashes, bumps and squirts. Nothing says love between family members than a little fun in the water, especially in bumper boats!

A-Maze-ing Tag
Take the cool of bumper boats and head out to dry land with some technology and fight to the finish via laser tag. Running in a darkened maze with lasers to tag the opposing team not only brings video games to life, and gets out some extra energy. The energy allowance may also mean extra calories burned for a guilt free treat after a challenging game of the classic 'tag'.

The ideas for summer fun are endless, and the five above can be enjoyed as stand alone events or in any combination.

Scientifically Direct low intensity UVA rays disintegrate collagen giving wrinkles. The rays can pierce the deeper causing irreparable loss to the skin structure. So beauticians and dermatologists help you in finding the Best Sun block. They suggest 30 SPF use to keep the rays at bay and minimize the ill effect of the sun if you go into the open at daytime.

There are a huge range of beauty products available in the market that claim to protect from the sunrays. When finding the Best cream make sure it does not leave you looking with a cast of white pall on the face. Moreover the sun block is not just for the face. The exposed skin it be arms, neck or legs need an application of the sun block cream if your work demands working long hours in the sun. It is advisable to survey for finding the Best Sun block because it comes in different combinations for instance some are accompanied with moisturizer and the product is specifically made for dry skin individuals. The two chemicals used in this are microfine zinc and titanium oxide. Oil free type of sun block with 15 SPF or more density is one other choice. A foundation substitute is tinted moisturizer with sun block. It is very suitable for rose and petal complexion. The new innovative sun blocks are prepared from Helioplex and Mexoryl chemicals. They spread easily on the face are non greasy and leave a very fine white coating.

Finding the Best Sunblock takes time. Now-a-days kids and adults both use this cream. Those who already suffer from acne problem are suggested sun block. A sunscreen cream cloak or mask the skin but does not create a barrier and sun rays can still travel beyond. It is advised for individuals who appreciate tan and they are bestowed with a skin that tolerates UVA rays. The zinc metal used in it keeps the sun rays away and thus cannot enter the skin. Titanium oxide also does similar work.

Finding the Best Sun block is important because the inexpensive ones may fill the skin pores causing uneven complexion. A strength of SPF 30 is reasonably good and it can be applied a couple of times in a day. Apply at least half an hour prior to getting out in the sun. Those who go for swimming or sunbathing will require more applications.

This creams are available across the counter at drugstore. It is not just the brand that you favour but read the label on it there would be terms like UVA or UVB written on it along with high or low SPF or sweat withstanding. Make the right selection of the chemical as this will depend the working of the cream.

Picnicking is always fun. Now that the warm seasons are back, we all want to enjoy the nice weather and get our shorts out of the closet. Before preparing our picnic baskets, let's take a moment to think about protecting our skin while we enjoy the bright sun.

We are all aware that skin protection is essential when we are exposed to the sun on a picnic day. Everybody should get protected even if you plan to stay in the shade. Doctors recommend the use of sunscreen, a sun protection hat (not a regular hat) and sun protection clothes. They recommend to combine them all if the UV factor is high and the exposure time is long. Here you will find some tips that can help you better protect your skin on your next outdoor activity.

The sunscreen is the most known form of sun protection. The main problem with the sunscreen is that most people do not apply it correctly. You should apply a thick layer 30 minutes before sun exposure and then reapply every 90 minutes if the exposure continues. The experts recommend the use of a sunscreen with a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30 or 40. A sunscreen with a higher SPF is not needed because the UV protection will increase only by 3% or 4% while the risk of allergies increases because of the extra chemicals. When buying your sunscreen, also look for a sunscreen with "broad spectrum". The SPF only refers to protection against UVB. A sunscreen labeled "broad spectrum" also includes protection against UVA.

Another option to protect your skin against ultraviolet rays is the use of sun-protected clothes. These are not the regular summer clothes that we usually wear. The materials in these clothes are chemically treated to guarantee an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) that can go from 15 (good) to 50+ (excellent). The UPF is used in clothing to measure the effectiveness against both the UVA and UVB. This is an important different between sun protection clothes and sunscreen. When you wear sun-protected clothes, you are being protected against both types of rays. The clothe guarantees that you get the protection indicated in the label. If you use sunscreen and this is not applied correctly, you end up less protected, regardless of the SPF of the sunscreen.

A sun protection hat is also made with treated materials to guarantee a UPF. In order to have total protection, you should look for a hat with a brim of 3 ½ inches or more. Depending on the activity, you may want to consider a hat with a chinstrap.

A picnic day is an activity in which we typically expose our skin to the sun. It is therefore important to also include in our picnic basket some form of skin protection that allows us to protect our skin while we enjoy our picnic experience.