Senior moments

Waiting for the President’s choice for Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer-in-charge is not like watching a basketball game where only a few seconds are left in the game and an irrepressibly excited public gallery is up on the stands watching what the outcome of the game will be. Rather, it is a serious, long wait for the President’s announced choice for the coveted position from a shortlist of aspirants who will carry out his plan for what he believes would be healthy and beneficial to the region and people.

This is a “campaign” where each aspirant needs only one vote — the President’s — that is guided to a certain degree by a search committee and a battery of “official” and “unofficial” advisers who provide inputs in the decision- making process.

I for one wish to see the desired progress and improvement of the quality of life in the region. However, choosing the right guy for a monumental task is not simple. The President’s choice will be proven right or wrong based on the performance of the appointee. The public’s expectation is that the choice will be based on a set of criteria, as embedded in the ARMM Charter, i.e., the appointee’s character, professionalism, capability and proven track record, among others. It’s the President’s call.

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How many times have the following scenarios happened to you: a) looked everywhere for your reading glasses, only to find them perched on top of your head, b) dialed someone on the phone, and failed to recall the reason once they answered, c) enjoyed a leisurely dinner with a couple, and forgot the name of the husband, and finally, d) go to the bedroom to pick up something but can’t remember what. For those who have never experienced these instances, good for you. But I am fairly certain that most readers nodded in the affirmative to each awkward example.

What was I writing about again? Oh yes… the slow-crawling invader known as memory loss. Sadly, medical research has determined that mild memory loss is a normal part of growing old. Consequently, if you find yourself forgetting simple things, don’t press the panic button just yet. Shortly after taking in information, memory traces already begin to deteriorate. Some things begin to fade right away (“where did I put my car keys?”), other things fade less quickly (“is it our anniversary?”), while some become virtually embedded in our consciousness (“today is my birthday”). Scientists have called these “memory curves,” with different rates of forgetting depending on the nature of the material, its importance, how frequently the material is encountered, stress levels, and numerous other factors.

Typically, it is when we hit our fifties that memory lapses become more apparent. Although this makes for a good excuse — thus the overworked term “senior moment” — it does not make it any less frustrating. The good news is that we can stem the tide of forgetfulness, since we have the potential to influence a large component of our brain’s lucidity. Pardon the play on words, but remembering the following advice can actually help us to remember.

Dr. Gary Small, director of the Memory and Aging Center at the UCLA Psychiatric Institute, emphasizes four key factors in keeping our memory sharp: mental activity, physical fitness, stress reduction, and a healthy diet supplemented with proven brain-boosters. Of these, Small emphasizes that staying intellectually and socially dynamic is the best way to help extend and maintain cognitive abilities for a longer period of time. Challenging oneself by learning a new language or a new skill, taking up a hobby, or engaging in friendly debates are effective ways to keep the brain active and strong.

Reducing stress and being in shape likewise has a significant impact on memory curves. Research has proven that stress can endanger the brain areas involved with memory processing. Likewise, fatigue affects concentration, focus, and alertness regardless of age.

As far as diet is concerned, it appears that there really is — quite literally — “food for thought”. Some of the well-known brain nutrients include Omega-3, Vitamin B-complex, folic acid, and lycopene found in foods such as fish, fortified cereals, broccoli, and tomatoes.

The most recent vitamin-based nutrient that has taken the medical community by storm is Choline, which has been called the brain’s “memory architect.” Choline works directly in order to improve the cellular structure and communication pathways of the brain’s neurons. If that sounds like it actually makes you smarter, believe it or not, a few doctors have essentially stated it in those terms. Over the past few years, evidence has been observed that Choline may be essential not only for the brain development of infants and children, but may help prevent memory loss associated with aging.

Good sources of Choline include beef liver, cauliflower, tofu, almonds, and navy beans. If all of these sound exotic, you may be surprised that one of the best sources of Choline can be found in a hotdog. In a remarkable display of product innovation, Argentina Andale Hotdogs (the same makers of the canned meats) has a formulation they call A-B-C, or Active Brain-building Choline. Two pieces of Argentina Andale Hotdogs — and we all know that kids can eat a lot more than that — provide 33 percent of the recommended daily allowance for Choline. That’s a tasty way to sharpen my brain, I am told.

Ultimately, the flipside of senior moments is to grow wiser with age. In fact, there’s a saying that goes “age and experience will triumph over youth and skill”… but I just can’t remember who said it.

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The UP Economics Society, in cooperation with the UP Alumni Association, will hold “Towards a New Paradigm in Foreign Exchange Management,” a symposium on the merits and demerits of a competitive exchange rate managed by the national government. This will be held on Nov. 24, 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the UP School of Economics Building, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

The event will gather academics, government officials industry leaders, respected personalities, and ordinary economics and non-economics students in an intellectual exchange of ideas and insights on the issue at hand.

The symposium will begin with talks by LBS Recruitment Solutions president Loreto B. Soriano (Reality Check on OFW Deployment), University of Asia and the Pacific Professor of Economics Dr. Victor Abola (Exchange Rate and Inflation), and UP Professor of Economics and National Scientist Dr. Raul Fabella (New Paradigm on Monetary Management). An open forum, to be moderated by UP Professor Emeritus and former NEDA Director-General Solita Collas-Monsod, will cap the program.

For inquiries, contact the symposium secretariat at 632-7182980, 0915-5971393 and 0947-3412716.

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My e-mail:[email protected]