How To Improve Memory and Recall for Exam Success

Tips to Support Memory and Recall

Are you finding it difficult to remember what you are learning? There are several reasons why this might be happening, including an inadequate diet, sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety, lack of energy or fatigue. You may have to deal with several of these issues in order to see some improvements in your memory.

I would start with the diet. You could do a food diary for a week or ten days. Then take a look at what you have been eating and see if there are any excess or deficiencies in nutrients. A food diary can provide great insight. I find that when you write it out you might notice that you actually don't eat enough protein rich food or maybe there isn't enough iron rich foods. There may be too many processed carbohydrates. Include drinks in your diary as you could be having too many fizzy drinks or caffeinated beverages and not enough water. You could be surprised at the imbalances that have occurred from eating similar foods all the time.

Top foods to support the grey matter would be omega oils, B vitamins, iron, protein, and antioxidants. These nutrients will be found in a balanced diet. That would include nuts, especially walnuts, seeds such as sunflower, chia, linseeds, and pumpkin, oily fish like mackerel, sardines, and salmon, dark green leafy vegetables and red meat. Protein powders, such as hemp, pea, or rice, bee pollen, spirulina, and wheatgrass are good additions to top up on these nutrients. There has been some research on blueberries as a positive food to support cognitive function and a source of antioxidants. Water is crucial and often forgotten about.

Supplements to support Memory

There are lots of supplements to help with memory and recall and are especially helpful for exam success. For example there's Revive Active Mastermind. This is a super supplement, and one of my favourites to support cognitive function, brain function, mental performance, and the nervous system. It is an ideal option support concentration and focus. It contains DHA, choline, zinc, B5 and B12 - nutrients that are required for brain function. I like that you simply need to take one sachet 3 times a week from now until the end of the exams. One box of thirty will last you for ten weeks making it a very economical supplement to work with. Over the years I have met many happy customers have said they found it brilliant.

If you are not eating oily fish at least three times a week you could top up with an omega oil supplement like Eskimo Omega-3. Omega oils are important as the brain contains more than 100 billion cells working together to process information, form memories, and aid recall. Amazing isn’t it! In fact, our brain is made up of about 60% fat. This is why we need to include fats in our diets, to keep the brain functioning well. With Eskimo Omega 3 Brain 3 6 9, you simply need one teaspoon or 2-4 capsules per day to nourish your brain.

Herbs like Rhodiola may also help support memory and recall. Over the years I have tried a lot of supplements, rhodiola is one of them. It is commonly used to support mood, help with retention of information and to help with recall. I used it many years ago when I was doing exams and I found my recall was brilliant. With herbs like Ashwagandha and medicinal mushrooms like Lion's Mane becoming popular it went down the list of popularity but it is one worth taking a look at. Over the years, exam students, actors and performers, and people who needed a lift of the mood have all reported good results with it.

Lack of energy will affect your ability to concentrate at school or at home while studying. Topping up with an Iron supplement is a good choice If you are feeling fatigued. I would definitely consider it if you are not a red meat eater. Floradix Liquid Iron is one of my favourites to top up on iron quickly. It tastes fruity and can be added to juice or smoothies if you prefer.

Iron would be a great supplement to think about if you are having heavy periods as low iron could be affecting both your energy and your cognitive function. Even topping up one week of the month on iron could be helpful. I would choose also Floradix Liquid Iron to top up on your iron levels. If you are low in iron it can work quite quickly to give you and your brain a boost. You can do home testing for Iron deficiency if you would prefer to check this before taking an iron supplement. Check out the MyBio Iron Deficiency Test Kit it will quickly answer whether or not you are low in iron in the privacy of your own home.

Is Anxiety affecting your memory?

I think that we can all relate to our minds going blank when we are anxious or nervous. This is a huge problem for exam students. If you are feeling nervous. stressed, or anxious about the exams and the amount of study you have to do then take a look at Higher Nature Balance for Nerves. Of course it doesn't have to be anxiety around the exams, daily life, mental health, relationships, financial situations can all cause anxiety and add to your inability to concentrate. Higher Nature Balance for Nerves is a favourite one of mine for many years now to help calm the nerves. It combines a unique blend of vitamins, amino acids and botanicals to support you when feeling frazzled or overwhelmed. Vitamins B3, B6 and B12 are all important for the normal functioning of the nervous system whilst theanine, found naturally in green tea, is believed to promote a sense of calm and relaxation. It also provides magnesium, an essential mineral that relaxes the brain and the body. As well as the herbs passion flower and melissa officinalis (lemon balm), two lovely herbs to help where there is stress and anxiety. This is one of many supplements to help with anxiety but it is the only one that I have been talking about consistently for over ten years now!

If you are on any medication or have a medical condition please check with your health care provider before taking supplements.

I hope that these tips will help improve retention and recall of information, especially for those sitting exams this summer.