Improve your memory; the flaws of BMI

Plus, how to keep intimacy alive after having a baby

View this email online Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Life Kit editor Malaka Gharib I like to think I have an amazing memory. I can recall exactly what my childhood bedroom looked like, and who I sat next to in history class my junior year of high school.  But there are times when my memory fails me. I spent the whole morning, for example, looking for my phone. I found it, oddly, in the basket we use to store newspapers and magazines. How it got there, I don't know.  So I was excited about a new Life Kit episode about how to boost your memory. Researchers (including a four-time Jeopardy! contestant) share science-backed techniques to help improve recall.    I'm ready to improve my memory Eugene Mymrin/Getty Images The methods from this episode are helpful for people like me who just want to remember where they put their phone. But they're also useful for people who have to memorize a lot of material, like students preparing for an AP exam.  Here are the three key insights I learned about memory from our experts.  You can train your brain to get better at remembering things. That's because memory is selective, says Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember. "It can be biased, warped and reconstructed."  Slow down and focus what you want to remember. When people gripe about having memory problems, they're often having attention problems, says neuroscientist Lisa Genova. If you can't find your parking spot, you probably weren't paying attention to it in the first place.  If you repeatedly lose track of an object like your keys, wallet or cell phone, pick a designated spot in your home and keep it there when it’s not in use, says Genova. That way, you don’t have to expend effort trying to remember where you placed it.  Teach me more memory tricks 💌 Letters from our readers Got something you want to share with Life Kit? Email us at lifekit@npr.org. Plus: How to write beautiful letters, according to a Hallmark card writer. Credit: Becky Harlan/NPR A roundup of letters to Life Kit. These have been edited for length and clarity. On matrescence and early motherhood  I'm writing because I am still in the first year of motherhood and just learned about matrescence from Life Kit's episode. I am a 43-year-old Asian American who gave birth to my first child last summer when I was 42. I am also a debut novelist. My novel will be coming out this year in October. I found out I was pregnant the same time I sold my novel when I was 41, so I consider the book and the baby as my twins. I have been dealing with motherhood and learning about myself as an artist through my writing. Trying to maintain a creative life has grounded me as I navigate this first year of motherhood. ---Cherry Lou Sy Excited for Life Kit's sleep newsletter You have a magical ability to focus on topics at the perfect moment [like Life Kit's Guide to Better Sleep]. I’m excited and thankful for this newsletter — it’s one I consistently open, read and look forward to. I appreciate the broad range of focus areas your team plans around as well. --Midori Kudo Thank you for the sleep tips I'm loving your sleep newsletter. I thought I had heard all the tips but these are great. I didn't know that [going from a warm environment to a cold one, like a cool room, can promote sleep]. I'm a bath person, so it's nice to be told I can do what I like to do! --Janie Cox Newsletter continues after sponsor message Listen Sponsor-Free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening AND that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with making a difference. You can also check out loads of other NPR+ podcasts with benefits at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ Cooking made easy Compassionate Eye Foundation/Ste/Getty Images Episodes to make cooking faster and easier -- so you can spend less time in a hot kitchen and more time on summer leisure.  A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks.   How to cook without a recipe, according to chef and food writer Samin Nosrat. (Hint: it helps to have a well-stocked pantry.)  Clever, one-pan meals. Plus, a droolworthy recipe for cheesy baked pasta.  How to make a salad you'll actually like and want to eat.  To cook healthy on a budget, buy a lot of frozen fruits and veg -- and don't forget the coupons.  In case you missed it Malte Mueller/fStop/Getty Images Stuck in a rut? How to appreciate your life again, according to science. After a while, even the most exciting relationships, jobs and environments lose their spark. But cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot says it's possible to fall back in love with life's small joys. Read the story here. BMI is flawed. Try a body composition test. For decades, health experts have relied on body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height, to classify people as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. But sometimes, you need more than two numbers to understand your health. For example, BMI can't tell you how much of your weight is fat versus muscle. That's why a growing number of researchers and physicians prefer other metrics instead. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey breaks down the history and shortcomings of BMI, and shares other methods to get a fuller picture of your body. Listen to the episode here. Keeping intimacy alive after having a baby. In the months after having a baby, intimacy with your partner may fall to the wayside. But sex and relationship experts say that maintaining your intimate relationship with your partner is a worthwhile challenge. In this episode we'll talk strategies for reconnecting with your partner, exploring your desires and expanding your ideas of sex and intimacy. Listen to the episode here. Top tips from Life Kit: 7 ideas to make your summer safer and brighter. A roundup of useful advice from our June episodes: how to reach a "eureka moment" at work, the safest place to put a grill (not against the house!), and a counterintuitive way to get over your crush. Read the story here. Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy