Recently I read a story about how to improve one of the things I can already feel slipping away: my “working” memory. This is the “get me oat milk when you go to the store” kind of memory that fails me as soon as I walk through the supermarket’s sliding doors. (Which is why I tell my family to text me their requests; they won’t make it home otherwise.)
But if you want a greater chance of staying sharp as you age, you should try to memorize that grocery list—or even your recipes. Both strengthen your working memory, as does cooking in general, says memory expert and neuroscientist Dr. Richard Restak in a recent New York Times story. This may partly explain why Babs of @brunchwithbabs fame is doing so well, why Jacques Pépin at the age of 87 just released a new cookbook, and why Edna Lewis made it to 90.
