DON’TBY: NELSON DELLIS

FORGET THIS!2 x U S A M E M O R Y C H A M P I O N

WHO AM I?

• 2012 & 2011 USA Memory Champion

• Alzheimer’s Activist

• Climb For Memory founder

• Mountaineer

• Ma grandmère, “Madouce”

• Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004

• Passed away from complications in 2009

• Could the same thing happen to me?

WHY?

7 3 4 9 5 4 5 8 2 3 9 8 7 3 4 5 0 9 4 6 9 8 7 2 3 4 0 4 56 8 7 4 6 0 9 8 2 3 4 9 8 7 4 6 7 9 1 2 3 0 9 7 3 4 0 9 58 3 5 4 7 8 6 2 9 3 8 4 5 7 9 3 0 8 7 4 5 9 3 8 5 7 6 0 97 3 0 9 4 8 7 2 9 3 8 7 6 1 5 2 4 1 6 7 8 9 0 8 7 6 5 4 5 67 7 2 3 4 9 8 7 2 3 4 9 8 7 3 5 6 9 8 7 2 3 6 7 8 2 3 4 76 4 5 9 8 2 3 4 9 8 7 2 3 0 4 4 9 8 7 3 5 6 8 9 7 2 3 4 87 3 4 5 6 8 9 7 6 2 3 4 7 6 6 3 4 9 8 5 2 6 7 8 3 4 6 0 93 5 6 7 2 8 7 3 5 6 3 9 5 8 4 6 2 8 3 7 4 9 3 5 6 8 0 9 80 6 9 7 9 8 9 7 1 2 3 4 6 7 5 3 3 9 2 2 9 2 7 3 9 0 4 7 39 4 5 7 4 9 6 7 3 9 0 2 8 7 4 7 5 6 2 0 9 8 2 4 3 5 0 9 87 2 3 4 9 8 0 2 3 6 3 4 8 5 8 5 9 2 3 4 5 9 8 5 8 8 7 4 71 0 0 2 9 8 6 4 5 8 3 7 6 3 8 4 6 4 2 3 8 4 3 { 303 DIGIT NUMBER! }

• Learned about memory techniques• Inspired to start training• Within a year I became the best in the country• Won USA Memory Championship in 2011 & 2012• Hold USA record for: - fastest cards: 63 seconds - fastest numbers: 303 digits

USA MEMORY CHAMPIONSHIPS

B R A I NMY 4

ESSENTIALS

E X E R C I S E Y O U R M I N D

B E S O C I A L

E A T W E L L

E X E R C I S E Y O U R B O D Y

EXERCISE YOUR MIND

( IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY )

0 1 5 5 2 5 3 1 0 0 3 9 4 7 7 5 4 1 8 3 0 3 3 3 3 4 7 7

MUCH EASIER WHEN WE ADD MEANING!

0 1 5 5 2 5 3 1 0 0 3 9 4 7

7 5 4 1 8 3 0 3 3 3 3 4 7 7

WHY IS IT HARD?

• Our brains were not designed for the modern world

• Modern information is abstract

• Our brains don’t memorize well when information has no meaning... • We need to GIVE meaning.

T H E C O L O R O F T H E C H E E S E A N D T O M A T O

T H E D R I P P Y C H E E S E

T H E F R E S H A R O M A

T H E W H I T E F L O U R O F T H E D O U G H

T H E S T E A M I N E S S A N D T A S T E

T H E S O U N D O F T H E C H E E S E S I Z Z L I N G

VISUALIZATIONT H E B R A I N W O R K S I N PICTURES

MAKE IT S AD…

TAP INTO YOUR EMOTIONAL SENSES AS WELL

MAKE IT FUNN Y !

MAKE IT GROTESQUE - E W W

IMAGINE SOME THING EMOTION AL WITH THE PIZ Z A :

ADD SOME MOTION OR “AC TION” MAKE IT EROTIC

VISUALIZATION

CAN YOU FORGET?

Of course you can….

But only if you:• Don’t pay attention• Don’t make your pictures memorable enough

BORING MEMORABLE!

MEMORIZE THIS!

MUSTACHE

SHRIMP

KNIFE

MIRROR

BICYCLE

PENCIL

ONION

POOL

SKIRT

TANGO

REFRIGERATOR

ORANGE

LIPSTICK

TACO

STORAGE

• Creating images and associations aren’t always enough

• We need to store images somewhere in our brains

• Somewhere we can retrieve them (reliably)

• Like a computer, you don’t just press save…you need to specify a filename and directory so you can retrieve it later

THE JOURNEY METHOD:

• Mentally walk around a familiar place

• Stick your pictures on different “Anchor Points” along the way

STORAGE

• The brain naturally absorbs spatial information

• The more Journeys you have, the more storage space you have in your brain

• Journeys can be as big or small as you want them to be

LET’S TRY IT AGAIN!

GIRAFFE

FOOT

GALAXY

APPLE

ROPE

COUCH

SCHOOL

TELEVISION

CUP

ROSE

STEAK

BUTTON

BOX

PAN

B R A I NMY 4

ESSENTIALS

E X E R C I S E Y O U R M I N D

B E S O C I A L

E A T W E L L

E X E R C I S E Y O U R B O D Y

EAT WELL

• You are what you eat…..quality matters!

• What you put in your body affects your brain - 30% of daily caloric intake is by the brain

• Try to incorporate “Brain Foods” into your diet - Foods rich in DHA Omega-3 + Fatty Fish, Supplements, DHA-fortified foods - Foods rich in Vitamin E and Lutein + Dark leafy greens, eggs - Foods high in Antioxidants + Small Red Beans, Blueberries, Blackberries, Beets

BE SOCIAL

• Having healthy relationships with friends and family is important for overall happiness

• Having a rich social network helps support brain health

- Enhances mental stimulation - Provides more resources and support - Reduces stress and depression - Keeps you active

EXERCISE YOUR BODY

• Exercising makes you feel good

• You feel better about yourself

• Body works more smoothly

• Increases the size of your hippocampus

• Improves circulation and blood flow to the brain

- Brain is a highly vascular organ

YOU HAVE THE POWER!

• Challenge your mind -Memorize a list, a poem, the names of people you meet• Eat Better -Try new, healthy foods -Know where your food comes from and what’s in it• Involve yourself socially -Volunteer• Stay active -Get yourself moving!

It’s simple: TAKE CARE OF YOUR MIND!

MEMORIES ARE ALL WE HAVE.WITHOUT THEM, WE ARE NOTHING.VALUE YOUR MIND !

nelson.dellis@gmail.com

www.climbformemory.org

1000 DIGITS OF PI: CHOOSE ANY 10 DIGIT CHUNK 3 . 1 4 1 5 9 2 6 5 3 5 8 9 7 9 3 2 3 8 4 6 2 6 4 3 3 8 3 2 7 9 5 0 2 8 8 4 1 9 7 1 6 9 3 9 9 3 7 5 1 0 5 8 20 9 74 9 4 4 5 9 2 3 0 7 8 1 6 4 0 6 2 8 6 2 0 8 9 9 8 6 2 8 0 3 4 8 2 5 3 4 2 1 1 7 0 6 7 9 8 2 1 4 8 0 86 5 1 3 2 8 2 3 0 6 6 4 7 0 9 3 8 4 4 6 0 9 5 5 0 5 8 2 2 3 1 7 2 5 3 5 9 4 0 8 1 2 8 4 8 1 1 1 74 5 0 2 8 41 0 2 7 0 1 9 3 8 5 2 1 1 0 5 5 5 9 6 4 4 6 2 2 9 4 8 9 5 4 9 3 0 3 8 1 9 6 4 4 2 8 8 1 0 9 7 5 6 6 5 9 3 3 44 6 1 2 8 4 7 5 6 4 8 2 3 3 7 8 6 7 8 3 1 6 5 2 7 1 2 0 1 9 0 9 1 4 5 6 4 8 5 6 6 9 2 3 4 6 0 3 4 8 6 1 0 4 54 3 2 6 6 4 8 2 1 3 3 9 3 6 0 7 2 6 0 2 4 9 1 4 1 2 7 3 7 2 4 5 8 7 0 0 6 6 0 6 3 1 5 5 8 8 1 74 8 8 1 5 2 09 2 0 9 6 2 8 2 9 2 5 4 0 9 1 7 1 5 3 6 4 3 6 7 8 9 2 5 9 0 3 6 0 0 1 1 3 3 0 5 3 0 5 4 8 8 2 0 4 6 6 5 2 13 8 4 1 4 6 9 5 1 9 4 1 5 1 1 6 0 9 4 3 3 0 5 7 2 7 0 3 6 5 7 5 9 5 9 1 9 5 3 0 9 2 1 8 6 1 1 7 3 8 1 9 3 2 6 1 17 9 3 1 0 5 1 1 8 5 4 8 0 74 4 6 2 3 7 9 9 6 2 74 9 5 6 7 3 5 1 8 8 5 7 5 2 7 2 4 8 9 1 2 2 7 9 3 8 1 8 3 0 11 9 4 9 1 2 9 8 3 3 6 7 3 3 6 2 4 4 0 6 5 6 6 4 3 0 8 6 0 2 1 3 9 4 9 4 6 3 9 5 2 2 4 7 3 7 1 9 0 7 0 2 1 79 8 6 0 9 4 3 7 0 2 7 7 0 5 3 9 2 1 7 1 7 6 2 9 3 1 7 6 7 5 2 3 8 4 6 74 8 1 8 4 6 7 6 6 9 4 0 5 1 3 2 0 0 05 6 8 1 2 7 1 4 5 2 6 3 5 6 0 8 2 7 7 8 5 7 7 1 3 4 2 7 5 7 7 8 9 6 0 9 1 7 3 6 3 7 1 7 8 7 2 1 4 6 8 4 4 0 90 1 2 2 4 9 5 3 4 3 0 1 4 6 5 4 9 5 8 5 3 7 1 0 5 0 7 9 2 2 7 9 6 8 9 2 5 8 9 2 3 5 4 2 0 1 9 9 5 6 1 1 2 1 29 0 2 1 9 6 0 8 6 4 0 3 4 4 1 8 1 5 9 8 1 3 6 2 9 7 74 7 7 1 3 0 9 9 6 0 5 1 8 7 0 7 2 1 1 3 4 9 9 9 9 9 9 83 7 2 9 7 8 0 4 9 9 5 1 0 5 9 7 3 1 7 3 2 8 1 6 0 9 6 3 1 8 5 9 5 0 2 4 4 5 9 4 5 5 3 4 6 9 0 8 3 0 2 6 4 25 2 2 3 0 8 2 5 3 3 4 4 6 8 5 0 3 5 2 6 1 9 3 1 1 8 8 1 7 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 3 7 8 3 8 7 5 2 8 8 6 5 8 7 5 3 3 20 8 3 8 1 4 2 0 6 1 7 1 7 7 6 6 9 1 4 7 3 0 3 5 9 8 2 5 3 4 9 0 4 2 8 7 5 5 4 6 8 7 3 1 1 5 9 5 6 2 8 6 3 8 82 3 5 3 7 8 7 5 9 3 7 5 1 9 5 7 7 8 1 8 5 7 7 8 0 5 3 2 1 7 1 2 2 6 8 0 6 6 1 3 0 0 1 9 2 7 8 7 6 6 1 1 1 9 5 90 9 2 1 6 4 2 0 1 9 8 9