1: Go to bed an hour earlier
Any sort of sleep deprivation, even losing as little as an hour a night, can hamper memory.
This is because when you sleep, a part of the brain called the hippocampus files away memories from the day.
Missing out on sleep disrupts this process and can make you more forgetful.
A comprehensive new US study even found that ’banking’ eight hours of quality shuteye a night in middle age could help avoid Alzheimer’s in later life.
2: Use your nut
A handful of walnuts a day can keep your memory sharp according to a study last month by the David Geffen School of Medicine in LA.
It found they could boost brain speed and improve concentration levels – all thanks to their rich levels of alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain health benefits.
3: Swap hands
Mixing up everyday activities can keep your brain in good shape say experts at Harvard University in America.
This can be as simple as brushing your teeth with the other hand, taking a new route to work or simply swapping your knife and fork around.
These small changes force your brain cells to adapt and communicate with each other, giving them a good workout and preventing them dying off prematurely.
4: Get your body moving
The brain shrinks naturally as we get older, resulting in fewer brain cells and poorer memory, but research by the University of Pittsburgh in America, found that as little as three 40-minute workouts a week could reverse this shrinkage in those over 50 – and even encourage the brain to grow.
5: Close your eyes
Can’t recall where you left those keys? Shutting your eyes for a short time could help you remember, scientists at the University of Surrey discovered earlier this year.
They found that participants in a test with their eyes closed correctly answered over 70% of questions correctly, compared to only 40% of those with their eyes open.
According to lead researcher Dr Robert Nash, closing your eyes stops you being distracted and therefore frees up brain power. He explains: “It might also help people visualise the details of the event they are trying to remember.”
6: Enjoy your morning latte
A US study has shown caffeine can sharpen your memories for up to 24 hours after it is consumed.It appears to boost the way you lay down memory circuits in your brain so you can recall information clearly later. Other studies have found people who drink several coffees a day have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
7: Check your blood pressure
Over time, high blood pressure can narrow the arteries, reducing blood flow to the brain and triggering episodes of forgetfulness.
One study by the University of Alabama in America, found that people with high blood pressure were more likely to have memory problems – and the higher the BP, the worse the problem. If you’re over 40, or have a family history of heart disease, see your GP to get it checked.
8: Enjoy a fish supper
Granny was right – fish is brain food. Research found that a weekly meal of omega-3 rich oily fish, such as mackerel or salmon, can slow down brain shrinkage responsible for age-related mental decline by a third.
9: Keep your cool
High-stress situations, such as traffic jams or rows with your partner, release large amounts of the stress hormones cortisol and corticotropin – both enemies of good recall – as they prevent communication between our memory-forming brain cells.
Researchers at the University of California found that stressful events damaged people’s ability to remember things at a later date.
Learning how to breathe slowly and deeply at such moments can help reduce your heart rate and keep your brain functioning at peak performance.
10: Say no to seconds
A study by Toulouse University, France, found gaining weight can harm memory – the more overweight you are, the lower recall rate dips.
Researchers think fat may clog arteries in the brain, preventing healthy blood circulation, just as it blocks those in the heart.
11: Go bargain-hunting
Sale shopping Retail therapy: You now have an excuse to go shopping
Need an excuse to treat yourself? Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina in America, have found that retail therapy can improve the memories of older shoppers.
And it’s all thanks to our love of a good bargain, which requires the use of an additional brain area.
Why? We have to try to remember a lot of information to compare and contrast and pick the best deal.
12: And add up the bills in your head
Counting up how much you’re spending as you put items in your shopping basket is another great workout for your grey matter. The mental challenge activates the ‘working memory’ part of your brain, which is crucial for focus, concentration and planning.
Studies show working memory decreases by up to 10% each decade after 25, but training it in such ways can improve its function.
13: Sip apple juice
Apples – in particular drinking the juice – could help keep your brain young according to one study in the Journal Of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Researchers found that drinking just two glasses a day reduced the formation of the sticky plaques found in the brains of dementia patients.
14: Ditch the carb-free diet
From Paleo to Atkins, diets that ban carbohydrates are as popular as ever, but going without bread and rice can leave you fuzzy-headed and forgetful, according to a study by Tufts University, near Boston in America.
This is because your brain runs on carbohydrates, so when you avoid them, you’re depriving this vital organ of its main fuel. Wholegrain carbs are also rich in B vitamins, low levels of which can trigger memory loss.
But don’t skip eating protein either, as research shows lean meat, fish and dairy are vital for a good attention span.
“The key to a well-functioning memory is to eat a healthy balance of carbohydrates and protein at every meal,” explains nutritionist Linda Foster.
15: Download some new tunes
Studies have demonstrated that classical music, such as Mozart, can boost scores in memory tests of children and help those with dementia.
But you don’t have to become a classical music buff to benefit according to a study by Glasgow Caledonian University. They found guitar rock such as that by Jimi Hendrix and the Red Hot Chili Peppers could boost memory just as much.
16: Eat more curry
Food Indian a plate of Chicken Tikka Masala curry and rice Curry favour: Indian spices can stimulate the grey cells
India has one of the world’s lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease, and scientists now believe this could be largely down to the amount of spices consumed there.
Turmeric is a particular boost, as it’s packed with curcumin, an antioxidant found to stall memory loss. Curcumin works by blocking the build-up of Alzheimer’s-inducing amyloid plaques (deposits found in the brains of sufferers) and also appear to help reduce existing plaques, slowing memory decline.
17: Take a 20-minute power nap
While disturbed sleep can disrupt the memory-making process, a short afternoon power snooze can help redress the balance by supercharging the brain according to neuroscientists from the City University of New York.
18: Learn ‘The Link Method’
Eight times World Memory Champion Dominic O’Brien is a fan of the link method for remembering a list of words or shopping items. To do it, you simply make a link between each of the objects.
For example, try remembering the following words: torch, grapes, a ring, sherry. Imagine shining a torch on a bunch of grapes. Inside one of the grapes you see a ring sparkling with diamonds. As you squeeze the grape, the ring falls into a glass of sherry.
19: Surf the net
Silver surfers: Using the internet can be beneficial
Don’t feel guilty about idle surfing – using the web is actually a good workout for your brain.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, compared the brains of middle-aged people who rarely used the internet against more experienced internet users.
They found the latter group had significantly more active areas in the ‘prefrontal cortex’ – the part of the brain, which controls the ability to make decisions and remember more complex information.
20: Herbal helping hand
Part of maintaining a good memory is to ensure a healthy blood supply to the brain according to World Memory Champion, Dominic O’Brien.
He explains: “Research has shown the herb Ginkgo biloba can help maintain short term memory by maintaining a healthy circulation to the extremities including the brain, which is why I take it.” Try Healthspan Ginkgo Biloba 6,000mg (£10.95, from healthspan.co.uk )
21: Go for a giggle
Laughing more can boost your memory. Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in America, found that when teachers cracked jokes and made lessons funnier, test scores increased.
As well as making information more memorable, better recall was also encouraged by the extra oxygen going to the brain as laughter increases blood flow around the body.
22: Nibble dark chocolate
Dark Chocolate (Pic:RexFeatures) Sweet success: Dark chocolate
Recent research found that flavanols – plant chemicals abundant in darker chocolate – boost mental sharpness.
It’s thought that they work by widening blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the brain.
23: Floss daily
Poor gum health could damage your brain.
Studies have found people with gum disease tend to score lower in memory tests, which dental researchers says may be because infected gums release inflammatory by-products into the bloodstream that travel to the areas of the brain involved in memory.
So as well as keeping your teeth and gums healthy, brushing and flossing twice daily could help keep your memory sharp.
24: Chomp some chicken
Rich in the nutrient choline, chicken, along with eggs, fish and beans, can help keep the brain on top form.
Researchers at Tufts University found that people who ate plenty of choline tended to perform better on memory tests and were less likely to display the brain changes that are associated with dementia.
25: And finally... make love!
Sex boosts the levels of a brain chemical called prolactin, which appears to help create and nurture new nerve cells in the brain, according to Professor Perry Bartlett of the University Of Queensland’s Brain Institute in Australia.
Yet another reason to get between the sheets with your partner more often!