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Trouble Remembering? Boost Your Memory Power

Wednesday, Jul 6, 2011 | Updated 10:27 AM EDT

We've all experienced that memory lapse -- the parking location in the lot, the name of the old friend you run into, the place you left your keys -- but when it happens with regularity, it may be worth taking action.

Dr. Richard Isaacson offers up for the Today Show a few practical tips to help prevent memory loss:

Increase physical activity
Increase mental activity, especially increasing socialization -- "Learning a new language, a new subject, or taking up new hobbies, especially in group settings, may be especially useful," Isaacson says. Puzzles, word games, and crosswords may also be helpful.
Listen to music. Music therapy for memory helps stimulate the mind and exercise memory.
De-stress. Too much stress may impair memory.
Think positively. Try to keep life in balance.
Eat well. Stay away from carbs with a high glycemic index, especially sugar. Try a Medierranean-style diet filled with fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat items, nuts and seeds, and avoid excessive red meat, processed foods and saturated fat. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon, flax seeds and walnuts), and laden with antioxidants (like apples, beans and berries). Include vitamins like folic acid, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D. Choose low-fat dairy, and help yourself to a few cups of coffee (earlier in the day, and with doctor's approval).

Excerpted from "Treating Alzheimer's, Preventing Alzheimer's: A Patient and Family Guide," via MSNBC.