Sure, you blank on a name now and then, and sometimes you can't remember where you put your keys. But that doesn't mean your steel-trap mind is doomed to turn into a colander as you get older. You can build up your brain, just like a muscle. Researchers haven't yet found a way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, but they have uncovered plenty of defenses against the mental missteps we all experience. Just a few simple tweaks, such as ordering the fish special at a restaurant or tidying up your house, can yield big results. Read on for new strategies that can keep your brain nimble, your memory sharp, and your keys always where you left them.

Test your hearing
If you're one of the 31 million Americans with hearing problems, your memory may be suffering, too. Research from Brandeis University shows that people with hearing loss sometimes spend so much effort trying to understand what's being said that they can't remember it afterward.

Have your hearing tested every 3 years after age 50. Prevent further hearing loss by turning down the volume. If you have an MP3 player, make sure you set it no higher than 80 percent of the maximum.

Keep your BMI below 25
In memory tests, people with a healthy BMI of 20 recalled an average of 9 out of 16 words, while those with a BMI of 30 — the threshold for obesity — remembered just 7, found a study in Neurology. That difference sounds small, but researchers say it can be enough to have a noticeable impact.

Click here to use our BMI calculator to determine your BMI. If your number is over 25, aim to lose 5 percent to 7 percent of your body weight (try cutting 250 calories a day from your diet and burning 250 calories through exercise).

Eat salad every day
In a study from Rush University, people who consumed about three servings of vegetables daily had a 40 percent slower rate of cognitive decline over 6 years than those who shunned veggies, leaving the produce lovers the mental equals of someone 5 years younger. Green leafy vegetables seemed to have the strongest effect, perhaps because of their high vitamin E content, say researchers.

Add vitamin E–rich spinach, almonds, or sunflower seeds to the mix for a smarter salad.

Pay (better) attention
As you get older, you become less efficient at sifting through different types of sensory information — so much so that a distracting environment can interfere with memories forming in your brain. But a recent study suggested a fix: Participants were asked to pick out certain letters among a jumble of them while ignoring superfluous sounds. Those who first completed an attention-training course in noisy rooms had significantly higher scores.

Turn on the television or radio and hone your focus with a word game, crossword puzzle or Sudoku puzzle.

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