Lest we forget, the brain is a part of the body. And just like the rest of your body, it needs the basics: good nutrition and exercise. If you are lacking in these areas, your brain no matter how well prepared will never work at its full capacity So here are some tips designed to help with the care and feeding of your gray matter.

Get up and go. Regular exercise will help your memory. It's as simple as taking a 50minute brisk walk three or four times a week, says Robert E. Dustman, Ph.D., research career scientist and director of neuropsychology research at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. In a study of 45 men and women, ages 55 to 70, researchers found that people who started a walking program scored better on visual memory and mental flexibility tests.

"It makes sense that aerobic exercise should be good for the brain, because it's good for the cardiovascular system, and that system is the gateway to the brain," says Dr. Dustman, the study's author.

Both may help fight the effects of aging on the brain. Recent research shows that giving an extract from either strawberries or spinach to rats helps retard age related problems of the brain.

"These do have a positive effect on slowing age related cognitive decline at least in rats," Dr. Wagster says. Although the findings have yet to be confirmed in people, she suggests that individuals eat a balanced diet, which includes foods, such as strawberries and spinach, that are rich in antioxidants.

Supplement with C and E. Because vitamins C and E are antioxidants, they are thought to protect your brain from the normal ravages of aging. Although you should get most nutrients from a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you may need to add more of these important antioxidants, Dr. Scheibel says, so take a supplement of 400 international units of vitamin E and 1,000 milligrams of C a day. "The data are more and more pushing in the direction that these two protect the brain," he says.

Get enough of the Bs. The B vitamins thiamin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 all play a role in keeping the brain healthy, Dr. Scheibel says. If you are not getting enough of these three B vitamins from your diet, try a good B complex vitamin supplement, he suggests.

Without enough thiamin, your brain can't use glucose as well. And if that happens, your brain can't perform up to speed. You need at least 1.5 milligrams a day. Good food sources include rice bran, pork, beef, fresh peas, beans, and wheat germ.

Meanwhile, vitamin B, helps make neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow brain cells to communicate. Take at least 2 milligrams per day, from either a supplement or good food sources, such as bananas, avocados, chicken, beef, or eggs.

Last but not least, you need vitamin B12 to protect the production of myelin, a fatty covering that insulates nerve fibers. If you don't get enough B12, YOU may experience memory loss and confusion. You need 6 micrograms a day, either from a supplement or from food sources such as clams, ham, lamb, cooked oysters, king crab, herring, salmon, or tuna.