1. Most people are good about exercising their bodies, but forget that their minds also need to be worked-out. Work on a crossword puzzle, a daily math problem, or even a simple word search. Your brain will feel fresh and active, and over time, you might help reduce memory loss by up to 50%.

2. Sign up for a class at your local trade school or community college. This will not only get you out of the house a few hours a week, but will provide a stimulating new concept to help exercise your brain, provided you choose a class that teaches you something you don’t already know.

3. Lower your stress levels. Chronic stress can cause the release of chemicals that can have negative effects on memory and overall mental development. Use deep breathing exercises, listen to music at home or at work, or take the time to write in a journal. All of these can help reduce your stress, which will in turn keep your mind from feeling drained.

4. Keep your body fit. A simple 30 minute workout everyday, from walking to weight training, can be very beneficial for your mind. Exercise actually increases the blood and oxygen levels in the brain, which leads to improved memory, reaction times, and reasoning abilities.

5. Foods that are high in fat or cholesterol are obviously not good for you. Fat and cholesterol can lead to a thickening and clogging of blood vessels and arteries that carry blood to and from your brain. If these arteries are clogged, your brain will not receive the blood and nutrients it needs, which will in turn lower its ability to do its job. Balance your diet by lowering these harmful foods, and adding more beneficial foods like fruits and vegetables.

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11. Begin your day with foods that feed your mind. Your brain runs mainly on sugar. Giving it access to simple carbohydrates (common sugars) will energize it for a short time. However, the day is long, and your brain actually needs complex carbohydrates, which release energy over time, and not in a quick burst. Vegetables like leafy greens are full of complex “carbs”, and can be eaten throughout the day to maintain optimal brain function.

12. The “incredible, edible egg”. Making eggs a part of your diet, especially during lunchtime, can boost your mental energy. Egg yolks contain a chemical called choline, which increases the speed at which signals are sent to nerve cells in the brain.

13. Rest your brain by allowing yourself adequate hours of sleep. This can in fact, come in the form of deep sleep at night, or even as a short nap after training or after learning/doing something new. Sleep in fact, not only allows your body to rest, but it also gives your brain a chance to work out some of the day’s problems, even find solutions to tasks that troubled you through the day.

14. Go out for recess. That’s right. Remember the good old days in elementary school when your teacher would take you out into the yard for 15 minutes of recreation time? There is no reason why this effective technique should not be a part of your life today. When lunchtime comes, take a 15-minute to walk around the block, or to a local park and have lunch. If leaving the building is not an option, find and walk up a flight of stairs once or twice. The exercise will get your heart pumping, and send more oxygen to your brain.

15. Your brain needs oxygen in order to function properly. During the day, if you start to feel tired or fatigued, take a few minutes (5-10 is fine) to do some deep breathing exercises. They will increase the levels of oxygen in your brain, which will increase your focus and overall mental energy.

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16. Eliminate junk food from your diet. Junk food is typically not conducive to your health. Most junk foods contain toxins and artificial ingredients that can wreak havoc on your body’s efficiency. Your body uses a lot more energy and nutrients in trying to get rid of the substances found in junk food, than it actually gains from it.

17. If you have children, make sure they eat a healthy breakfast. Poor nutrition, even in a moderate sense, can result in poor performance at school, and over time, can even affect a child’s cognitive development. After all, when children are hungry at school, behavioral, emotional, and academic problems will become more prevalent.

18. Its tea time. Consider switching from coffee to tea. Green Tea and Black Tea go beyond being full of those disease-preventing antioxidants, and have less caffeine than coffee, they can reduce your risk of heart disease, they can boost your immune system, and they are calorie-free. Typically, experts recommend 2-3 cups of tea per day.

19. Eat your veggies, but don’t overcook them. Yes, vegetable are great for your health, but just like fruits, they tend to lose much of what makes them beneficial when they are cooked or processed in some way. Using a quick-frying, or quick-boiling technique, usually 2-3 minutes respectively, can help preserve much of the minerals, vitamins, and enzymes naturally found in vegetables.

20. Go natural. Try using natural foods, either from the store or from your own garden, as much as possible. Like fast foods, frozen and processed foods do provide an essence of convenience, however, they also lack many of the nutrients that are found in the same foods when they are fresh.

21. Most people don’t have the time to workout 30 minutes to an hour each day, so it is important to maximize your physical activity whenever and wherever you can. When you go out for groceries, dinner, or shopping, park your car far away from the entrance, this way, you have no choice but to walk.

22. Dracula may not have liked it, but you should. Garlic has many nutritional benefits. A little garlic in your food can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, in addition to helping with digestion and in the treatment of diabetes.

23. Spice things up. Certain peppers and sauces (like cayenne and Tabasco) have been shown in studies to increase your energy, your metabolism, and your ability to burn fat.

24. Grow yourself an herb garden. People have long known about herbs and their ability to improve health. Specifically, herbs like thyme, lavender, rosemary, cardamom and even dandelion are all herbs that have been shown to improve the immune system. Having them in your back yard makes them easier to access when you need them.

25. Say cheese! Eating small amounts of certain low-fat cheeses can improve your alertness. Cheeses like provolone, mozzarella, and cottage cheese contain high levels of proteins that when digested, result in tyrosine formation. Tyrosine (an amino acid) is delivered to the brain where it helps in the formation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps you stay alert.

26. Like, oh my gosh – let’s totally go to the mall. If you frequent places like the mall and large shopping centers, avoid elevators and escalators while you’re there. Yes, the stairs might not be as convenient, but taking the long way around the mall can give a important, and unexpected workout. Besides, you’re already walking, right?