If we lose our keys, we think we’re losing our marbles. But in fact, everyone experiences forgetfulness from time to time. It’s a normal side effect of stress, distractions, multitasking and, yes, getting older. Serious memory lapses could be a sign of dementia, but plain old forgetfulness isn’t usually something to fret about.

What you can do is reach for more “brain foods”—foods rich in protective nutrients, such as antioxidants, B vitamins, anti-inflammatory oils and spices.