Brainvigorate.com

Great to see you here!

Welcome to my brain blog!

This site is meant to be a place where you, my dear reader, can quickly and easily learn the latest in the burgeoning field of brain science and fitness.

I’ll create a place where you can relax, have fun, and get some useful knowledge. It’ll be readable and accessible even if you have no background in medicine, neuroscience, or psychology. I’ll research books, journals, the Internet (particularly medical databases), and interview experts. I will share everything pertinent that I discover.

It seems ironic to write about brain fitness when my own brain hasn’t been functioning as well as I’d like it to. I feel like my brain is kind of stopped up, like I’m suffering from some sort of cranial congestion. Perhaps some of that’s from the bad case of the flu I caught. I’ve been suffering from teary eyes, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, a fever, the chills—the works. I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes open. All I wanted to do was to sleep.

Maybe having a brain in less than optimal condition makes me uniquely qualified to write about the ins and outs of boosting brainpower. At least, it gives me the proper motivation. I’ll need it considering how much time and effort it’ll take to try out various brain exercises, games, and software, not to mention changing my diet and exercise habits. I plan to chronicle my experiences and see how I feel, and note any changes in how my mind works.

Paving the Path to Purgatory

I used to practice tai chi regularly. I haven’t for the last couple of years. I no longer walk for hours either because I moved to an area that isn’t particularly conducive to walking. About a year ago I also started having lower back pain and problems with a bunion. (They’ve now both gone into remission.) Worst of all, my diet went from a relatively healthy, plant-based diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to a high-calorie, meat-based diet with gobs of sugar and processed foods—in other words, the Standard American Diet (SAD). Then the Law of Inertia kicked in—

and I found myself sliding down the slippery slope to pain, perdition, and poor health. (Perdition? Just threw that in for dramatic effect. I adore alliteration, I have a predilection for it.)

I gained weight. (You’re not surprised, are you?) Luckily, my Body Mass Index (BMI) is still within the normal range. (BMI relates your body weight to your height to define normal weight, overweight, and obesity.) But I’m far from my ideal weight. I can feel fat cells swelling up like blood-thickened mosquitoes. My movements are slow and sluggish. My mind is dull. So I need all the brain gym, exercise, and training I can get!

Welcoming with Open Arms

In other words, I’m in a perfect place to see how brain training might affect my cognition. I’ll chronicle my experiences—always with an eye as to how it might inform you, the reader, and help you improve your mental functioning. The point of sharing my experiences will be to enlighten you. This site isn’t meant to be a private journal; navel gazing is unseemly, anyway.

I welcome and greatly appreciate any comments, suggestions, and feedback you may have. I encourage you to share your experiences. Please write directly in the comments section or send me an email to: brainvigorate at gmail.com (Remember to replace “at” with the standard @ mark.)

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