“KEEP SHARP”…Fibromyalgia and Our Brain – Book Share IV

With respect to a lot of things in life, we can get stuck in a mindset… I have fibromyalgia, I discovered a long time ago that with that, comes fibro fog. I’ve been experiencing it firsthand for over two decades now. So I’ve simply come to think that fibro fog is a permanent part of my life…that has become my mindset.

BUT…I’ve slowly seen evidence that I CAN improve it…that being, I already HAVE. Very gradually I’ve noticed my fibro fog IS improving over the years.

And I was happy with that for a time. I was surprised to notice it was happening…and happy…no, more like thrilled. But still, I stayed in that mindset…sure it’s improving, but I’ll still have some sort of fibro fog for as long as I have fibromyalgia.

And even though I’ve wondered if I’m actually very (very!) gradually recovering from fibromyalgia, my mindset about my fibro fog had not changed…had not changed that is until recently, when I saw this new book about “BUILDING A BETTER BRAIN” being discussed on TV… and it started me thinking…WHY do I have to just resign myself to having fibro fog?

As in, there must be something I can do to sharpen up my brain again…and I guess some would call it a “light bulb moment” when I suddenly realized…WHY can’t I get rid of my fibro fog too!? Who says I can’t!?

My sharp memory…I want it back!

So let me explain.

Now yes, I’ve been happy to have my fibro fog improve…but maybe, just maybe, I can get it ALL back. Maybe, I pondered, maybe I can get my very sharp memory back.

As in, I’m going to get researching and find out how! My fibro fog has been improving along with all my other fibromyalgia symptoms as I gradually work on my overall fibromyalgia. But now I’m going to specifically target my brain…let’s see if I can get my previously sharp memory back!

So I bought the book almost immediately, “KEEP SHARP:  Build a Better Brain at Any Age” by Sanjay Gupta, MD, and I started reading.

Gupta, a neurosurgeon for the past twenty-something years (and yes, CNN’s chief medical correspondent for some time now too) caught my interest immediately. I knew I’d found a like-minded individual in his self-describing words “believing you can always be better tomorrow” and I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for me to learn how to build a better brain (tomorrow).

And he did not disappoint.

He immediately gave a good overview of the book in his introduction which only piqued my interest all the more. He would be debunking all those myths we’ve all heard (Yes! Please finally tell me if any of those supplements marketed for boosting brain health work at all!?) and replacing them with what we COULD be doing THIS MINUTE to think and be sharper. TOMORROW. Yes!!

He promised a comprehensive review of the science and latest cutting edge research, the foundation for us to understand his “five pillars of brain health”, followed by practical lessons that ANYONE can carry out starting IMMEDIATELY, leading up to his “12 weeks to Sharper” plan…”a personalized road map for arriving at a sharper brain for life”.

He assured “simple interventions all of us can make right away that can have a significant impact on our cognitive function and long-term brain health”.

And having lived with fibro fog for over twenty years now…(and I know you can identify) well, this is music to my ears! (“Simple” sounds very good! We have enough on our plates already just keeping afloat with fibromyalgia…I don’t need to throw complicated stuff in the mix.)

Gupta goes on to explain that it’s not that hard to do…“periodic little tweaks and adjustments instead of wholesale changes in your life” will provide “general maintenance and upkeep” of our brains…”even small, incremental tweaks can have huge payoffs” he insists. (I am so here for this!)

And the specific benefits we will attain by working on building a better brain? Well, I will take ANY at this point, but these really do sound quite hopeful in terms of help with my fibromyalgia on so many fronts, far more than just my fibro fog.

Gupta spells out the benefits. “A resilient brain can withstand ongoing trauma, think differently, stave off brain-related illnesses including depression, and retain cognitive memory for peak performance.” “You will make better decisions, have improved resilience and a more optimistic attitude, and the physical part of your body will improve too.”

“Studies show that your pain tolerance will increase, your need for medications will decrease, and your ability to heal will be accelerated.”

He will provide “strategies to also be more productive, feel less overwhelmed, and generally navigate through life with ease and joy.”

So, withstand ongoing trauma, stave off depression, retain cognitive memory, improved resilience, more optimistic attitude, improved physically, increased pain tolerance, decreased need for medications, accelerated ability to heal, more productive, feel less overwhelmed, navigate life with ease and joy!?

He had me at “retain cognitive memory”!

What’s more, Gupta explains, “There are things we can do to maintain, enhance, and sharpen our abilities to remember, retain, and retrieve that information as long as we live.”

And he insists that our brains are the one organ that can get stronger as we age, that ANYONE can build a better brain at ANY age, that he will show us how to make our brain as sharp as it can be at any age, that our brains are more resilient and RECOVERABLE than we think.

Now that is truly amazing to know…that we can make these improvements in our brain at any age!

And even more amazing, Gupta writes, we can do this by focusing “on the things you get to choose, big and small, day in and day out.”

Yes, “Our everyday experiences, including what we eat, how much we exercise, with whom we socialize, what challenges we face, how well we sleep, and what we do to reduce stress and learn, factor much more into our brain health and overall wellness than we can imagine,” he states. “What the science is increasingly showing is that we can have a huge impact in our brain’s fate with simple lifestyle choices.” And not only do our everyday choices and behaviour play a key role in our brain health, he explains, they can result in very rapid improvements.

Very rapid improvements!

So yes, after reading Gupta’s overview of the content of his book I knew I was on the right track to get some help with my fibro fog and quite likely much, much more. I mean, he’s speaking of the things I’ve been using as tools to battle my fibromyalgia for over nineteen years now since my diagnosis…and I already have the proof of what he’s saying…my fibro fog HAS undoubtedly and noticeably been improving! So I was definitely keen to learn even more that I can do.

Now I have to admit, wading through his initial introduction to our “inner black box”, as he calls our brain, was a little challenging at times to absorb it all and take it all in but I have to say, he succeeded in making a very complex and comprehensive topic about as easy to understand and relatable for a non-neurosurgeon as can be. I mean, (even with my fibro fog) I was able to fairly easily grasp the content he was conveying, albeit sometimes giving some concepts a second read through to thoroughly understand.

And it WAS interesting! Especially from the perspective of someone with fibromyalgia which has long been suspected to be a “brain thing” (although yes, I’ve heard of many credible theories and studies pointing in different directions over the years) and at the very least, my fibro fog IS most definitely a “brain thing”!

So I was keenly interested to hear Gupta discuss “the ability of the brain to heal and rehabilitate itself, even after significant trauma”. (Makes me wonder…EVEN after fibromyalgia? EVEN fibro fog!?)

“This process of RE-ESTABLISHING NETWORKS AND CONNECTIONS in areas of the brain damaged by the injury is what’s called NEUROPLASTICITY”, he writes, peaking my interest even more of the possibilities of REWIRING OUR BRAINS once damaged.  He states that it is now known that “the brain is a lot less static than we thought in the past. It’s alive, growing, learning, and changing—all throughout our lives. This dynamism offers hope for everyone looking to keep their mental faculties intact.” (…and perhaps looking to regain their previously sharp mind from fibro fog…maybe? Cross my fingers.)

And then as far as our present day-to-day living, I was keenly interested to read Gupta’s explanation of what’s normal and what’s not for memory lapses in terms of his discussion of the terms of “blocking”, “scrambling”, “fading away”, “struggling for retrieval”, and “muddled multitasking”. I think those of us with fibromyalgia will see ourselves more than once here (fibro fog!); I know I did.

In addition, as someone with over twenty years experience dealing with fibro fog, I can say that I was pleased to also see myself more than once in some of Gupta’s explanations of things that impact our memories for the better. One of the great takeaways of the book for me was I learned I have been on the right track already with some of the little tricks and tactics I’ve devised over the years to help myself remember things.

When he spoke about the importance of paying attention and “original awareness” (i.e. noticing) to memory, I thought of how I’d realized some time ago, as I wrote in an earlier post, that “I have to keep my guard up, to try to keep focused. I’ve learned to make a concerted effort to try to be present in what I am doing…I focus on the details, and I try to keep my mind in the moment and on what I’m doing…so I don’t get distracted and/or so I will remember something.”

And when he emphasized “active observation versus just seeing”, it immediately made me think of my fibro fog combatting practice of saying things out loud as I am doing things, to help me remember. For example, if I am doing some chores around the house and I want to remember something, maybe counting something or remembering some items, I count out loud or say the items out loud. I’ve found this helps me to remember…because I remember saying it. I find it works better than just thinking it, which easily gets lost in my fibro fog thoughts. (Now of course I generally only do this around my home or somewhere where I’m out of earshot from others…this may not work at your job, or in a store…you may want to keep this tip for someplace that talking to yourself out loud goes over okay!)

So yes, it was great to see my trial and error learned strategies reinforced by a neurologist and even greater to read of all the other memory training ideas he presents that I will now be practicing in my repertoire because as Gupta emphasizes, the concept of “use it or lose it” very much applies to our memories.

I have to say I found this all very exciting to hear. The fact that WE can do something…lots of things actually(!)…daily…to sharpen our memories, to rewire our brains…and even generate new brain cells.

Which brings me back to, what exactly do we have to do to rewire our brains? Well of course Gupta, again, does not disappoint in laying it all out for us. He goes on to detail what he calls the “five pillars of brain health” which he assures encompass all the practical strategies we need to protect and heighten our brain function.

And he also assures that he has strategies for everyone, easily incorporated into our lives, well within our reach to do, from a tailored twelve-week program for those who need specific directions, to extra tips for those seeking to increase productivity and make the most of their time (Oh gosh, how I could use that extra hour in a day he says is attainable!).

He will help us build better habits to shape a better life through a sharper brain.

So as I waded into Gupta’s “five pillars of brain health” I was delighted to find his recommendations, his “better habits”, very doable…and you know how I know that? I’ve been doing many of them for decades already!

In fact, I can even say that it’s been my experience that his guidelines, his program, is A GOOD ROUTINE TO FOLLOW FOR FIBROMYALGIA IN GENERAL. Generally, much of it is what I’ve already been doing for over nineteen years now since my fibromyalgia diagnosis and have found, it helps. It helps a lot.

And now, with Gupta’s book, I have the explanations, firsthand from a neurologist, of why it all helps plus so many more ideas to try, to continue to improve.

Yes, I found so many explanations throughout “KEEP SHARP” that resonated with what my experience has already shown me.

As in, for some time now, I’ve been wondering what it is about Friday, other than the obvious…it’s Friday(!)…that my writing of my blog posts just flows so much easier than other days…and now I found out. I found out what it is that I’ve been doing that gives me such an immediate (within one hour he says) boost in productivity, alertness, and overall an increased mental sharpness that sometimes feels like suddenly a brainstorm session just finds me!

I move. (And I move a lot on Friday mornings in particular.)

Yes, I found out that I have already been doing “the single most important thing one can do to enhance their brain’s function and resiliency to disease” and “there is a nearly immediate measurable cause and effect going on”…nearly immediate…that explains it. It can be a “first aid kit” for damaged brain cells, speeding up recovery after injury, stroke, or a significant emotional stress.

And personally I don’t find any of this hard to believe…I think I’ve already been witnessing this throughout over twenty years of fibromyalgia (nineteen since diagnosed), in the short as well as the long term.

Because, throughout it all, I’ve kept (physically) moving.

He sites many benefits to our brains, that, as I said, I already know to be super helpful to my fibromyalgia in general as well…things like supporting emotional stability, staving off depression (and dementia…good!…I know I sometimes secretly fear that is where my fibro fog is leading to), as well as having more mental energy in general, likely feeling more optimistic and better able to tackle the challenges of the day (yes please to that too!).

And specifically to help my fibro fog? Well, that’s all good news too…a sharper mind…thinking better, more quickly, clearly and focused…better processing skills…consolidating new information…more likely to have truly novel thoughts…better memory and reasoning abilities.

He gives guidelines on a whole array of movement we can do, and how much, to maximize the benefit to your brain, as well as highlighting the benefit of naturally fitting these things throughout the day, something I find I am already conscious of to help keep my fibromyalgia aches and pains at bay (because yes, experience has shown me that movement helps them too).

And if this isn’t enough (it is!), Gupta also explains movement’s role in stress reduction. And with stress being one of my two major triggers for fibromyalgia flares, I was keenly interested to hear him explain how we can mitigate our body’s reaction to stress and its resulting flood of the stress-related hormone cortisol to help reduce the resultant negative affects on memory and learning, and even long-lasting brain changes.

So Gupta’s explanation of how physical movement helps the body and brain to heal, it having the “strongest evidence to date of positive brain changes”, offering “the greatest return on investment in yourself”, rang more than a few bells for me and now that I fully understand exactly what it is I’ve been doing that’s been stimulating my mind and “turning on my smart genes” as he says, to get these nearly immediate results, I’ll be working his very doable suggestions into my every day life and doing them all the more!

And these suggestions weren’t the end of it; no, that’s just the start. As I got deeper into “KEEP SHARP”, I found that Gupta goes on to show us “how to discover your brain’s full capacity through strategies that heighten attention, focus, and concentration” by giving the “right way” to use our brains in challenging ways to help us “tap the “plastic” power of the brain—its capacity to rewire itself and strengthen its networks”.

He explains this entails helping our brain to change how it operates to find alternative routes if one road becomes impassable and he also details many very doable things any of us, at any age, can choose from to do, over time, to do this.

And like a lot of things in life, to gain the rewards, we simply have to DO these things he lays out for us…as he says, “Experience drives plasticity in the brain”.

As he explains, all this helps to “ultimately build new networks and strengthen existing ones” “to help your brain better manage any potential failures or declines it faces.” And personally, already dealing with fibro fog all these years, I am here for this!

I actually feel this book could almost be a manual on how to live with (and thrive with) fibromyalgia. (Fibromyalgia HAS long been suspected to be a “brain thing”, so there’s that.)  Because the next topic Gupta covers is the vast benefit to our brains of relaxing (reducing stress to be exact), and getting restorative sleep, which incidentally are the two key things I know from experience I need to do to manage my fibromyalgia well.

And in relating these benefits to our brains, he of course explains the impacts on our brains of NOT managing stress well and of NOT getting good sleep. And I have to say, none of this was surprising to me. Having fibromyalgia, I’ve lived out these things on a daily basis for over two decades now.

I mean if I don’t get decent sleep on any given night or especially for any extended period of multiple nights, the difference in my ability to be insightful, ­­­­remember things,­­­­ learn new knowledge, process and interpret information, be alert and focus, and just generally function normal mentally, AND cope well with stress, during the day is just a stark contrast to a day when I have gotten a decent amount of restorative sleep. (Not to mention all the various physical symptoms that will kick in too.) The difference is like night and day.

“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brains and bodies”, Gupta says which relates directly to how I described my experience with fibromyalgia in a previous post…I have to “manually reset” my functionality daily with a decent night’s sleep the night before, or I’m toast.

Yes, as Gupta states, “Studies have convincingly proven that sleep habits ultimately rule everything about you”, and having fibromyalgia, don’t I know it! I live it extensively, in terms of my functionality, mentally and physically, EVERY day.

And he goes on to explain the tremendous amount of vital processes, regeneration, rejuvenating and decluttering happening in our brain as we sleep…a replenishing that affects every system in our bodies, from our brain to our heart, our immune system and our metabolism.

Ah, sleep, that thing that is sometimes so elusive for those of us with fibromyalgia, it’s no wonder we have fibro fog when you consider what Gupta details CAN’T happen in our brains when we get poor sleep…things like memory organization, ability to process and interpret information.  Chronic sleep deprivation, he says, “can lead to a staggering amount of memory loss that can even appear like the onset of dementia.” Yes, we know it well.

And it’s no wonder we have inflammation! Gupta also says a “strong body of evidence already shows that lack of sleep raises levels of inflammation.” And listen to this!  A “single night of inadequate sleep is enough to activate inflammatory processes in the body, especially in women for reasons we don’t know yet.”

Tell me about it!! We could be case studies for this!!

But thank goodness Gupta explains “sleep is medicine”. As he says, “Sleeping well is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve all of your brain functions, as well as your ability to learn and remember new knowledge (it improves every system in the body).” Yes, he states these symptoms of cognitive decline we experience with sleep deprivation are highly reversible and he will help ensure we achieve restorative sleep on a nightly basis.  He then proceeds to lay out his “TOP TEN SECRETS TO SLUMBER”, which incidentally and no surprise to me, echoed some of the tips I recently read in “THE SLEEP SOLUTION” written by a fellow neurologist and reviewed in my earlier post.

And I know Gupta is right about these symptoms being highly reversible because, as I’ve written about in an earlier post, I was able to finally “fix my sleep” some years ago, with amazing results. Fixing my sleep lead to very gradually leaving my chronic fatigue behind while also gradually improving a great deal of my fibromyalgia symptoms on a daily basis, including experiencing my most significant improvement in my fibro fog, this being the definite distinct improvement in my ability to tackle high level thinking tasks again!

Which brings me to the second part of Gupta’s “relax” advice…reducing stress.

Because, like poor sleep, if I allow myself to become overly stressed, I feel this so directly too. As Gupta states “stress is particularly subversive” for our brains and quite honestly the same could be said for how stress affects my fibromyalgia.

Gupta discusses how “chronic stress can impair your ability to learn and adapt to new situations” and for those of us with fibromyalgia this is certainly true, but it’s also so much more. I mean stress is basically the kryptonite to my (fibromyalgia) world. As I wrote about at length in a previous post, any and all fibromyalgia symptoms, fibro fog and physical, can be kick started with stress, at times leading to a flare that can last for days, weeks, even months or years, depending on the severity of the stress and the length of time I’ve endured it.

So I was super appreciative to find Gupta’s lengthy career’s worth of tips in the book, to take advantage of to help to relax and reduce stress, unwind, and “chill out” our brains, as he says. He outlines an entire range of stress-reducing activities and how to practice them.

And then what I found particularly interesting was that he outlined a whole series of other easy-to-do everyday R&R ideas that we can do to use our brains in an optimal way for our mental well-being…things that trigger hormones in our brain which can relieve stress, reduce tension and anxiety and depression, even reduce pain…things that “reset” our brains and build a more resilient and productive brain…things that help us focus and optimize the way we use our brain.

And things that don’t. Things that all of us do most every day that are unfortunately slowing our thinking. (This explains why, as I wrote about in my fibro fog post, I’ve found cutting out all distractions using ear plugs and even setting a timer helps me to cut through my fibro fog to focus to get a task done.) He goes on to detail what our brains like and what they dislike in terms of how they function, and then given these, some amazing tips on how to use our brains capabilities to achieve our maximum focus, or how to “get more done using less effort” as he says.

Having fibromyalgia, I’m here for it, in so many ways!

I was also here for it to find yet another tool in my fibromyalgia kit discussed at length by Gupta and including a whole slew of new tips for me. Now I’ve long been keenly interested in eating healthy but I never realized just how much it was likely helping me function better with fibromyalgia until I delved into a bit of research to write my earlier post about diet and fibromyalgia. And now, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, while reading “KEEP SHARP”, I find out the same goes for my fibro fog. I mean, you probably can’t have a discussion about the optimal functioning of any parts of our bodies without what we put into our bodies, our diet, entering into it.

So when I hear Gupta throw out phrases such as “help preserve cognition”, “improve cognitive function”  and “lessening cognitive decline symptoms”…and then he says all we have to do is consume certain foods, while limiting certain other foods…well, I’m all ears. (This really does seem like a no-brainer to me, pun intended.)

And if you think Gupta’s going to prescribe some strict, distasteful, boring, rigid, hard-to-follow “diet” that challenges your willpower, well, think again. Not on his watch. From his analysis of decades of research, Gupta arrives at recommending more of a “way of eating”, a “dietary style” with a general framework that will help us fuel our bodies…and our brains…in a proactive way.

It is a way of eating that encompasses a combination of healthy foods with a dose of “everything in moderation” (my personal long time favourite diet rule) and he states that even “exceedingly small shifts can have a tremendously outsized effect”.

Then of course Gupta details what those shifts should entail, his guidelines…his thumbs up for what nourishes our brains…and his thumbs down for what doesn’t.

As for what doesn’t, you’ll find out what (worst) foods you can stop immediately to “stop the external attack on your brain”. Next the flipside of that, what (top) foods you can add in to kickstart a proactive approach to better brain health and improving cognitive function.

He discusses what the research shows about some of our beloved drinks, coffee, tea, and yes, alcohol, and their effects on our cognitive function, both short and long term.  (Not to mention he tells us, ideally, which wine to choose. Yes!)

Gupta goes on to weigh in on what the current science says on supplements versus food sources, including all those supplements we see marketed for boosting brain health and improving memory. He discusses the research on things like portion control, fasting, fiber intake, types of fiber and their roles, and organic food, and their affects on boosting memory and mood, some even helping to prevent depression, hypertension, and dementia.

He talks about a common spice that has shown study results of significant improvements in the memory and attention abilities while also boosting mood in people with mild memory problems.

As for myself I didn’t need anyone selling me on the benefits of eating healthy, but I can tell you, even after eating healthy for many decades already, I now have so many more tools in my kit to do it specifically to combat my fibro fog, as well as so much more knowledge of the incredible benefits it is to my brain health and cognitive function in general to keep me motivated to continue for life!

And while “KEEP SHARP” had some areas of discussion I had some familiarity with previously, it had other areas of discussion that were totally new to me. It was total news to me that some common everyday things we can do will improve our brain’s plasticity and my new knowledge from “KEEP SHARP” is giving me some extra prodding and motivation to step out of my comfort zone and do these things more.

Yes, when I see Gupta saying something can “help preserve our cognitive abilities” and “decrease our risk of cognitive decline”…help “reduce stress and boosts our immune system” and “help keep your mind sharp and your memories strong”… it can even “provide a buffer against the harmful effects of stress on the brain”….well, I have to admit that is excellent motivation!

Furthermore, I’m seeing many of these everyday things, these lifestyle choices, in a different light now. Their affect on our brain’s plasticity is remarkable. I’m thrilled to know that WE CAN MAKE CHOICES EACH AND EVERY DAY THAT WILL KEEP OUR BRAINS SHARPER FOR LIFE. And I was equally thrilled to see Gupta lay out precisely what these choices look like in our everyday life, how to incorporate all the information and strategies he gives us into, well, what we do everyday. Yes, it’s his “12 weeks to Sharper” plan that I mentioned earlier…”a personalized road map for arriving at a sharper brain for life” as he describes it.

And this is what I especially love about Gupta’s book, the actual hands-on he provides, the daily practice of what he preaches, spelled out clearly and precisely. Things that WE can do, on OUR OWN, no one and nothing else needed (my kind of thing!).

As he says, “Never forget that the brain is exceptionally plastic—it can rewire and reshape itself through your experiences and habits, and a lot of this remolding can be achieved in a mere twelve weeks. It’s like building any other muscle.”

He predicts that even within a couple of weeks of following his guidelines, one will “have fewer anxious thoughts, better sleep, and improved energy.” And he proceeds to show how to do this “one day, one change at a time”. (That’s good to hear; having fibromyalgia, that’s my pace, one day at a time.)

Now, if you’re rolling your eyes about now, thinking that having fibromyalgia, with all its constant unpredictable ups and downs, committing to any ongoing “program” is about the last thing you need, settle your eyes down because Gupta’s too smart to recommend something that isn’t flexible, doable, and able to be personalized for each person’s unique life. He stresses his program does NOT have to be followed precisely; that it is designed to be tailored and highly individualized, practical and easy to follow.

Personally, I already have my routines in place, routines born out of over two decades of lived experience with fibromyalgia, hard earned through trial and error, so I’m fitting my new tips from “KEEP SHARP” within my own existing framework, and with Gupta’s emphasis on practicality and flexibility, I don’t think he’d mind.

As I waded into his last section of “KEEP SHARP” I felt glad I was already fitting these new brain plasticity tips into my life, for his last section was about dementia. In a nutshell, in this section he tells us what to do and how to thrive if you or a loved one should be facing that diagnosis, and how to reduce your risk for dementia RIGHT NOW.

It contained very sobering facts but the bright side is there is much we can do about it with simple lifestyle decisions NOW, practices that are within all of our individual power to do, and that don’t require money or drugs we can’t get access to. He goes on to give strategies that target different areas in life that are modifiable, showing evidence of the ability of our everyday choices in delaying onset or reducing the severity of symptoms.

Gupta insists, “Dementia does not have to be a death sentence or feel like one for either the patient or the caregivers,” and offers, “My hope is to leave you hopeful.”

And then he says something about dementia that personally I’ve found to be maybe the most important thing I’ve found in living well with fibromyalgia too…“In all my years of doctoring and reporting, I’ve noted that the people who live better—and longer—are the ones who hold on to hope.”

Hope.

Yes, I knew I’d found a like-minded individual when I started the book. I’ve come to realize, as I said in an earlier post, “I know I’ll be alright if I have hope. Hope is my starting point.” It’s definitely long been a key ingredient for how I function in my fibromyalgia life and my life in general.

And it’s a common thread running throughout Gupta’s entire book too, intertwined with all the facts and knowledge and even based on them, his hope and optimism about all we can accomplish with our own brains.

“Indeed, every day of your life, you can make your brain better, faster, fitter, and, yes, sharper.”

And I absolutely believe him. After reading his book, I believe I’ve already witnessed it; reading “KEEP SHARP” is pulling all the pieces together for me now, I feel I see why I may have experienced the improvements I’ve already seen.

As I read through this book, it is filling in many of the pieces of my fibromyalgia journey and my gradual improvement over the years. When I look at my timeline, improvements over the years HAVE coincided with the increasing lifestyle changes I’ve done that I now notice are recommended by Gupta.

His book has given me a new perspective on (and motivation for) the many things I’ve already been doing to battle my fibromyalgia for over two decades now and what I now realize these things have been accomplishing all along in terms of my brain’s plasticity, and hence their likely role in my gradual improvement over the years. And even better, I now have some new tools to help continue my fight and specifically work on my fibro fog, confident in the knowledge that I am on the right track!

So rewiring IS possible, generating new brain cells IS possible, rebuilding what was lost IS possible…and I have all the tools I need. I. Me.

Previous sharp memory…here I come!

What I know is real is what an incredible wealth of knowledge and hands-on practical tips ”KEEP SHARP” would be for anyone, but especially for those of us with fibromyalgia.

I’ve just scratched the surface of all you can learn in this amazing book that would be invaluable for your fibromyalgia journey, first of all in the short term, with immediate improvements resulting from new things you can start doing right away…and as I highly suspect, in the long term, as I have experienced by already doing so many of these things and gradually improving and healing for over a couple of decades now.

So I highly recommend “KEEP SHARP:  Build a Better Brain at Any Age” by Sanjay Gupta, MD because in the words of the author, “when you put your brain first, everything else health-wise falls into place. The brain is ground zero. Don’t forget that it is what makes you. Your heart ticks, yes, but it’s your brain that ultimately makes you tick and determines your quality of life.

“Quality of life”…sounds good to me. It IS what I’m aiming for.

I mean, what else is there?

 

“Whether you are dealing with a chronic disease or are an elite athlete, tomorrow can be better.” – Sanjay Gupta, MD