Regular aerobic exercise is good for the brain, Pitt team says

Regular aerobic exercise is good for the brain, Pitt team says

Sometimes I wonder if exercise, combined with nutrition, is a cure-all for everything.


Before my brain injury, I exercised what I thought was a lot. I belonged to a gym during college and I'd go five times per week . . . once every six months, and sporadically in between. I was your average, super-busy-I-know-I-should-go-to-the-gym-but-I'm-too-tired college student. Who has the time for exercise?

After my brain injury, I searched high and low for something, anything to relieve my constant brain overloadness (I know that's not a word, but it makes the most sense right now).

Consistent fitness gave me the relief I was looking for! Consistent is the operative word

Now I make time to exercise as it makes my brain feel better. I look at my fitness classes at the gym as my 2nd job. I wouldn't just not show up to work one day, therefore I wouldn't just not show up to the gym on class days. It's all about commitment and habit.

It was like music to my ears!

"I've heard of you . . ."

Tonight I went to the Intermountain Neuro Rehab Brain Injury Group where a doctoral student from Brigham Young University gave a presentation about Anxiety Reduction in an Anxious World.

I approached the speaker at the end to thank him for his words of wisdom. One thing led to another and I pitched my book (neuro-psych grad student? BYU? "This guy will love reading my story," I thought), and gave him my card.

The next statement would be music to any writer's ears. This guy said, "You're Jennifer Mosher? Oh, I've heard of you!"

This is no joke, let me tell you. I feel like a little celebrity in the Utah Neuro World!

(Ryan, if you happen to read this, I hope it's okay I blogged about tonight, but the whole thing meant so much to me)

My plethora of marketing abundance

My humanities major did wonders for my confidence as a writer, and nothing for my career. "Should I have majored in marketing?" I'm recently asking myself. I absolutely LOVE marketing my book, as this has become way more fun for me than writing it (not surprising since writing BECAME painful as I was uncovering details of a part of my life I wish could be erased). Alas, it cannot be and my TBI is here to stay.

So the real purpose of this post is to explain ALL.OF.THE.VERY.COOl.MARKETING "things" I am currently executing.

1.Here are the different places online where you purchase my book:

`Amazon.com
`Barnes and Noble.com
`Lulu.com
`Jennifermosher.com
`Brainline.org
`The Brain Injury Association of America http://www.biausa.org/

2. AND YOU CAN BUY IT RIGHT OFF THE SHELF AT THE KINGS ENGLISH BOOKSHOP IN SLC. 1511 EAST 1500 South (SEE PHOTO ABOVE)

3. And I'M WORKING TO SET UP A BOOK SIGNING AT BYU (CHECK BACK SOON FOR DETAILS)

4. I sent a copy of my book to Craig Hospital in Englwood, CO (where Kevin Pearce is recovering)

5. Book reviews on Brainline.org, Amazon.com, Lulu.com, http://massagebyjenni.com/home.html (check out blog)

6. A reporter from the newspaper in Scottsbluff, NE contacted me and would like to do a story.

7. An article spotlighting me and my recovery will be printed in Wasatch Women Magazine within a week or so (online version)

8. I've also already spoken at the Intermountain Neuro Rehab Brain Injury Group and May 6 I will speak at the BYU Brain Injury Support Group.

Brilliance starts with Gnocchi

Yesterday I bought a package of Gnocchi.

In case you don't know, Gnocchi is a delicious Mediterranean Dumpling and an alternative to pasta.


What does this dish have to do with Traumatic Brain Injury?


Absolutely nothing. However, my package said, "World Peace Begins in the Kitchen" on the back and included 8 different, beautiful quotes from famous people such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Mother Theresa. One statement in particular came from Richard Bach (the author who wrote Jonathan Livingston Seagull).

It got me thinking about my own life and the fact that I didn't die in my car accident.

The quote:

Here is the test to find out whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.
- Richard Bach.

How to get a good night's sleep

Everyone should be getting 7 -9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. This also includes Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors. I used to sleep 4-6 hours per night (I mean before I started working on good sleep hygiene and before the doctor prescribed me sleeping pills, but after my car accident) - I kiss Ambien for improving my quality of life!

I try to organize my sleep according to the following five rules. I saw a nice improvement in my quality and length of sleep when I started using this list. Now I take Ambien (just 5 mg) every night and this combined with the below hygiene list and WOW. GEEZE. HOT-DIGGITY. I feel like a normal woman most of the time. I'm practically the Jennifer Mosher that I used to be!

1. Create a regular sleep routine. Stick to going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, even on the weekends. Some people find that setting a bedtime alarm as well as a morning alarm is a good reminder of when it’s time to go to sleep. You’ll find that once your body adjusts to a regular routine, you’ll start to wake up refreshed.
2. Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex only. Avoid stressful, sleep-robbing activities, such as watching TV news or scary movies, (or paying bills!). Some people find that a hot bath or soothing music before bedtime helps. If insomnia does strike, leave the bed and walk around for a while.
3. Don’t go to bed hungry. Enjoy a high-protein snack, such as, reduced-fat cheese, a slice of deli turkey, or reduced-fat yogurt and a few nuts before going to bed.
4. Avoid caffeinated beverages or other foods containing caffeine after about noon, and limit alcohol in the evening. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 24 hours, and while alcohol may make it easier to fall asleep initially, it also causes more frequent nighttime awakenings.
5. Refrain from exercise three hours before bedtime. Regular exercise is encouraged during the day because it can give you more energy and help you sleep better at night, but it also releases the hormone epinephrine, which can make you more alert. That’s why it’s best to exercise earlier rather than later if you suffer from insomnia.

Q: What's better than a full-body massage?

A: Nothing

(pause) Let me think about that again ... umm ... ahh ... nope, I still stand firm. There is n.o.t.h.i.n.g better, except a full-body massage from a really, really great therapist such as JENNI CURTIS.

I met Jenni at 24 Hour Fitness in Salt Lake. We are both die hard SCULPT (9:15 a.m.) and SPIN (10:15 a.m.) attendees every Monday morning. Yeah, you heard right. That's TWO classes back-to-back e.v.e.r.y Monday! Crazy? Nope. I love these classes (with expert fitness instructor Denise Druce). Besides, consistent exercise at the gym makes my brain feel soooooooooooooooo much better.

Not only is Jenni a workout and outdoor enthusiasts - she bikes and boards (I confess a personal jealousy towards her guns - I'm referring to her biceps, by the way), but Jenni is a really, really great massage therapist. And she reviewed my book on her blog!

Click HERE to read Jenni's blog/review.