Sparking joy, episode II

[E]xercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function.

                John J. Ratey, Spark (2008)

It's a little depressing thinking about the human condition after reading Sapiens and other books dealing with evolution, what with all the problems we have living in a modern world with brains and bodies that evolved to deal with being hunter-gatherers. It was refreshing, then, to read Spark ($2 at the book sale for a hardback in mint condition), in which Dr. Ratey, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School, synthesized hundreds of research papers into his meditation on "the revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain." As it turns out, exercise is one solid way that we have to turn evolution in our favor. Dr. Ratey explains that

[t]he body was designed to be pushed, and in pushing our bodies we push our brains too. Learning and memory evolved in concert with the motor functions that allowed our ancestors to track down food, so as far as our brains our concerned, if we’re not moving, there’s no real need to learn anything.

You can thus use the hard-wired connection between moving and learning to your advantage by exercising more, especially right before you study for a college or graduate exam. While this generally refers to aerobic exercise, you'll be happy to know that there is some added benefit to physical activities that also require you to think about what you're doing, such as martial arts, gymnastics, and—wait for it—ROCK CLIMBING! So go to the gym or for a run before you do your homework or study and you should absorb whatever you're learning much more effectively.

The benefits of exercise don't end with improved learning and memory. Dr. Ratey shows that exercise also decreases stress, anxiety, depression, symptoms of PMS and menopause, and the negative effects of aging. I like that he ties the dosing into our evolutionary history. Although there's no longer any need for us to hunt and forage to survive,

our genes are coded for this activity, and our brains are meant to direct it. Take that activity away, and you're disrupting a delicate balance that has been fine-tuned over half a million years. Quite simply, we need to engage our endurance metabolism to keep our bodies and brains in optimum condition. The ancient rhythms of activity ingrained in our DNA translate roughly to the varied intensity of walking, jogging, running, and sprinting. In broad strokes, then, I think the best advice is to follow our ancestors' routine: walk or jog every day, run a couple of times a week, and then go for the kill every now and then by sprinting.

While Dr. Ratey talks about walking, jogging, running, and sprinting, that is shorthand for the recommended intensity level: walking = low intensity (55 to 65% of your maximum heart rate ["HRmax"]),* jogging = moderate intensity (65 to 75% of your HRmax), running = high intensity (75 to 90% of your HRmax), and sprinting = the highest intensity, or roughly equivalent to HIIT (high intensity interval training). You can substitute any form of aerobic activity you like, but it's especially useful if it's something you can do outside to combine the benefits of exercise with the nature cure. 

In sum, "[b]y motivating the body to move, you’re encouraging the mind to embrace life." So get out there and embrace your life!

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*The standard rule of thumb for figuring out your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. A more accurate formula is: 205.8 — (0.685 × age). For example, for me that would be 205.8 — (0.685 x 55) = ~168.

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Last summer, Mom picked some beautiful blueberries at a local farm and froze a bunch of them, some of which I used to make Mr. Graham's Sweet Potato-Blueberry Pie. I noticed they were just getting a little freezer burn, so I started making this blueberry jam. Blueberries are a good choice for homemade jam due to their naturally high pectin content, which lets the jam set up well in the fridge without adding any commercial pectin. I also like that this only makes a small batch, which you can easily polish off in a week, because that's as long as you can keep a homemade jam that you haven't made following strict canning procedure. This is mildly sweet to my taste; Mom thought it wasn't sweet enough. You can adjust the sugar up or down to your liking.

Small-Batch Blueberry Jam

Adapted from Phyllis Grant via Food52

Time: ~23 minutes, ~20 of it on the stove

I like this to perk up the ABJ (almond butter & jelly) sandwiches I eat for lunch at work every day. It’s also good with breakfast food like waffles and pancakes, inside crêpes, and on wheat toast.

115 grams/4 ounces (1 cup) fresh or frozen blueberries
65 grams (⅓ cup) granulated white sugar, more or less to taste
30 grams (2 tablespoons) water
5 grams (1 teaspoon) lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest (~½ a lemon)
a good pinch of kosher salt

Place all of the ingredients in a small or medium (2 quarts or smaller) saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat as needed to maintain a lively but not overly aggressive simmer. Cook, stirring once in a while, until the blueberries are soft and the mixture is reduced to a syrupy consistency. Keep in mind that blueberries are high in pectin, so the jam will thicken up quite a bit as it cools. I simmer frozen blueberries for about 20 minutes to get where I want; fresh blueberries will take less time. Store in the fridge for no more than 1 week. Makes a little less than 1 cup.