There are hundreds of ways to increase brainpower. They range from dietary practices and specific supplements to creative thinking techniques and even environmental changes. Here are six short examples of things you can try today to boost the power of your brain and mind.

Act Intelligent

When you act as if you're more intelligent, it sets up an expectation in your mind that your unconscious mind tries to meet - and this affects actual performance. This isn't merely speculation. In fact, studies in which subjects pretend to be either a failing student or a university professor, show that those who do the latter score higher in the testing that follows.

Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Consuming too much sugar creates many long-term health problems, but the immediate effect is a blood sugar imbalance that will leave you feeling sluggish and hazy in your thinking. To test this you can do math problems fifteen minutes after eating a piece of cake on an empty stomach - you'll get the point. Reduce your sugar intake if you want a clearer mind. All simple carbohydrates can have this effect, so you may want to also avoid too much white flour, corn syrup, and white rice.

Learn Using Imagination

When learning something new, imagine how you'll use what you're studying. Of all the information we are exposed to, little of it is the "important stuff" that is crucial to understanding. But when imagining how you'll use it, you tend to focus on those things you really need to remember. This aids understanding and aids in retention of the new knowledge.

Limit Criticism

It's important to know when not to be critical. Analysis is important, but it also can kill creative thinking if done too often and/or too early in the process. Think freely, withholding critical analysis until the right time, which is never during a brainstorming or a creative problem solving session, but after. Allow ideas to develop a little before you shoot them full of holes, because there may be a few good ones in there if you give them a chance to grow.

Saint Johnswort

Saint Johnswort is a common weed. Research demonstrates it's usefulness for treating long-term depression, but many people swear by it's temporary mood-elevating effect as well. Since we tend to think better when we're happy, it's worth a try. You can buy it inexpensively, or collect it in the wild to make tea. It's also known as Hyperacum Perforatum, if you want to look it up by it's Latin name. Although animals that overgraze on this plant sometimes develop photo-phyto sensitivity (they get sunburned more easily), there are no reported side effects in humans using small quantities.

Chill Out For Brainpower

As some have noted, people often think better in certain temperature ranges. Being slightly cool, but not uncomfortable (that would be mentally distracting), is most conducive to good thinking for most of us, but try experimenting on yourself to see what temperature works best to increase brainpower.