It’s happens to the best of us. Everyone, from time to time suffers from a little lapse in mental clarity. We’ve all had moments where we have forgotten a name, misplaced our keys, had trouble producing the word for a common object, or just felt a bit hazy headed.
We often joke about experiencing “senior moments” and feeling “spacy”. However, if you are having regular bouts of memory loss, feeling lost or confused or just having trouble concentrating, it isn’t very funny. This troublesome lapse of cognitive ability is a condition called brain fog.
(Note: if you are experiencing brain fog right now, just skip down to the BRAIN FOG BUSTERS section below, then come back and read the rest of the article once the fog has faded.)
What is Brain Fog?
Brain Fog is not a disease or disorder. It is a condition of cognitive dysfunction. In other words, the brain is not working correctly. This doesn’t have anything to do with a person’s intelligence or IQ; in fact, it has nothing to do with mental aptitude at all. That foggy headed feeling is simply the expression of one or more imbalances within the body.
Some common symptoms of brain fog include:
- Lack of focus and concentration
- Confusion and disorientation
- Short term memory loss
- Trouble “finding words” when speaking
- Feeling detached, disconnected, or spaced out
If that wasn’t bad enough, there are many additional symptoms that often accompany brain fog:
- Allergies, acne, and rosacea
- Blood sugar dysregulation, diabetes
- Insomnia, wakefulness, OSAS
- Headaches
- Indigestion, bloating, constipation and diarrhea
- Fatigue, lethargy, malaise
- Inflammation, pain, asthma, RLS
- Low sex drive, PMS, irregular cycles
- Depression, anxiety, emotional fragility
- Hypertension, cholesterol problems
- Excessive weight gain, weight loss
- Chromic stress disorders
When Brain Fog is a Problem
It’s perfectly natural to feel mentally fatigued after a long day at work or restless night’s sleep. In our fast paced, overstimulated society, occasional bouts of brain fog are almost unavoidable. However, when mental fatigue becomes chronic, it is not something to be taken lightly.
The health of your brain is extremely important to your overall well-being. Anything that impairs the function of your brain negatively impacts all aspects of your life. Dealing with brain fog can make it difficult to complete daily tasks, threaten your performance at work, and even take a toll on your relationships. If not addressed, brain fog can be progressive, becoming even more debilitating overtime, and in some extreme cases, lead to Alzheimer’s or dementia.
You need to know what’s causing your foggy head if you wish to improve it. You may find some of the causes, as well as the treatments, very surprising.
What Causes Brain Fog
The brain is small but powerful.
It is constantly processing, sorting, sending and receives messages. These messages do things like keep your blood pumping, lungs breathing, hormones releasing, and muscles moving. The brain is always working, even while we are asleep.
All this work requires a significant amount of energy, oxygen and nutrition. Anything that impairs energy production causes trouble. Things like inflammation, food allergies and sensitivities, as well as changes to the fuel and oxygen supply profoundly affect the brain and its ability to function.
There are many forces that can bring about symptoms of brain fog. And they all have one thing in common.
Stress
That’s right. Each of the potential causes of brain fog places stress upon the body which causes imbalances which then lead to symptoms. Brain fog affects millions of people of all ages. It is true that age is a contributor to cognitive decline. However, those “senior moments” actually have less to do with the number of years you’ve been on the planet than they do with your overall health. When the brain is stressed, it ages more rapidly.
Potential Causes of Brain Fog
- Physical, Mental and Emotional Stress
- Hypoglycemia or blood sugar dysregulation
- Food Intolerances and sensitivities
- Nutrient Deficiencies and Mineral imbalances
- Metal Toxicity
- Liver and Kidney dysfunction
- Leaky Gut and Digestive system imbalances
- Structural Misalignment
- Dehydration or insufficient oxygen
- Endocrine dysfunction and hormonal imbalances (including menopause and pregnancy)
- Candida overgrowth and parasite infestations
- Medications
- Serious Medical Conditions such as Lyme Infection, brain tumors, meningitis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Autoimmune diseases, and physical head trauma
- Anything that creates Chronic Stress on the body
If you are currently experiencing symptoms of brain fog, then degeneration has already begun. This destruction can go on for years or even decades before Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, or other serious neurological diseases can be diagnosed. Take action today so you can flex your mental muscles long into the future.
Lifting the Fog for Good, naturally – Simple steps to get your brain working again
Good news! The brain, just like the body, is extremely adaptable and wants to get well. Losing mental clarity is often considered a “normal” side effect of again, but that doesn’t mean it is an inevitable consequence of growing older.
Once you have identified and removed the sources of stress that are hurting your brain, then all you need to know is how to properly feed and care for it.
The key to restoring function and overcoming most health complaints is identifying the source of the problem. The same is certainly true for brain fog. With the right personalized assessments and functional lab tests, you will be able to pinpoint areas of dysfunction, and more importantly, identify healing opportunities to clear up those clouds.
Brain Fog Busters
Adopt these few very basic, low cost lifestyle changes and you will be on your way to a fog free future.
- Food. We understand that dietary advice has gotten ridiculously complicated. People suffering from brain fog need to keep it simple. So here you go.
EAT REAL FOOD.
Just remember these three simple words and you will be on your way to a healthier brain (and body). Minimize consumption of packaged and processed foods. Eating real food will automatically eliminate common food additives that are known neurotoxins. Things like MSG, aspartame, and hydrolyzed vegetable oil are some of the most commonly consumed brain “poisons” and are lurking in many popular packaged foods and beverages. Avoid Wheat, Corn, Soy, and Dairy. These four foods are the most common food allergens and may be contributing to your cognitive dysfunction. Gluten, in particular, has been linked to memory loss and cognitive decline, so even if you don’t have any digestive issues, it may be attacking your brain.
Although wheat, corn, soy, and dairy are the most commonly allergenic foods, 67% of the calories in the Standard American Diet come from these very foods.
Eat Fat
Healthy fats like coconut oil, walnuts, olives, and free range egg yolks are necessary for protection and maintenance of your brain. Don’t forget, outside of water your brain is mostly made up of fat, especially DHA and cholesterol.
- Water. Drink it! Over 70% of your brain is water. Almost every function in the body depends on the efficient flow of liquid and hydration at a cellular level. Water is needed for the transport of hormones, chemical messengers, and nutrients
Drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces. If you weigh 200 lbs, drink 100 ounces.
- Air. Breathe and breathe deeply. Unlike other cells in the body, the brain is extremely vulnerable to changes in oxygen supply. After just 5 minutes of oxygen deprivation, brain cells will begin to die. When under stress, people tend to take short, shallow breaths, which creates a situation of lower than ideal oxygenation for the brain.
Practice mindful deep breathing when stress arises.
- Sleep. Your brain needs sleep. Sleep is critical to the way your brain works in both the short and the long-term. If you have ongoing problems with sleep, just overcoming insomnia is a potential brain fog cure. While you sleep, your brain cleans and organizes information as well as generates brand new brain cells.
Hit the sack by 10 pm and get at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep.
Of course, there’s more to learning how to get rid of brain fog, but these four basic tips are a great place to start.
