Do you notice your ability to think feels sluggish or fuzzy? You might be experiencing "brain fog". Today it's a common malady of our burnout culture, where overworked achievers are always trying to fit in one more thing to an already over-extended lifestyle.
"Brain Fog" is thought to originate from the term 'brain fag' a phrase coined by British physician James Tunstall in 1850 to describe the mental exhaustion that 'brain workers' - lawyers, writers, teachers and students experienced by over studying.
Today, it's used to describe symptoms and conditions associated as a consequence of our modern-day lifestyle of high stress, grab and go eating, poor sleep and lack of exercise.
Symptoms of Brain Fog.
Loss of mental sharpness or mental fatigue.
Low energy.
Loss of interest in exercise or fatigue after exercising.
Difficulty with managing tasks, completing to-do lists.
Slower thinking or mental processing.
Struggle with expressing thoughts well.
Irritability, moodiness and lack of motivation.
Forgetfulness and trouble retaining information.
Poor metabolic health is a major cause of brain fog.
Prioritizing what we eat by paying attention to balancing our plate with quality protein, healthy fats and fiber-rich carbohydrates, gives our body the nutrients it needs to fuel our brain. Our brain needs energy to function well, but high blood sugar levels can be a huge problem for cognition.
Too much glucose, especially a diet high in processed, packaged foods, poor quality oils and limited protein increases our chances of feeling the effects of brain fog symptoms; such as memory lapses, poor attention, reduced productivity and an inability to think clearly.
Try This.
Include Omega-3 fatty acids for better brain health. Nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish like salmon and sardines that are rich in Omega-3's. Include a quality fish oil supplement too. Barlean's, Carlson's or Nordic Naturals are excellent brands.
Eat for Stable Blood Sugar to improve brain function by avoiding foods high in simple carbs and sugar and include lots of vegetables, healthy fats and quality proteins.
Limit or Avoid Alcohol to improve brain function. Even moderate drinking is associated with shrinkage in the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in cognition and learning. Alcohol can cause blood sugar levels to rise or fall, depending on how much you consume. This response can increase the symptoms of blood sugar problems like fatigue, foggy brain, poor sleep, and weight gain.
Increase Your Non-Eating Window by lowering the number of hours you spend eating each day. There are many proven health benefits and reducing brain fog symptoms is one of them! By giving your body a longer break from digesting foods to actually using stored energy [sugar] to be utilized from the liver and returned to the bloodstream. This improves blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity, prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes, burns fat more efficiently, boosts memory, improves heart health and the risk of cancer.
Eat, Stop, Move, Repeat. Instead of grazing throughout the day, try beginning your day with a breakfast that will sustain you until lunch. If you find yourself hungry a few hours afterwards, increase your protein for satiety. Another important way to eliminate brain fog is to move after eating. This can simply be a short walk around the block, cleaning the kitchen, mowing the lawn, or even playing tag. The improvement in both blood sugar balancing and brain health by moving instead of sitting is remarkable.
Sweet Dreams for Clear Thoughts. Turn off the TV, lower the lights, close down the computer and give your brain a breakat least 30 minutes before bed. Establishing a regular bedtime- ideally before 11pm every night will help your body to establish a rest and wake cycle. Poor sleep is a factor in both brain fog and insulin resistance which increases blood sugar levels. And as a result, our risk of type 2 diabetes increases as well.
Brain fog is a problem that affects our quality of life.
Instead of increasing caffeine or sweet treats to try and banish the fog, consider looking seriously at what you eat. I hope you will try some of these suggestions and see if your fuzzy brain begins to clear.
Blood Sugar Boot Camp is Coming in January!!!
So many of our issues actually stem from poor blood sugar control. This January, you can sign up for a 6-week online class that will give you the tools to actually discover your blood sugar levels and how to eat to keep them steady.
This class is for anyone who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, pre diabetes, fatty liver, elevated cholesterol numbers, extra weight that won't budge or the desire to be better informed to live well throughout your entire life!
More info soon.
Thanks for reading,
Jan