7 Sustainable Ways to Reduce Brain Fog
Have you ever struggled with brain fog? That sense of having your memory dull, a lack of concentration and mental clarity? Brain fog is real, and it can significantly impact your ability to function at work and home. It can also be really challenging to diagnose.
Causes of brain fog can include underlying health conditions, general lifestyle choices, a lack of sleep or it may appear as a symptom of medications.
As a holistic nutritionist, brain fog is one of the number one reasons why clients seek out my services. They want to know how to manage and eliminate their brain fog naturally, rather than just layering another medication on top of it. Here are seven ways to do that.
Try to Eat The Rainbow At Every Meal
Our gut health impacts every other system and organ in our bodies, including our brains. Food intolerances and food allergies like celiac disease are a very common cause of brain fog. Foods that may trigger brain fog include gluten (wheat), aspartame, dairy products, processed foods and alcohol, among others.
Incorporating more whole foods into your diet is the first recommendation I make to any client who is struggling with brain fog, or really trying to improve their gut health in any form. The easiest way to do this is to include as many colours of the rainbow as you can into each meal.
According to Healthline, while eating more vegetables and fruit is always a good idea, focusing on eating a variety of colours will increase your intake of different nutrients to benefit various areas of your health.
2. Include more B12 in your diet
Without sufficient levels of B12, an individual is likely to experience cognitive decline, slowed thinking and poor memory (all typical symptoms of brain fog). Some of the best foods to include in your diet to boost your B12 include turkey, chicken, eggs, yogurt, red meat, fatty fish like salmon, and nutritional yeast, among others. You may also opt to include a B12 supplement in your diet.
3. Check Your Blood Sugar Levels
Brain fog can often occur as a result of low blood sugar levels. The symptoms you might experience include dizziness, an inability to concentrate, a general fogginess, or feeling lightheaded. Low blood sugar levels are a particular concern for people with diabetes, but even non-diabetic individuals may experience an imbalance in blood sugar levels depending on their diet and lifestyle choices.
4. Drink More Water
A hydrated brain is a healthy brain! When your body (and brain) do not have enough water, it can significantly impact your cognitive function and result in brain fog. Your body and brain need water to function properly. While you can get water from foods like fruits and vegetables, it is advised to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and limit your intake of drinks like coffee or soda as they can dehydrate you.
While it is one of the simplest solutions, for some reason, drinking enough water can also be one of the most challenging to implement into your day-to-day habits. The best way to create a new habit is to stack it on top of an existing one. So, if you always have a cup of coffee as soon as you get up, try to drink a big glass of water first, then have your coffee. Have one before every meal and every snack, and you’ll be closer to that 8 glasses a day goal before you know it!
5. Increase Your Vitamin D Intake
Vitamin D is an essential element in decreasing or eliminating brain fog. It acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in your brain. You can get Vitamin D through fortified foods, red meat and egg yolks, among others. You can also take Vitamin D supplements. But, one of the best ways to increase your Vitamin D levels, in turn, reducing brain fog, is to increase your sun exposure, particularly in the winter months. Try to incorporate a minimum 5 to 10-minute walk outside in the sunshine every day if you can!
6. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep
Lack of sleep is one of the number one causes of brain fog. Adequate sleep gives our brains and bodies uninterrupted time to heal, detoxify, repair and restore themselves. If you are getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night consistently, it will likely result in a lack of concentration, clouded thinking and trouble with memory recall – in other words, brain fog!
Limiting caffeine and sugar intake, turning off electronics an hour before bedtime, and creating an evening routine or bedtime ritual can all help improve sleep and reduce brain fog.
7. Incorporate Movement Into Your Daily Routine
If your brain is feeling sluggish, there’s a good chance it is due to another underlying symptom in your body. Often, this can be related to gut health, but there is also a ton of scientific research to prove the correlation between brain fog and a lack of movement or exercise.
According to a study cited in HealthLine, “exercise promotes the expression of proteins in the brain that enhance brain function and reduce instances of anxiety and depression.”
There is a general recommendation to get at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day, but sometimes that is not sustainable. If that is the case for you, even five minutes a day of a brisk walk can help significantly with brain fog. Alternative exercises include yoga, gardening, or even dancing in your kitchen!
Reduce Brain Fog & Optimize Your Health
These are just a few simple suggestions that scratch the surface of what you can do to reduce or eliminate brain fog.
Brain fog can be frustrating, exhausting, and at times, debilitating. Taking a holistic approach to your diet and lifestyle by incorporating more whole foods, less stress, better sleep and daily exercise can significantly reduce brain fog symptoms.
If you have been suffering from brain fog for a long time and haven’t successfully been able to tackle it on your own, Down to Earth Holistic Wellness is here to help.
We always start with an initial nutritional and symptomatology assessment which includes a live blood cell analysis. This process helps identify common underlying root causes of brain fog like candida or parasites. Through this knowledge, I craft a six to eight-week personalized holistic wellness plan which includes simple, sustainable recommendations like diet, lifestyle changes and supplement recommendations.
To learn more about these assessments, or to book a free consultation call, click here.