Let’s talk about “brain fog.” It isn’t a medical condition, but it affects your ability to think quickly and clearly. It truly feels like a fog in your brain keeping you from clarity. Sometimes brain fog is normal, like when a woman is pregnant, the chemicals used to protect and nourish the baby can bring significant memory issues. Those pass with time. Some brain fog comes when we consume foods that we are sensitive or allergic to. The seven foods most likely to cause problems are sugar, wheat, dairy, soy, tree nuts, eggs, and corn. Neurological conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Dementia, and Parkinsons change the way the brain talks to the body. Because the brain is damaged in these conditions, it can only improve with intentional, consistent work. But for the rest of us, we can improve our brain function by simple, informed choices that lead to better outcomes. Avoid these things:
Alcohol: Directly affects the brain’s communication pathways. The more you drink, the harder it becomes to recall facts or process new information. Confusion and depression are brain health issues, and alcohol causes both.
Margarine and frosting along with most snack foods are high in elaidic acid—a type of trans fat found in hydrogenated oils. Older adults with high blood levels of this fat are more likely to develop dementia according to the journal, Neurology.
Some pharmaceutical medications cause brain fog. Always research side effects of any drug you are prescribed. Many of them (like Statins and shockingly, Alzheimer’s medications) harm the brain.
Sugary drinks cause memory issues for many people. This is especially true if those drinks are sweetened with High Fructose Corn Sugar. HFCS causes certain parts of your brain to shrink. High levels of sugar in the blood leads to dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is now known as “Type 3 diabetes” because it is caused or exacerbated by high levels of brain damaging blood sugar.
Artificial sweeteners may seem like a good alternative but think twice! People who have at least one diet soda daily are nearly three times as likely to have a stroke or develop dementia. Migraine headaches are transitory strokes, and they are one of the side effects of artificial sweeteners.
Fried foods cause inflammation that damages the blood vessels in the brain. Those who eat a lot of fried, processed foods perform poorly on tests that measure thinking skills. Remember, fried foods include most kinds of chips, many crackers, pies, donuts, and other non-nutritious snacks.
White bread, white rice, and white flour are all refined carbohydrates. Even those that don’t taste sweet still raise your blood sugar. Once elevated, blood sugar crashes which increases the feeling of brain fog. Too many refined carbohydrates increase your risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Inadequate sleep (less than 7-9 hours) can be caused by many different things, but the outcome is the same. The body will stay in a stressed state when sleep is inadequate. The best thing you can do for your brain is get a good night’s sleep. My favorite product for a good night’s sleep is here: Sleep MAXX
Swordfish and Ahi Tuna are both high in Omega3 fats which is good for the brain. Unfortunately, they are also high in mercury, a heavy metal that acts as a neurotoxin, damaging brain tissue and leading to poor thinking skills. Mercury is also abundant in amalgam fillings in teeth and in some light bulbs (the twisty looking ones).
Bottled dressings, marinades, and syrups usually contain high fructose corn syrup that is linked to memory loss and declining brain performance. Make your own at home with clean ingredients.
Isolation and loneliness can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, depression and high blood pressure because it increases cortisol—a stress hormone that literally shrinks your brain and rusts your body from the inside out. Research shows that the impact of loneliness and social isolation is like smoking 15 cigarettes daily.
Lack of exercise leads to premature aging of the brain and cognitive decline. Aerobic exercise helps improve memory and learning, and one study shows that in elderly women, regular aerobic exercise increases hippocampus volume. Remember, the hippocampus is where memories are converted from short-term to long-term.
Too much screen time damages the brain. Even children with a “regular” amount of exposure to screens can show subtle but significant brain changes including gray matter atrophy and reduced cortical thickness. Internet addiction (including social media addiction) is associated with structural and functional changes in brain regions involving emotional processing, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control.
Adding brain healthy supplements like Healthy Mind and Mushroom Multiplex while eliminating brain damaging chemicals and habits will get you where you need to be in your quest for a happy and healthy brain!