Let’s talk about brain fog! We’ll keep this brief, since readers with brain fog will find it difficult to focus for too long. We hear from a lot of our participants that brain fog (poor recall or memory, difficulty staying focused or concentrating) is an issue. Everyone wants to be clear and quick-witted, so how do we handle it when the dreaded brain fog creeps in?
First, and you all know this but it bears repeating ad nauseum – avoid sugar and commercial fats and oil. These antinutrients found in so many convenience foods cause inflammation and a lot of oxidative stress. Those two types of storms in the body lead to suboptimal brain function. What could be simpler than opting to not eat something? (Note: we didn’t say “easier”, we know these ingredients are addictive and omnipresent.) To that list, in this case, we’d like to add processed grains, especially the gluten containing ones. These are foods that create sluggishness on all levels, including brain function. It may sound like we’re chipping away at all the food there is, but not so! Left on the table (literally in this case!) are whole foods. Fresh, organically grown, preferably in-season vegetables and fruits, and animal products.
In other words, the advice we give to avoid most of the chronic ailments people endure these days is coming up again here. Start with diet – you really are what you eat. When you reach for foods with 5 ingredients or fewer (or better yet, no need for an ingredients list at all), and really care about how that food was produced, you end up with healthy cells. Healthy cells work well, leading to an entire body that works well, including the ol’ gray matter.
Can other things be contributing to brain fog? Yes, of course. Start with the food, and we’ll talk about the other stuff another day!