Brain Fog Causes and 4 Natural Treatments
If you find yourself constantly feeling fatigued, distracted, moody and just plain “off,” you’re likely dealing with some sort of “brain fog.” Brain fog has become an unwanted side effect of our fast-paced, industrialized lifestyle. Unfortunately today, many of the convenient-but-processed foods and factory-farmed meats we eat and the various ways we spend our time do not support brain health.
A high percentage of people suffer from nutrient deficiencies, sugar overload, a lack of sleep and high amounts of stress, all of which deplete energy levels. The brain relies on a steady stream of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and glucose from complex carbohydrates, in addition to getting enough rest and relaxation.
Luckily, brain fog is considered a reparable condition. Want to regain your sense of clear-headedness, focus and joy? Like nearly all things health-related, it starts with addressing the underlying issues, including your diet, stress levels, sleep and level of physical activity.
Symptoms of Brain Fog
Suffering from brain fog is basically the opposite of feeling level-headed, calm, optimistic and motivated. Brain fog can easily rob you of inspiration and happiness, while increasing the likelihood for symptoms of anxiety and depression. Researchers from the Departments of Physiology and Medicine at New York Medical College Valhalla describe brain fog symptoms as “an interaction of physiological, cognitive, and perceptual factors.” It’s likely that brain fog is rooted in a lifestyle that promotes inflammation and hormonal imbalances — and is exacerbated by stress.
Brain fog symptoms usually include:
low energy or fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome)
irritability
trouble concentrating
forgetfulness and trouble remembering information
low motivation, feeling hopeless or mildly depressed
confusion
trouble sleeping through the night or insomnia
difficulty exercising
1. Watch Your Sugar Intake but Eat Enough Healthy Carbs
Cutting back on packaged and processed foods that are loaded with sugar, in addition to many other artificial and harmful ingredients — like artificial sweeteners — is the first step to fixing brain fog. Sugar might make you feel energetic and happier at first, but ultimately your sugar addiction robs you of steady energy and focus. That being said, going too low in terms of natural sugar/carbohydrate intake can backfire and increase brain fog. While refined sugar raises inflammation, quality carbs from things like fruits and veggies do the opposite.
Serotonin is the hormone that’s released when you need carbohydrates, and its main role is to keep you calm, hopeful and confident. When levels of serotonin fall too low (perhaps from a very low-carb diet), increases in feelings of vulnerability, insecurity, sadness and anxiety can set in. What’s the best way to keep serotonin levels within their optimum range? Eat complex, unprocessed carbohydrates throughout the day in appropriate quantities. Focus on filling up on brain foods that improve focus and memory — things like sweet potatoes, yams, fruit, raw dairy and ancient grains are all good sources of serotonin-boosting carbs.
Another reason to cut down on inflammatory carbs and sugary products? Relying on processed foods to keep your energy up can lead to long-term health problems — like a higher likelihood for dealing with diabetes, weight gain, depression, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Research shows that consuming plenty of fruit and starchy/non-starchy veggies realigns hormones and also reduces inflammation; in fact, studies suggest that increasing more of them makes people generally happier!
While veggies provide less glucose, they are chock-full of antioxidants and vitamins that fight oxidative stress and brain damage. For example, flavonoid antioxidant foods show promise for managing symptoms of various anxiety disorders, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.
2. Get Enough Protein and Healthy Fats
We all require a steady supply of amino acids and essential fatty acids in order to make all of the brain chemicals we need to think clearly. Protein deficiency is caused a lack in certain amino acids, specifically the kinds that are called “essential amino acids,” because the body cannot make them on its own. Complete proteins are food sources like meat, dairy products, fish and eggs that supply all the essential amino acids we require, and these are the best way to keep the brain pumping out enough of the hormones that support a positive mind-set.
At the same time, we also need plenty of healthy fats to produce adequate happiness hormones and fight inflammation. Similarly to low-carb diets, low-fat diets pose risks too. Higher inflammation levels are partially caused by imbalances in fatty acids and linked to depression, cognitive decline, weight gain and many other disorders. Unfortunately, the standard American diet is filled with pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats from foods like refined vegetable oils and farm-raised animal products, but is low in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids from things like wild-caught fish, grass-fed eggs or beef, and certain nuts/seeds.
While it varies a bit from person to person, making about 20 percent to 30 percent of your food intake quality sources of protein (grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs, pasture-raised poultry and wild fish, for example) and about 30 percent to 40 percent healthy fats (including coconut and olive oil, avocado, and nuts/seeds) is the best way to ensure you cover your bases and help manage inflammation.
3. Manage Stress
These days, it’s tough to go more than a few hours without an influx of “stressors” like emails, texts and cell phone calls. This becomes distracting, tiring and makes it hard to work uninterrupted for any extended period of time. Although you might not realize it, it’s also stressful to receive various alerts and so much information all day long.
High amounts of stress increase the production of cortisol, which has side effects including feeling “wired but tired,” weight gain, suffering hormonal imbalances, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, depression, and further anxiety. In modern-day society, to keep cortisol in check, most people need to regularly put aside time for practicing “stress-reducing techniques,” particularly since chronic stress can kill your quality of life. These can include praying, meditating, exercising, journaling, reading and spending more time in nature.
You can also combat stress by regularly doing things that you love, which increases the brain’s production of the “happy hormone” dopamine. Dopamine is the primary chemical that makes you feel pleasure, excitement and motivation. It’s released every time you do or experience something thrilling, like trying a new fun activity, laughing out loud, spending time with people you love or engaging in hobbies. A lack of dopamine leaves you unfocused, bored and uninspired, not to mention it’s associated with a higher risk for addictions, learning disabilities and mental illnesses. Make it a priority to do something fun every day if you can, even if it’s only for a short period of time.
4. Get Good Sleep
One of the fastest and more reliable ways to improve brain function is to get better sleep. The hormones in your brain stay in balance when your body gets adequate rest every night, at least seven hours for most adults. When you’re constantly “running on fumes,” your’e very likely to find it hard to pay attention at work, engage in meaningful conversations and retain information. You’re also better able to manage your hunger, food cravings and emotions when well-rested, which can benefit your weight and health in multiple ways.
Brain fog is also kicked off by a lack of sleep because this raises cortisol levels, which means you can become more irritable and, ironically, might find it even harder to get good rest through the night. High cortisol depresses dopamine levels and makes it difficult for serotonin to work like it’s supposed to, so it feeds into a vicious cycle of poor moods and behaviours.