6 Strategies to Beat Brain Fog
Brain fog. That dreaded phrase. That dreaded feeling.
Clients describe it to me as living in a haze, their lives passing them by. Instead of being engaged in the present moment, they feel like they’re watching life from a distance. Their thinking is no longer sharp, and their brilliant minds are sidelined.
So why do problems like this fall through the cracks of mainstream medicine?
Partly, I believe, because there is no obvious medication available. But in functional nutrition, my goal is to get to the core reason why people struggle with health problems, so let’s dig deeper and not settle for a life of mental fogginess or dementia.
What Is Brain Fog?
Brain fog isn't a medical condition itself, but rather a symptom of other medical conditions. It’s a type of cognitive dysfunction involving:
memory problems
lack of mental clarity
poor concentration
inability to focus
Some people also describe it as mental fatigue. Depending on the severity of brain fog, it can interfere with work or school. But it doesn't have to be a permanent fixture in you
What Are the Causes of Brain Fog?
There are numerous explanations for why brain fog occurs. Once you identify the underlying cause, you can begin fixing the problem. Here are six possible causes:
1. STRESS
Chronic stress can increase blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and trigger depression. It can also cause mental fatigue. When your brain is exhausted, it becomes harder to think, reason, and focus.
What steps can you take to de-stress?
2. LACK OF SLEEP
Poor sleep quality can interfere with how well your brain functions. Aim to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Sleeping too little can lead to poor concentration and cloudy thoughts.
What could we do to improve your sleep hygiene?
3. HORMONAL CHANGES
Hormonal changes can trigger brain fog. Levels of the hormones progesterone and estrogen increase during pregnancy. This change can affect memory and cause short-term cognitive impairment.
Similarly, a drop in estrogen level during menopause can cause forgetfulness, poor concentration, and cloudy thinking.
Have you had your hormones checked lately?
4. DIET
Diet can play a role in brain fog. Vitamin B-12 supports healthy brain function, and a vitamin B-12 deficiency can bring about brain fog.
If you have food allergies or sensitivities, brain fog may develop after eating certain foods. Possible culprits include:
MSG
aspartame
peanuts
dairy
Removing trigger foods from your diet may improve symptoms.
Let’s run a food sensitivity test (it’s an easy blood draw).
5. Medications
If you notice brain fog while taking medication, talk with your doctor. Brain fog may be a known side effect of the drug. Lowering your dosage or switching to another drug may improve your symptoms.
Brain fog can also occur after cancer treatments. This is referred to as chemo brain.
I have several protocols to mitigate the adverse side effects of chemo.
Women….
We get Pap smears every year to find out our risk and prevent cervical cancer
We get our teeth cleaned every 6 months to assess risk for gum disease and cavities.
We get mammograms (eek) to evaluate our risk for breast cancer
We run blood tests to check our risk for heart disease and diabetes
We get bone scans to assess our risk for osteoporosis
We get colonoscopies to find out our risk for colon cancer
What can you do to evaluate and assess your risk of Alzheimer’s?
Enter the Cognoscopy
Coined by Dr. Dale Bredesen, the author of “The End of Alzheimer’s,” a cognoscopy is a non-invasive, comprehensive brain health assessment of multiple bio-markers to assess your risk for dementia.
Cognosopy 101
1. Find out your inflammation levels.
I run several different labs to assess where my patients’ inflammation levels are:
HbA1c
CRP
Homocysteine
Leaky-gut labs
Vit D levels
2. Run a traditional CBC (Complete Blood Count) panel
3. Run a full thyroid panel
4. Run a nutrient deficiency panel
When should you become concerned about dementia—or “gulp” the dreaded Alzheimer’s?
Don’t you want to know your risk for dementia/Alzheimer’s disease?
Oh no, Leslie, I don’t want to know. Too scary.
I’ll tell you what’s scary: There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease and when it strikes, your family is in for years of sorrow and grief, and financial draining for care costs.
My protocols will identify the foods, toxins, and products that are putting you at risk for dementia. And as a result of the changes I suggest, and that you implement, you can expect most of the following:
Less brain fog = sharper memory
More energy
Clear, glowing skin
Weight loss
Improved libido
Reduction in inflammation, no more achey joints
What are you waiting for? Reach out today to become the Whole Healthy Woman you are destined to be!
An Offer for Health-Savvy Women
Schedule a FREE 30-minute consult with Leslie to see how you can live with LIMITLESS VITALITY every day!