How to Avoid Brain Fog Like An Expert
What is brain fog?
Brain fog is cognitively experienced as slower thinking, lack of concentration, forgetfulness, and/or confusion. It isn’t a medical condition itself, but rather a symptom of other medical conditions. Brain fog is actually a type of cognitive dysfunction involving memory problems, lack of mental clarity, poor concentration and the inability to remain focused. Brain fog has also been described as mental fatigue, and depending on the severity of your brain fog, it can interfere with work or school. However it doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture in your life.
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What does brain fog feel like?
Brain fog can make you feel like you're sleepwalking through life. When you’re feeling foggy, unfocused, disorganized, and like you just can’t think, your brain is sending an important signal that there’s an imbalance in your life that needs to be addressed. Brain fog affects your ability to think and you may find it difficult to put your thoughts into words.
It’s also the first signs that you need to take a time-out and listen to what your body needs. Though it may be difficult at first to determine what it is that your body is trying to tell you it needs, it may be easier to determine what is causing the brain fog to begin with. Moreover with brain fog, even simple tasks can become a challenge.
What can cause it
There are numerous explanations for why you could be experiencing brain fog. It could be as simple as changing your sleep patterns or adding more vitamins into your diet. However once you are able to identify the underlying cause behind your brain fog, you can then begin to fix the problem.
Vitamin deficiencies
A healthy diet isn't just vital for physical health: your diet also plays a significant role in mental performance. A nutritionally inadequate diet can trigger vitamin deficiencies which may lead to brain fog. B vitamins like B9 and B12, for example, help keep your brain healthy. So if your levels of these essential nutrients are too low, you might experience cognitive problems.
Food sensitivities
Sensitivities to certain foods can cause various symptoms, including brain fog. These symptoms caused by certain food sensitivities can often occur hours or even days after you eat those foods. So it is important to make note of all the foods you eat, and which ones appear to be causing you brain fog. The brain fog then typically lifts after eliminating those foods from your diet.
Medications
Some prescription medications come with side effects that can make your thinking feel cloudy as well. These side effects often appear in the first few weeks of taking a new drug but sometimes, side effects can appear later on. You may also develop brain fog after changing a medication dosage or combining medications.
The best ways to avoid brain fog
Brain fog is annoying at best and alarming at worst, especially if you experience it on a regular basis. In terms of what causes brain fog, there are a whole list of reasons. However it is quite often that people experience brain fog when they're exhausted or tired, as fatigue can be a direct cause. Yet there are ways that you can avoid brain fog, even if you experience it daily.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is really important for preventing brain fog. Most people don't realize that the brain is 80 percent water and that water is essential for every chemical reaction happening in the brain. So knowing this, you need to be sure that you are drinking enough water and to drink water with electrolytes and minerals. Tap water has minerals already in it, which purified water is often missing.
Eat a well rounded diet
If you experience brain fog regularly, you may be low in certain nutrients the brain needs to function. There are some specific ones in particular to be conscious of, and those are B vitamins, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E. All of those nutrients are linked to cognitive function, and can help you significantly reduce and avoid brain fog if you take them regularly.
Consume inflammation fighting herbs
Inflammation is a major root cause of brain fog, so it is important to try to incorporate lots of inflammation-fighting herbs into your diet to give your brain a boost. Try to use a lot of herbs and spices in your cooking, like rosemary, basil, sage, garlic, and peppermint. All of these herbs and spices have anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, turmeric is a great inflammation fighter. If you are new to it, try some hot tea with turmeric, lemon, and ginger in the morning.
Practice Yoga
Because stress can cause brain fog, try practicing yoga to help keep it at bay. A lot of people do find that yoga is really helpful. Try to incorporate some good stretches into your yoga because it increases blood flow to the brain. Yoga can even help you think clearer.
Keep a journal
Additionally while these tips may work for some, others may find alternative habits work best. This is because the root cause of brain fog varies from person to person. So if you aren't sure what's causing your brain fog, try keeping a journal and writing down when you feel brain fog and what the possible causes could be. They could vary from feeling stressed one day, to not getting enough sleep. But keeping a journal can give you a better idea of what the cause is.
Ways to reduce brain fog
However if you are finding it difficult to completely avoid your brain fog, trying to at least reduce it can be a major help as well. A healthy lifestyle can help protect your cognitive function and reduce the amount of brain fog you might experience! And while your diet is an important piece of living a healthy lifestyle’s just that, a piece. There are other lifestyle changes you can make, along with having a better diet, that can help combat brain fog.
Taking a walk
Walking is one of the best exercises for your brain. That’s why you often hear suggestions like “take a walk around the block” when you have a mental block. Walking helps increase the glucose and oxygen flowing to the brain, which in turn stimulates brain cell formation. Just taking a quick walk can help clear your unwanted brain fog.
Meditation
Meditation is a great stress reduction method and can be used to maximize your brain health and fitness. It’s almost like doing pushups for the brain. Meditation can make you happier, smarter, and more resilient to life’s ups and downs. People who regularly meditate experience improved focus and concentration, greater creativity, reduced stress, and better sleep.
Stand up more frequently
You’ve probably heard that too much sitting is very bad for your brain and your overall health. The easiest way to counteract sitting at your desk all day is to simply stand up frequently throughout the day. Just by using those muscles, you’re stimulating brain function and helping to reduce that brain fog.
Reduce your caffeine intake
We all seem to run on caffeine, and even though it wakes us up, it could contribute to insomnia, stress, anxiety, which could be causing poor sleeping habits and in turn, causing your brain fog. By drinking your coffee early and experimenting with “cut-off times”, you could greatly improve your sleep habits and brain fog.
Health conditions related to brain fog
Additionally, brain fog can also be connected to several different health conditions. Most of these health conditions are treatable, and with the possibility of being combined with any of the causes listed above, could be the reason behind the brain fog you are experiencing.
Stress
Chronic stress can increase blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and trigger depression. Stress exhausts your brain, triggers inflammation, and disrupts your sleep patterns. It can also cause mental fatigue in those who have very high levels of stress. This fatigue can affect your focus and concentration.
Anemia
Anemia is a health condition where your body is not producing enough healthy red blood cells, and if you don't have enough healthy red blood cells you may feel fatigued or depressed. Anemia is often triggered by deficiencies in vitamin B9 or B12.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is linked to chronic pain, sleep problems, and mood and memory issues. Though it is still unknown what exactly causes fibromyalgia, symptoms often appear after a physical trauma, illness, infection, or stressful event. While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, treatment may help you feel better.
Sleep disorders
Those who have sleep disorders like insomnia may find that they struggle with brain fog quite often. Even if you log eight hours of sleep each night, poor sleep quality can still leave you exhausted and unable to focus. A disorder like sleep apnea is often to blame for poor sleep quality.
Dementia
Most cases of brain fog are not linked to dementia but if you're over 65, report any confusion or disorientation to your healthcare provider right away. There is no blood test for dementia but cognitive testing can determine whether you're showing signs of dementia.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex disorder that causes severe, ongoing fatigue. It may be linked to infections, immune system problems, or hormonal imbalances. Exhaustion caused by chronic fatigue syndrome can also impair your memory and concentration
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Brain fog can be frustrating, but relief is possible. However it is important not to ignore your symptoms and to address them as soon as they begin to arise. If left untreated, brain fog can impact the quality of your life, ranging from work and school to even your personal life. Though once the underlying cause is addressed, you mental clarity can improve.
Extra tips for brain fog
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Try to manage your stress by knowing your limitations, and avoiding excessive alcohol and caffeine seeing as these two beverages have been known to induce more stress.
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Try to work on strengthening your brain power by playing brain games every now and then.
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Be sure to increase your intake of protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. You can do this gradually at first.
