Common, but not normal.
Do you ever find yourself walking into a room and forgetting why you are there? Or trying to remember a name or a word, and coming up short? Feel forgetful or confused, unable to concentrate at work? Maybe just generally feeling like your brain is slow, sluggish or still half asleep?
This feeling is what we call “brain fog”.
Most of us have experienced some form of brain fog in our lives, but for many people dealing with brain fog is a regular, even daily occurrence. It’s pretty common, but it doesn’t have to be!
Brain fog can have a number of causes, but they all basically boil down to how well your hormones are playing together.
I’ve said it before, but our hormones are a complex symphony, and one instrument missing or off key can throw everything off.
What are some of the most common, everyday causes of brain fog?
Any combination of chronically poor sleep, dysregulated blood sugar, insulin resistance, chronic stress, low thyroid function, even mold or toxin exposure can lead to brain fog.
Here are a few things you might be doing every day to cause your brain fog:
Eating a diet of highly refined, ultra processed foods and sugary beverages.
Staying up late binging trashy TV.
Extreme fasting or calorie restriction.
Bringing your phone or laptop into bed with you.
Drinking alcohol more than once or twice a week.
Ignoring exercise and spending most of your day sitting.
Drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening.
Holding on to stress.
Exposure to environmental toxins.
The obvious answer is to do the opposite of what you see above. The truth of how to fix brain fog is a bit more nuanced than that.
Your blood sugar, insulin, cortisol, sleep and stress habits, way of eating and exercise all influence your daily energy and focus.
But so many of those things are tied up in personal rituals, deeply ingrained habits and discomfort with change.
For example, you might drink your favorite sugary coffee drink on the way to work, and would probably struggle giving that up.
Or you may feel like you can’t fall asleep without the TV on in the bedroom, and worry you wouldn’t be able to doze off without it.
Perhaps you unwind with a glass of wine or a couple of beers each night, and feel like you “need” that drink to relax.
The fact is, the reason why you are dealing with brain fog is unique to you.
My job is to help figure out what that reason is, and work with you to find a simple, achievable plan with changes you can make to your day to pull you out of the fog.
What does that plan look like?
We analyze your health history, what and when you eat and how well you sleep
We add in healthy food swaps
We decide on a consistent eating window you can stick to
We find ways to improve your sleep
We add in forms of movement and exercise that fit into your lifestyle
We find swaps for alcohol and sugary drinks
We add in targeted supplements to balance blood sugar and liver health
We work on dealing with stress and getting your mind right
You don’t need to have a plan, or have all the answers. That’s my job.
Let’s go!
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