Brain Fog

Hey all!  I’m so grateful to be back blogging after being SO busy…wow, what an excuse!  The truth is that I’ve been experiencing some brain fog.

I’m sure you can relate to having brain fog from time to time.  For most, it’s something we sort of laugh about or ignore but there are simple healthy solutions for this common problem.

Cognitive Health

I’m not going to just discuss brain fog because cognitive health issues range from memory loss to lack of focus but also include serious ailments such as alzheimer’s and depression.

Go Nuts!

So let’s get back to the title of this blog, Go Nuts About Brain Health.  Nuts like walnuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds contain amazing nutrients (especially if eaten in their raw form) including:  essential fatty acids, minerals and B-vitamins.

It is important to choose certain foods that lead towards a healthier lifestyle.

Brain Food

I’m not sure where the term ‘brain food’ originated, however, here is a list of common foods that assist with cognitive health.

Avocados

Garlic

Turmeric

Flax Seed Oil

Hemp Seeds

Beets

Nutritional Yeast (including brewer’s yeast)

Dark Chocolate

Non-GMO Soy Lecithin

Lifestyle & Diet

Just like I mention in my blog, Diet Is Not A Bad Word , nobody expects you to eat healthy all of the time, but it is definitely possible and enjoyable to eat healthy as much as you can.

You deserve to feel good and one way to do that is by choosing healthier foods and by EXERCISING!!!

In a video by Dr.Mercola, an osteopathic physician ,  Seven Surefire Ways to Increase Your Brain Power! He talks about how exercise, thinking positively, drinking water and breathing fresh air outdoors significantly improves brain health.

If you can’t get outside everyday, choose a few minutes of your day, just for yourself and sit quietly somewhere alone in your home.  Then close your eyes and focus on your breathing for a few minutes.  This will allow more oxygen and blood flow to your brain.

It will also help you to reduce stress and therefore, you will be able to think more clearly.  If you do this regularly, well, congratulations, you’ve just started a great meditation practice for yourself.

If you are taking good care of yourself by eating healthy, getting exercise and choosing positive thoughts but still need some extra assistance, I would recommend a few supplements.  (Get your individualized plan by booking your session with me HERE.)

Healthy Fat

The first and most popular source for brain health is Omega 3’s.  Healthy fats are actually essential for every single function in the body.

Omega 3’s are essential for the health of your:

Joints & Skin

Cognitive function

Eye lubrication

Proper elimination

Healthy Cholesterol levels

I highly suggest receiving your Omega-3’s from plant sources since fish and fish oil supplements contain anywhere from traces to high levels of toxins such as mercury.  Even farm raised fish are given chemicals like antibiotics since it is necessary to reduce disease and infection.  Those toxic chemicals become saturated within the fat molecules of those fish.

However, if you use flax seeds regularly, you will be utilizing a plant based food source to provide you with Omega 3, 6 and plant lignans which protect you from diseases such as cancer.

I like to use ground flax seeds in my cooking as an egg replacement.  I’ve been using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer Recipe  for many years now.  I also add hemp seed protein powder or Hippie Butter hemp seeds and/or hemp butter to my smoothies.  Hemp  is also rich in plant based omegas, is high in fiber and protein.

Vitamins and Other Nutrients

Another basic supplement that I highly suggest is a B-complex.  Some B-complex formulas also contain PS and PC which stands for phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine .  Both are Phospholipids that aid with memory, learning and have been continuously studied and used with patients that have ADHD.  Sunflower seeds a good plant based source of phospholipids.

Choline or phosphatidylcholine found in soy lecithin also helps your body to “reduce cortisol, the stress hormone that is toxic to the brain”, according to Dr. Yannick Pauli.

Next up for brain health would be amino acids, especially acetyl-l-carnitine.

Numerous research shows that when combining acetyl-l-carnitine with the popular antioxidant alpha lipoic acid, the combo increases mental alertness, as well as, increased energy throughout the body, including the brain.According to Be Brain Fit , acetyl-l-carnitine may also act as a fast-acting anti-depressant.

Herbal Remedies

I am a huge fan of adding natural herbs and spices to my daily regimen including those that have a wide variety of uses like the adaptogenic, ayurvedic herb, ashwagandha.  I will remind you that adaptogenic herbs assist your body in dealing with different levels of stress.  For this reason, ashwagandha is added to many natural anti-anxiety and adrenal health supplement formulas.

Another one of my favorite ayurvedic supplements or foods (mentioned in a couple of my previous blogs including Ayurveda Part 1  & Part 2 ) is turmeric and bacopa.

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, commonly used for pain relief and increases levels of our happy hormones in the brain, dopamine and serotonin.  It is also currently being studied for use in alzheimer’s patients since it increases blood flow to the brain much like the popular memory supplement, Ginkgo Biloba.

Bacopa, which I’ve mentioned before also increases blood flow to the brain.  It is a great addition to a brain boosting supplement formula and generally used for mood balance and aiding with depression.

Last but certainly not least, (probably one of my favorites which I mention in my blog Medicinal Mushrooms) , is Lion’s Mane.  Lion’s mane has been used in Asian cooking for a long time and is slowly gaining more and more popularity within the supplement world.  What I love about lion’s mane is that it is a brain boosting natural food.

Another not so well known herb that has been used to help with mood and mental focus is rosemary.  Rosemary was revered in ancient Egypt and Rome for that reason.

More Thoughts on The Matter

There are many more brain supplements that you can purchase that I won’t mention here because there are side effects to some of them.  Not all supplements are for everyone.  We are all the same but also unique individuals.  I don’t like to suggest supplements that I would not take myself.

So, I’ve briefly discussed some natural supplements and foods that assist with brain health….What foods in your diet, do you speculate, may be contributing to brain fog or lack of focus?

Be well!

Cynthia Moon