Women tell me all the time how badly they struggle with brain fog.
“I just went into the kitchen and I forgot why I went in there?”
“I was about to introduce my colleague and I completely forgot her name, my mind went blank!”
Does this happen to you?
Feeling like you’re walking around in a cloud, foggy thinking, super forgetful and out of it?
Again, I can’t tell you how common this is.
For this week’s email, I wanted to share 7 reasons why you might be dealing with brain fog and what you can do to fix it.
Let’s dive in
#1: You’re low in Vitamin D and Magnesium.
80% of us are deficient in Vitamin D and Magnesium which means most of us need to be supplementing.
I always recommend taking Vitamin D + K2 combo and a healthy dose (200mg/daily) of magnesium to help with brain fog, anxiety, depression, inflammation and keeping your serotonin levels optimized.
Drinking alcohol, eating sugary foods, taking certain medications and being stressed can deplete your body of these essential nutrients.
#2: Lack of enough protein in your diet.
This one is often overlooked, yet essential to your health (both body and brain). You have to remember proteins are messengers in your brain and if you want a message relayed to your brain, you have to get enough protein. Proteins have 8 essential amino acids that we get from our diet and these amino acids are necessary for making our brain’s neurotransmitters.
Our neurotransmitters keep us happy and balanced.
One of the most important neurotransmitters is L-Tryptophan, which is present in most proteins and helps produce enough serotonin. So, not enough L-Tryptophan, not enough serotonin which means a higher likelihood of depression.
#3: Not enough healthy carbs.
We need enough of the good carbs for proper brain function, period. Yes, I know we’ve become a low-carb nation but I’m not a fan. Should you be reaching for donuts all the time? No, but you need the good ones to feel your best. Foods like sweet potatoes, fruits, beans and whole, nourishing leafy greens. These carbs are going to give you enough of the good vitamins and nutrients to optimize your brain function.
They also contain a lot of fiber which helps your digestive system. When you have a healthy GI tract, you have a healthy and happy functioning brain. Also, these healthy carbs prevent spikes in your blood sugar levels and keep your energy levels thriving.
#4: Instability in your blood sugar levels.
The rise and fall of glucose in your blood stream sends off stress signals in your system, which your body is not a fan of and will only exacerbate the state or brain fog and imbalance.
When you have a rise in glucose, your insulin follows suit which creates inflammation and it’s not healthy.
This will create more belly fat, cause depression, leads to moodiness and irritability and you will find yourself craving more.
Eating highly processed, high glycemic foods with lots of sugar will push your body past it’s blood sugar limits resulting in mood swings, headaches and depression.
Stabilizing your blood sugar is one of the best things you can do for your health. When it’s out of whack, you’ll experience higher levels of inflammation in your brain and body.
#5: A high sugar, low fat, high carb diet.
I can’t tell you how many people I know who think they eat a low carb diet but end up noticing they’re eating wayyy too much of a good thing. So many people have been cured from depression, anxiety, ADHD, and obesity just from changing their diet from high sugar/low fat to higher fat/lower carb. It’s night and day.
Here’s the thing, most women will feel spent from stress which probably means they have low blood sugar and this will create a deep-seeded craving for more carbs and sugar.
This is a quick fix. The spike in your blood sugar will come crashing down just as hard leaving you craving for more. These treats that are high in carbs and sugar help your serotonin levels and dopamine hits which feels awesome! Until you come crashing down. When you crash, you’ll often feel tired, have a headache and crave more, making you dizzy, irritable, moody and wanting more junk.
Some women will go their entire life without seeing the connection so pay attention to your carb intake.
#6: Lack of omega 3 fatty acids.
Our body can’t produce omega 3’s, it just doesn’t exist so we have to use food and supplements to fill the gaps, which most of us don’t. Lack of omega 3’s can cause brain damage, seriously, they’re the basic structure of all our cell membranes.
Omega 3’s are needed to make a cell healthy. Your brain is mostly fat which is why you need healthy fats to make your brain function at top speed. These are, hands down the most needed supplement for brain health.
Low levels of 3 are linked to depression, bi-polar, and dementia.
Eating foods like sardines, salmon, walnuts, taking flaxseed oil or ground flax seeds, olive oil and omega 3 eggs make a world of a difference in your mood and brain.
#7: Low nutrient based diets.
The bottom line is you need a high quality diet to feel your best. You need all the nutrients and vitamins from your food that you can get your hands on.
Remember, you can’t supplement out a poor diet. Nutrition comes first! Always.
When possible aim for organic, free range, minimally processed foods that are not full of pesticides, chemicals and hormones.
We need to give our bodies the care and love they deserve. Vitamin D, B, C, zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, folate and essential fatty acids are only a few we need to stay on top of to feed our brains what they need to stay balanced and healthy.
P.S. Speaking of healthy eating and gut health, many of you have been asking when I’ll be launching my Hormone Reset Program again and we will be going live July 1st! You can add your name to the waitlist here and get first dibs on discounts and more!
Also, are you on my FREE email list? You can grab it at www.kimschaper.com
