Are You Suffering from Brain Fog?
You give it your all every day, working hard to move your and your company’s mission forward. You want to ace your career, move fast, and stand out for your accomplishments.
If you’re finding yourself feeling mentally foggy and unable to concentrate, you could be suffering from brain fog.
Before you keep reading please know you can now hear my thoughts on this topic on our YouTube Channel or you can just keep reading.
What is Brain Fog?
Brain fog isn’t a medical condition. It’s a term used for certain symptoms that can affect your ability to think and concentrate. You might feel like you’re literally in a fog; you can also feel sluggish and exhausted. It’s kind of like having brain fatigue, making it difficult to get through the day even if you’re feeling otherwise healthy.
Historically, we all believed that the brain is the command center of mental health but evolving science is confirming that there is much more to it. If there was ever a call for digestive health, this is it! Your gut is considered your "second brain." There is no denying it anymore.
The Gut/Brain Connection:
Your brain health is key to your overall health. If you’ve ever “gone with your gut” to make a decision or felt “butterflies in your stomach” when nervous, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source: your second brain. Hidden in the walls of the digestive system, this “brain in your gut” is revolutionizing medicine’s understanding of the links between digestion, mood, health and even the way you think.
Scientists call this little brain the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). And it’s not so little. The ENS is two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract, from esophagus to rectum.
The ENS is embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system and helps the complex intricacies of digestion flow with little to no involvement from the actual brain. To be more specific the ENS controls things like the breakdown of foods, the absorption of nutrients into your blood flow, and so much more.
No wonder it is called the “2nd brain” considering it has more nerves than your spinal cord? Mind blowing!
The way these nerves talk to each other is via chemical messengers called "neurotransmitters." In fact, many of the neurotransmitters that have a strong effect on our mood are made in the gut! For example, a whopping 95% of serotonin, a chemical that if low can cause depression, is made in your gut, not in your brain!
Your Gut and Immunity:
“A huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract,” says Dan Peterson, assistant professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “The immune system is inside your body, and the bacteria are outside your body.” And yet they interact.
For example, certain cells in the lining of the gut spend their lives excreting massive quantities of antibodies into the gut. “That’s what we’re trying to understand—what are the types of antibodies being made, and how is the body trying to control the interaction between ourselves and bacteria on the outside?”
Gut Microbes
The term “gut microbiome” refers specifically to the microorganisms living in your intestines. A person has about 300 to 500 different species of bacteria in their digestive tract. While some microorganisms are harmful to our health, many are incredibly beneficial and even necessary to a healthy body.
These are your friendly gut residents – the good bacteria. If you have a healthy gut you have billions of those little guys happily living there. They do amazing things like help you digest certain foods, make certain vitamins, and even help regulate inflammation. They also greatly impact certain hormone levels in your body.
More and more evidence is showing that changes in your gut microbiota can impact your focus, mood, and other, more serious, mental health issues.
Best Foods for Your Brain Health:
Your brain is made up of a lot of fat and protein. Does it make sense that our diets are low in both of these food groups? No, it doesn’t. Sugary, processed foods are not your brain’s favorite foods.
Here are several suggestions for high quality foods to improve your brain function.
Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods: Especially foods such as avocados, blueberries, leafy greens, broccoli, and celery
Eat fiber rich foods: Fiber (in fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds) help to feed your awesome gut microbes.
Eat omega-3 fats: These fats, often added in the form of a high-quality supplement, are found in fatty fish (e.g. wild caught salmon, sardines, etc.), walnuts, algae, and seeds like flax, chia, and hemp. These healthy fats are known to have inflammation-lowering brain boosters.
Stay hydrated: Studies show that even mild dehydration can impair your mood, memory, and alertness.
Improving your diet can be a direct link to sharper focus, improved memory, greater mental capacity, and better mood. If you are looking to ace your career and, more importantly, sustain your amazing successes then taking care of your body must be a priority.
JOYVIAL health coaches can help you with your diet, digestions and gut health. Our team of health coaches help you discover what your vision of optimal health and well-being looks like for you, the whole you – body, mind and spirit. Through your coaching partnership, you’ll identify ways to navigate the obstacles between you and what really matters to you. No matter how big or small, your coach will help you meet your health and wellness goals.
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