Beating Brain Fog

5 minute read time

Who hasn’t felt some semblance of brain fog over the last year? This entire period seems like living in a hazy, confusing cloud, given the surreality of what we have faced.

Keys left in the door, cereals boxes in the oven, forgetting names, forgetting words… just some of the many symptoms of brain fog - one of the heavy hitters in perimenopause.

You go to the press, you haven’t a clue what you were looking for, you’re talking to someone familiar and completely forget their name. It’s so common and it is, unfortunately, all part of the process – as we get older our circulation slows down so less oxygen is being circulated around the body and brain. Also, our brains love oestrogen so the decline in this hormone impacts our mental function.

As oestrogen stimulates the neurotransmitters in the brain, the changing hormone levels that come at this time slow down these neurotransmitters and so our brains are not working at optimum. The end result, I’m sorry to say, is that our brain isn’t as sharp as it was in our 20’s. So many women report fears of dementia, fear of losing their mind and it certainly feels like that. The good news, however, is that there are many ways to improve our brain function and eliminate the brain fog/cloudiness you may be feeling.

Emerging research from the field of neuro-nutrition, which reinforces the importance of taking care of our brain health, leads the way here. This approach looks at the body as a whole and not just the brain. The gut-brain connection has been around for a number of years and this certainly reinforces the impact that our daily nutrition has on our brains – at all life stages.

With healthy lifestyle choices, better sleep, reduced stress and nutritional support we can help our brains both heal and regenerate.

Neuro Nutrition

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: the elite brain food: The Mediterranean diet consists of foods rich in Omega 3 and offers great support in menopause to maintain optimal brain function. Omega 3 is used by your brain to build brain and nerve cells, these fats are an essential part of learning and memory.

Sources: Chia seeds, flaxseeds, extra virgin olive oil, sardines, anchovies, mackerel.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables. These contain phytonutrients which are strong anti-oxidants. As such, they also enhance gut health and help in the ageing process.

Sources: Broccoli, Kale, mixed greens.

Eat the Rainbow. Fruit, vegetable and grains are other powerful sources of anti-oxidants, the rule of thumb is the brighter the colour, the better, they are a rich powerhouse of antioxidants and anti-ageing chemicals.

Sources: Blackberries (higher in Vitamin C than blueberries), apples, sweet potatoes, parsnips, brown rice, buckwheat.

Prebiotics & Probiotics. As a second brain, the gut communicates regularly with our brain, affecting our moods and energy levels. Research indicates 70% of our body’s serotonin (the feel-good hormone) is made in the gut. Probiotics provide significant antioxidant protection and lessen the risk of developing a number of inflammation-based conditions that can affect the brain. Prebiotics are the food the probiotics will thrive and grow on.

Sources: Probiotics: fermented foods like yoghurt, milk kefir, kombucha etc. Prebiotics: garlic, white onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, apple cider vinegar.

Water

Dehydration is no friend to the brain or to perimenopause. It has a huge impact on anxiety and brain fog. Water is essential for optimal brain function, it prevents dehydration and increases the blood’s circulation – both of which keep away cognitive decline and nerve damage. If we are even two per cent dehydrated it impacts our cognitive brain function.

Avoid alcohol

Too much alcohol has a definitive impact on our brain functioning and if you do experience ‘foggy brain’ then I would certainly suggest staying away from it. Even one glass a day will impact if you are already experiencing symptoms of brain fog.

Supplements

B Vitamins are really important for the brain with the emphasis on Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid and Choline.

Exercise

Exercise has been promoted as a possible preventer of neurogenerative disease – this includes both physical and brain exercises. Aerobic exercise has been linked to a significant increase in brain volume and cognitive function in midlife. It is also believed that exercise has an anti-inflammatory effect that promotes brain health.

So what’s the right amount?

The ideal is 5 times per week in 30-minute intervals where you get to the stage of feeling breathlessness, this gives oxygen to the body and also release the feel-good hormones. Exercise for the brain can be any of the following, learning a new language, knitting, puzzles, using your non-dominant hand to colour or write for a few minutes each day and reading a book outside of your normal reading list.

You can also check out some Apps – I’m currently using Peak-Brain Training but there are loads out there to choose from.

Relaxation

Look at the daily stressors in your life and look at ways you can eliminate or reduce them, the less stress in your life the greater your ability to really focus and pay attention. Also, consider some form of daily relaxation like mindfulness or meditation that gives your brain complete rest and respite from the busyness of life. We have so much ‘noise’ in our heads, it is in our interests to give our brains a period of downtime - go into a ‘rest and digest’ mode.

Sleep

How do you feel after a bad night’s sleep? It’s not a pretty sight when I don’t get my 8/9 hours of sleep.

We all function less effectively when we have missed a few hours of good deep sleep. This is another opportunity for our beautiful brains to do the other key roles it plays in our lives. Our brain uses this downtime to process the day’s events and renew itself. It’s a time for rest. When you have had a night of hot flushes or night sweats, you will automatically feel more tired the following day, as your body is tired so too is your brain, and then brain fog ramps up a gear.

Review your sleep hygiene and consider making small tweaks to ensure you are getting your required amount of sleep per night – for some people its 6 hours for others 8 or more.

Lastly, my own tip to you…

Ditch the multitasking! It the biggest enemy of our brains. It creates more stress and puts an extra load on our brains. Thinking of all the thoughts and activities rushing through your brain even as you read this, being concentrated wholly on one task at a time will reduce the burden on your brain. That’s where the power of mindfulness comes into play.

Finally, keep breathing; your brain will thank you kindly for nice, long, deep breaths.

Catherine O'Keeffe, originally published in February 2021