Clearing out Brain Fog - The Naturopathic Way

Welcome back to Episode 9 of the Sharing Plant Wisdom podcast, with Naturopathic Herbalists Sophie Barrett and Marie-Caroline Cotel. 
This week we continue on the theme of brain fog. We talk you through the main symptoms reported by patients,  the most common culprits that can be the underlying cause of your cloudy thinking, nutritional approaches that can delay cognitive impairment, . 

In the section about possible causes of brain fog we forgot (oh the irony!) to mention  DEHYDRATION. It is an extremely common cause of brain fog. So aim for at least 1.5L of mineral water every day. Other causes mentioned are: 
- poor sleep 
- stress and anxiety
- hormonal changes
- nutritional deficiencies
- underactive thyroid 
- poor blood circulation to the brain 
- toxins
- food sensitivities 
- prescription drugs
- obesity and metabolic syndrome 
- other medical conditions


Key dietary approaches: 
- address nutritional deficiencies (after testing). Common ones are iron, vitamin B12, vitamin d
- stabilise blood sugar levels throughout the day 
- include plenty of berries (antioxidants, improve cerebrovascular function) 
- include plenty of dark leafy greens (vitamin B help cells produce energy)
- include good fats: oily fish, avocado, extra virgin olive oil
- avoid binge drinking alcohol 

Recommended book to prevent and reverse early cognitive decline: "The End of Alzheimer" by Dale Bredesen 


Supplements: 
- supplement in the nutrients you tested deficient in first 
- vitamin C : 1 to 2 g a day 
- phosphatidylcholine: provides substrate for the brain to manufacture choline and acetylcholine, essential neurotransmitters 
- resveratrol 
- if you suspect that your brain fog is related to a viral infection, head over to our first episode where we discussed strategies to get rid of post viral fatigue 

Herbs: 
- Acorus calamus root 
- Lion's Mane (medicinal mushroom) 
- Coffee (in moderation !) 
- Sage (Salvia officinalis) as a fresh herb tea 
- Green tea 
- Rhodiola root 

Always take advice from a qualified practitioner before taking herbs as there are contraindications not mentioned here. 

Other advice: 
- physical exercise
- make more lists, put more reminders on your phone, stick more post-its on your desk. Your brain fog is likely temporary so don't stress yourself. Make your life easier until the brain fog dissipates. 
- cut back on multi-tasking 
- have off-screen time 
- try intermittent fasting (unless you have blood sugar regulation issues)
- try  cold showers
- implement a bedtime routine to get better sleep (episode coming soon on that)
- meditation 


We hope you find this episode useful. Let us know if you have any questions, comments. Let us know what works for you, if you have other tips to share with us. You can also book us for a digital herbal consultation. Email us at 
sharingplantwisdom@gmail.com 

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@sharingplantwisdom 

In health, 
Marie & Sophie