We’ve all experienced that foggy feeling – where you suddenly lose track of your train of thought or struggle to find the right word.
But while you might shrug it off as a sign of ageing, for many of us, these are symptoms of a “new epidemic”, says Dr Mike Dow, psychotherapist and author of The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory and Joy in Just 3 Weeks (Hay House, £12.99).
“It’s a sense of being in a slump, a bit detached and disengaged from life,” he says. “Feeling mentally overwhelmed, unable to focus and in a permanent state of exhaustion – yet not being able to get a good night’s sleep.”
The cause? “The way we eat, sleep, work and live destabilises the levels of three crucial brain chemicals: serotonin, dopamine and cortisol that keep us energised, calm, focused and inspired,” he says.
“We experience these biological problems as scatterbrain, brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, anxiety and the blues. Attempting to think and feel great without the proper balance of brain chemicals is like trying to run a marathon with a broken leg.”
Read more:25 tips to improve your memory
And, women are more likely to be affected with brain fog, which worsens around the time of the menopause because of hormonal changes.
But all is not lost. From eating more omega-3s to getting eight hours of sleep a night, here’s how to banish it:
Balance blood sugar
“The foods we eat can either produce steady, sustaining levels of blood sugar, or they can induce sugar rushes and crashes, which can leave us feeling foggy, listless, anxious and depressed,” explains Dr Dow.
And, in the long term, this can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Replace high-GI carbohydrates (such as white bread, white rice, pasta, cookies, cake etc) with more complex carbohydrates (quinoa, barley, lightly-cooked vegetables) to even out blood-sugar levels and make a few simple switches to your diet, suggests Dr Dow.
Substitute half your pasta for vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, eat open sandwiches with one slice of bread and choose two slices of thin-crust pizza with a big salad rather than four slices of thick-crust or traditional.
Ditch artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are not an effective substitute for sugar, warns Dr Dow. In fact, those who drink diet alternatives are more likely to be depressed than those drinking full-sugar drinks. Try sprinkling naturally sweet cinnamon in your coffee or use natural plant extract Stevia.
Fat is not the enemy
Most of us should be eating more, not less, of the right kind of fats, says Dr Dow. “The absolute best fats for your brain are omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent inflammation – the key to preserving cognitive function and warding off depression, stress and anxiety,” he says.
Because the body cannot make these on its own we should be eating fish (choose wild-caught over farm-raised fish as they normally contain a higher concentration of omega-3s and the lowest content of toxins), chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds and protein.
Omega-6 fatty acids, however, promote inflammation in the brain and are hidden in processed foods and refined vegetable oils (such as soybean oil found in supermarket dressings and mayonnaise etc).
Replace shop-bought salad dressings with healthy mono-unsaturated fats such as olive
oil, suggests Dr Dow. It contains anti-inflammatory compounds which may prevent Alzheimer’s disease and depression.
Choose organic milk and eggs
Organic produce is free from harmful pesticides found in non-organic produce while organic animal products – milk, eggs, dairy and meat – also contain more brain-healthy, anti-inflammatory omega-3s (and fewer omega-6s) than non-organic.
For example, organic milk contains 62% more omega-3s and 25% fewer omega-6s than conventional milk, while organic eggs have more than double the omega-3s.
It’s well worth the extra cost as you’ll be eating significantly “cleaner” which will make you think and feel better, says Dr Dow.
Make B your buzzword
“Without enough vitamin B, our brains can’t make the chemicals we need for mood, brain function and healthy sleep,” says Dr Dow. Increase levels of the B vitamin folate by eating more spinach, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, broccoli and legumes such as lentils, kidney beans and black-eyed beans – while organic eggs and fish are great sources of vitamin B12 too.
Enjoy a coffee
It can be a great defence against brain fog, providing the brain with a jolt of energy without raising blood sugars. It can also decrease the risk of depression while protecting against dementia. Just avoid adding sugar or sweeteners and too much milk, says Dr Dow.
...and a glass of red wine
One alcoholic drink per day (two for men) may help to keep toxins out of the brain, reducing your risk of dementia by as much as 23%. And studies show red wine works best – the red grape skin is rich in a potent antioxidant called resveratrol.
But only have one – too much alcohol has a negative effect on the brain and is associated with increased risk of dementia.
Eat beans if you’re menopausal
“Phytoestrogens are plant foods that can have a hormone balancing effect, lessening the impact of changes like brain fog,” says nutritionist and women’s health expert Dr Marilyn Glenville. “They include beans like lentils, chickpeas and organic soya products.”
Walk a mile every day
“Exercise is extraordinarily effective at boosting energy and combating both anxiety and depression,” says Dr Dow. Studies show how regular exercise actually outperforms antidepressants in improving mood and cognitive function.
It helps you think better too – boosting levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports cell growth, helping to create new pathways while destroying Alzheimer’s disease-causing plaques. Walking a mile a day – that’s only about 2,000 steps – can also cut the risk of future memory problems by 50%.
Aim for eight hours sleep every night
Sleep boosts learning and creativity, and acts as the brain’s self-cleaning cycle to prevent brain fog and get rid of Alzheimer’s-causing plaques.
But you need roughly eight hours sleep a night. A study by the University of Pennsylvania, US, found that people who slept about six hours for multiple nights in a row had the same performance deficits as subjects who had been totally deprived of sleep for two nights.
Don’t read your Kindle in bed
“Nature intended for us to sleep at night and be awake in the day,” says Dr Dow. “Not doing so affects how clearly we think and how alert we feel.”
However, our constant use of technology means we are constantly surrounded by light while the blue one emitted from our devices suppresses the production of the sleepy hormone melatonin in our brains. Turn off all devices three hours before you head up to bed (or at least use the dimmest setting possible) so your body can adjust.
Remove TVs and other electronic devices from the bedroom, make sure you charge your phone in a different room to avoid night-time checking and read a print book before bed not an electronic version, such as a Kindle.
Put your phone on silent at work
Avoid social media (block your access if necessary) and turn off your phone or ringer until you are on a break to stop distractions getting in the way of work.
Cutting back on using social media will have positive effects on your brain, mood, energy levels and quality of sleep – and will also help to further extend your attention span.
Try to see your friends in person
Instead of spending your evenings alone checking Facebook, meet up with a friend – this will help you feel the connection, support and companionship which are needed for thinking and feeling better.
Turn the TV off
Leisure activities such as reading, playing board games or musical instruments, dancing, travelling, knitting and gardening, all reduce risk of cognitive decline, says Dr Dow. Watching TV does the opposite – increasing your risk of cognitive impairment by 20% (whereas reading reduces it by 5%).
Use a water filter jug
Tap water can contain toxins which affect our brain health, so consider using an inexpensive activated carbon filter water jug, which can remove 60-100% of the toxin manganese from your water, advises Dr Dow.
Dr Glenville adds: “Allowing yourself to become dehydrated can lead to brain fog and reduced concentration.”
Aim for six to eight glasses a day.
Take a brain pill
“I recommend a supplement called Brain and Memory Support in my clinics (£29.77 for 60 capsules
from naturalhealthpractice.com),” says Dr Glenville. It includes B vitamins and an amino acid called acetyl-L-carnitine, which increases the brain receptors which would normally deteriorate with age, and acetylcholine, which is critical for memory and brain function.
Don’t take unnecessary medication
Many of us are taking prescription (and over-the-counter) drugs we don’t need, warns Dr Dow. Rather than just routinely accepting a prescription for anti-depressants, sleeping pills and statins, he suggests discussing other options, such as lifestyle changes, natural remedies or alternative treatments, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), with your GP.
Unnecessary medication not only causes side effects but can deplete B vitamins (essential for boosting mood and energy) and may increase inflammation of the brain, causing it to age more rapidly and think less clearly.
Cook with cast iron
Ditch your non-stick cookware in favour of cast iron or stainless steel to avoid toxins, advises Dr Dow.
The older these pans get, the more likely they are to release harmful toxins, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) which can affect brain health.