Updates
Clear Your Brain Fog – Plants that Support Cognition, Alertness, and Focus
The older I get, the more experiences I have with the “Here After”. In fact, just this morning I walked into a room and asked myself; “What was it I was here after?” Yes, I’m talking about brain fog, that lovely mental mist that befuddles the brain, clouds the consciousness and muddles memory.
As humans age the synapses can start to slow a bit, but that’s not the only cause of brain fog. Let’s look at a few others that are easy to fix.
Inactivity
One thing that can cause the mind to get groggy is physical inactivity. In the good old days, humans used to work for a living. Nowadays, a lot of us just don’t. That’s not to say we aren’t good productive citizens, it’s just that sitting in a chair all day and wiggling our fingers over a computer keyboard or talking on a phone is a very different experience for our bodies than the sort of “work” they were designed to do. In the good old days we used to walk around a lot and lift things and push things and pull things. Keeping our bellies full required a much more physical approach. Sitting around all day has an effect on circulation, metabolism and a number of other body systems and functions that can cause brain fog when they aren’t at peak performance. So, get up and get moving. If you have a sedentary job, get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour or so. If you can get a little real exercise, that’s even better. Go for a walk, ride your bike, swing by the gym and play on some of the funny machines. Anything you can do is better than doing nothing.
Poor Sleep
Poor sleep is another contributor to brain fog. Having a good night’s sleep is critical to a happy, healthy brain.
Lack of good sleep impairs cognitive function and affects the ability to concentrate, remember, and think clearly. It becomes tough to stay focused, and a sense of mental haziness sets in.
If you experience frequent awakenings, struggle to fall asleep, or suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, or sleep apnea, your sleep patterns are disrupted. Deep sleep and REM sleep are crucial for memory consolidation, information processing, and cognitive function. When these sleep stages are disrupted, it interferes with these vital processes, exacerbating brain fog.
During sleep, the brain replenishes its energy stores and clears out waste products. Inadequate sleep disrupts this restorative process, leaving the brain with reduced energy levels leading to difficulty in thinking, processing information, and maintaining mental clarity.
Poor sleep also affects the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain as well as hormone production in the rest of the body. Inadequate sleep can disrupt the production and regulation of these neurotransmitters and hormones, leading to mood disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and cognitive fog.
I’ll write an article about insomnia next week. In the mean time, there are some herbs that can really help us to get back into the habit of sleeping at night. Have a look at the Rest Easy Formula.
Poor Nutrition
A hungry brain can lead to brain fog as well. It’s easy to fill the belly but actually feeding the brain is a little more involved. Whenever we go through a drive-through window to get a bag of fast food, our brain (not to mention the rest of our organs) scolds the belly and says, “That’s great for you but what are you going to get to feed the rest of us?!” Mostly that bag of junk food increases brain inflammation and throws off normal blood sugars both of which feed the brain cloud. Brains get hungry when our diet lacks sufficient omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. A poor diet can also significantly impact our gut flora, the helpful bacteria that do all kinds of important things (several of which are essential to mental clarity). Feeding those guys is a good idea as well. They like lots of complex fiber (you know, the stuff that burgers and fries have NONE of). I know that we occasionally need something fast an easy. I know that we sometimes want something that tastes really great but isn’t really great for us. But there are some things we can do to level the nutritional playing field. Take some Nutritive herbs, and while your at it, feed the little guys in your gut that are trying to help you with some good Prebiotics.
Inflammation
Inflammation of the brain can gork things up too. Simple carbohydrates (which lead to higher insulin levels) can be inflammatory to the brain…wait a minute…didn’t I already say we shouldn’t eat fun tasty stuff? Infections can cause inflammation too. A lot of folks have experienced significant brain fog after having Covid-19. Sage can have some great effects on decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation of the brain. It also has a positive effect on neurotransmitters and improves cognitive function, mood and memory.
Stress
Stress is another major major contributor to brain fog. Adrenal hormones like cortisol can really decrease our ability to concentrate and focus. One of my favorite herbs to decrease stress is oat straw. It’s an amazing tool for unfrazzling frazzled nerves. Adaptogens like ginseng and Ashwagandha are great as well. Have a look at the General Stress Formula.
Herbs Can Help
There are a number of herbs that can really help to improve mental clarity, information processing and memory. Sage, ginseng, oat straw and Ashwagandha (and dozens of others), all have important effects on the production, balance and function of neurotransmitters. Another favorite of mine in Ginkgo. Ginkgo is a vasodilator that markedly improves circulation in the brain. It’s a great delivery system for getting all those other good herbs where they belong. All of these herbs are in the Memory & Alertness formula. Have a look.
So, if your noggin’ isn’t as clear as you’d like it to be, there are a few things you can do that can really help. The fog really can clear and the result is a beautiful day. :0)
If you’d like to learn more about the brain and nervous system and how to use medicinal plants to resolve all sorts of issues related to those systems, I’d love to help you out with that. Have a look at The HomeGrown Herbalist School. We dig really deep into all sorts of great information and solutions for happy, healthy brains and nerves.
Doc Jones
Yay! Thank you so much! And here I thought I just pushed that kiddo out with a little too much gusto 25 years ago and mushed all the pudding in my noggin together! Great vid!
Can you do a information update like this one on sleep and how to combat sleep issues that actually work!
As a matter of fact, I did a video on insomnia yesterday. It’ll be up next week or so. :0)
That is great information God bless you Doc
Another informative and entertaining video. Thank you Doc Jones for all that you do! I am huge fan. As a matter of fact, I drank a cup of Oat Straw tea as I watched the video, which I had learned about a few years ago from your wonderful book, The Homegrown Herbalist.
My husband has had some small brain strokes. His memory is not as good now. Will these things help? Is there healing for this ? Thanks! I enjoyed this presentation.
Doris
[email protected]
Hi Doris,
Restoring brain tissue lost in a stroke is pretty tough. However, making what one still has work well is something herbs are quite good at so is worth doing. DOn’t combine herbs with medications without talking to your doctor. :0)
Patrick…enjoying your creativity & your humor which I first appreciated in the herb class long ago that I attended at the Arts Center. Thanks for all you do to help others.
Jan Wimberley
Hi Jan,
Those were good times. :0)
What if my doctor is AGAINST any kind of natural remedies?
Where I live, there are not many Naturopaths to go to. Sad but true.
I do have many health issues and I just can’t get answers about natural ways to take care of them. Do you have recommendations for those of us in the same situation?
Maybe find a new doctor. There are lots of them out there that understand that there are ways to help the body that don’t come in a pill.
The other option would be to get some good education on natural remedies yourself.
I know a nice fellow that could help you with that. :0)
https://homegrownherbalist.net/about-the-school/