Natural Remedies for Brain Fog During Midlife
What is Brain Fog?
I’m sure you all have days where you complain of feeling ‘out of it’, unable to think clearly, or forgetting more things than you care to admit in midlife. I know I do!
Many people report this feeling as ‘brain fog’. This is not an actual diagnosis but rather a term that is used to describe a set of symptoms.
You may notice your memory is not as sharp, lacking focus, having reduced mental acuity, low energy, and low motivation.
It’s no surprise that you feel this way since many of you are overwhelmed, easily distracted, and have a long list of responsibilities. Along with feeling stressed out, you may suffer from ‘brain fog’ due to poor lifestyle choices, needing a digital detox, and possible nutritional deficiencies.
The good news is that there are natural remedies you can choose to reach optimal brain health and lift the brain fog. With all that you are trying to accomplish in a day, you know that you need to feel your best!
Don’t sit back or lie down (like I did) and think that getting older and feeling forgetful would be the new norm. My brain fog lifted when I put these practices into place!
Digital Detox and Mindfulness
Like a lot of people, lately I’ve been guilty of not doing my daily practice of meditation and overdoing it on my phone. Boy, do I feel the difference in my mood.
I find that I am drawn to my phone for no apparent reason. It’s probably due to the dopamine hit I am getting that’s no good for the brain fog and lack of focus I’m feeling.
Becoming more mindful by taking a regular break away from your smartphone, computer, and television is a wonderful way to stay in the moment.
Start by telling yourself you won’t check your phone during certain hours of the day. If you are a parent who’s worried about your children or their school reaching you, aim to stay off social media during certain hours of the day.
Research shows that a digital detox of three days is a good place to start. You will naturally be more present to choose other activities — engage in conversations, take time to read an actual book, get outdoors, and sleep better at night without all of the digital distractions.
7 More Ways to Manage Brain Fog
- Improve nutrition: Increase your intake of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods daily — leafy green vegetables, green tea, olive oil, blueberries, or strawberries. Check out my blog on superfoods for more suggestions.
- Keep learning: Picking up new hobbies or even just learning a new word a day helps us to build cognitive reserve. Play some games on your phone that challenge you to connect words or create words to complete a puzzle.
- Add antioxidants: Consuming foods rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits), Vitamin E (plant-based oils and nuts), and Polyphenols (berries, dark chocolate, black tea, coffee) are beneficial to the brain as evidenced by plenty of research. They work to protect cells from free radicals which cause cellular damage and increase inflammation.
- Spice it up: Sprinkle some new spices in your dishes such as Turmeric, Sage, Ginkgo Biloba, Ashwagandha, and Gingseng to aid in brain health. Learn more about spices in my blog post ‘Reduce Inflammation by Eating Intuitively.’
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol: Too much alcohol can leave you feeling fuzzy while you’re drinking as well as the next day due to lack of proper sleep and possible dehydration. Stay hydrated, moderate your alcohol intake, or abstain completely from drinking if you recognize alcohol is contributing to poor mental or physical health.
- Get outdoors: Research shows that getting outdoors is a positive promoter of good mental health, releasing feel-good hormones, especially serotonin. It’s one of my go-to ways to destress and return refreshed and clear.
- Prioritize stress management: Staying organized and decluttering your work or home environment will reduce feeling overwhelmed. Stress is inevitable, but you can take action before it escalates by deep breathing, talking with a friend, or walking alone to clear your mind.
Let’s take care of the most important organ in the body, the brain. The organ that takes care of us!
Let me know if you have other suggestions that help you prevent brain fog as you age. I’d love to hear from you!
Talk to your doctor for further testing and a more in-depth conversation if struggling with your mental health and memory is an ongoing concern. Reach out to me if you would like to learn more about how I can help!
You deserve to thrive and not just survive in midlife!
Kathleen is a registered nurse who became a certified life and health coach and intuitive eating counselor after going through a difficult perimenopause – full menopause at 44. With the help of her own coach, she finally understood that making simple lifestyle shifts improved her health and helped her feel her best! She’s now on a mission to empower midlife women to understand hormone changes, manage symptoms naturally, and make peace with food for a balanced, healthier life.
