Brain fog remedies12/5/2023 None had ever been hospitalized for COVID-19, yet 85 percent had four or more neurological complaints, including “brain fog”-persistent trouble with focusing, retaining short-term memories, and managing complex tasks. A just-published study led by Igor Koralnik, the director of the Neuro COVID-19 Clinic at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, analyzed the first 100 “long COVID” sufferers who came to the clinic, either in person or via virtual visits. The cognitive problems emerging from mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 are so new that researchers have struggled to define them. Before COVID-19, she’d held two part-time jobs, but she soon had to give up both of them. Once an avid reader, she couldn’t get through a page. Though her physical symptoms-diarrhea, dry cough, chills-were considered mild by doctors, her fatigue was crushing, and her mind was trapped in a fog. And absolutely, try to put the phone down for a few hours a day to prevent information overload.Debbie Gustafson of Dresher, Pennsylvania, was on the trip of a lifetime, touring the Galápagos with her family last March, when she began to feel the effects of COVID-19. Dow recommends meditating for 12 minutes every day (although even a few minutes will help). Meditation can also help clear your head. "By minimizing those stretches of work time, you alleviate the stress on your brain." According to Bridges, research suggests that working in 90-minute intervals, and then taking a break to get water, take a short walk, or make a phone call, can help improve your brain power. "It's too much for our brains."Īccording to experts, we have something called ultradian rhythms, which are cycles that play out during our waking hours. "When you have too much of a cognitive load-meaning you're doing too many things at once, or have too much on your mind-it taxes our mental reserves," says Bridges. These days, our brains are inundated with information from the news, social media, and the constant influx of texts and emails flooding our smartphones. By giving your body a break from digesting, you're actually giving your brain a break as well," Bridges says. "Intermittent fasting causes new brain cell growth, called neurogenesis. Intermittent fasting-limiting your eating window to window of time such as eight or 10 hours per day-may also improve brain function. "You'll also want to make sure you're getting enough omega-3s, either from clean seafood or supplements, which can also remedy brain fog." "Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, and taking prebiotics and probiotics, can introduce healthy bacteria into the gut, which helps your body better produce those brain-boosting neurotransmitters," explains Dow. While you may not want to skip your favorite goodies entirely, experts recommend incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods or brain-boosting drinks into your diet. In fact, about 95 percent of dopamine and serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitters) are produced in your intestinal tract. That "crash" is not only physical, but mental as well. It's why you may often feel sleepy after a sugary treat or carb-heavy meal. "There is a ton of emerging research suggesting that the sugar and processed foods, which feed the bad bacteria in our gut, lead to inflammation not only in the body, but in the brain," explains Sarah Bridges, PhD, a Minnesota-based psychologist. Oddly enough, poor gut health is one of the leading brain fog causes.
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