I Told You I Was Sick

Are you having trouble learning, remembering, and concentrating? If so, you may think there’s something seriously wrong with your mind. You’re not going crazy. There’s most likely a physical cause of your brain fog. It’s just a matter of narrowing it down so you can treat it.

What is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is an impairment of cognitive brain function. This dysfunction is usually present at all times and causes the sufferer problems with memory, cognition, learning, and mental clarity. It is called brain fog because it can make you feel detached from the outside world as if you are trying to think and function through thick layers of gauze.

You’re Not Dumb – Causes of Fog Brain

If you’ve been dealing with brain fog for months, years or even decades, it can make you feel as though you’re just dumb. This can lead to feelings of depression and inadequacy. No matter how long you’ve been dealing with this or how bad it’s gotten, you’re not a dumb person. There is something in your environment or lifestyle that is causing the problem and it can be fixed.

1. Gluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance is a subject that is near and dear to my heart (well, stomach and brain really) because I’ve struggled with it all my life. From the time I was born till the time I was in my early twenties, I didn’t know a day without stomach pain or mental confusion. Difficulty learning, socializing, and behaving were norms to me. I had no real understanding that I was different.

It wasn’t until I was told, “Food is killing you” and stopped eating gluten that I understood, at least partially, what a clear brain felt like.

A person with gluten intolerance is unable to digest the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye products. The immune system responds to gluten as though it is a foreign invader and causes inflammation not only in the intestines but in the brain as well. When the gut and brain stay in a constant state of inflammation, brain fog is the inevitable result.

It doesn’t help that this protein also acts as a mild opiate to the intolerant individual, causing a kind of staring gaze and disconnectedness to the outside world.

Other symptoms of gluten intolerance include chronic abdominal cramping, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain, mood swings, insomnia, and irritability. If you suspect you have gluten intolerance, I highly suggest removing any and all traces of your diet for one month. Then reintroduce wheat and gluten products en masse on the 31^st day. You’ll know it if you’re intolerant and you’ll be able to get started on a permanent gluten free diet.

2. Neurotoxins

Another leading cause of brain fog is the hidden neurotoxins in your food and environment. A neurotoxin is any chemical that interferes with the neurons in your brain and causes cognitive dysfunction.

• Food

If you drink a lot of soda, it could be the reason why you’re brain is always in a fog. Soda contains aspartame, a proven and potent neurotoxin. This synthetic sweetener has also been clinically-proven to cause cancer. You might also be intolerant to food dyes in your breakfast cereal and the candy you eat. Certain food dyes such as yellow #5 have been linked to insomnia, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.

• Environment

Even in the relative safety of your home, you are surrounded by chemical toxins that can put your brain in a fog. These chemicals include your air fresheners, chemical cleaning products, laundry detergent, and cosmetics.

The next time you clean or bathe, take a good look at the ingredients in the products you’re using. Most of them contain chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)/sodium laureth sulfate (SLES); 1,4-dioxane; NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate), and phosphates that have been linked to learning difficulties and muscle twitches.

Brain fog can oftentimes be completely reversed by switching to all-natural, organic cleaning products and cosmetics.

• Vaccines

Vaccines are one of the worst offenders out there when it comes to neurotoxins. They contain mercury, which has been scientifically-proven to cause brain fog, muscle twitches, movement disorders, learning difficulties, and mental illness. To make matters even worse, most vaccines contain formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen.

• Dental Fillings

If you eat a gluten free diet and don’t get vaccines, it could be your dental fillings that are causing your brain fog. Dental fillings are made out of mercury and can cause the same kind of mercury toxicity symptoms as a flu shot.

3. Autoimmune/Chronic Pain Conditions

Autoimmune and chronic pain conditions can also put your brain in a fog. Adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, celiac disease, crohn’s disease, and other autoimmune conditions all have one thing in common: Inflammation. This, coupled with the physical pain you’re always in can lead to serious and debilitating brain fog.

4. Sleep Deprivation

Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night or staying asleep? If you wake up feeling more exhausted than when you went to bed, this could be what you’re brain is always in a fog. Just one night of poor sleep can interfere with your ability to think clearly and process sensory input. Most adults need 7-10 hours of sleep each night.

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep at night, you might have a magnesium deficiency. Adding a chelated magnesium supplement to your diet can work wonders in helping you get that much-needed shut-eye.

5. Candida Yeast Syndrome

Candida yeast syndrome is a very common but often overlooked problem. Candida is a natural yeast found in your intestines and digestive tract and when it’s kept in check, everything is fine. Unfortunately, excessive sugar intake, antibiotic use, and birth control pills can cause this yeast to grow out of control. When it does, it becomes systemic, entering into the bloodstream and causing neurological problems, poor digestion, chronic yeast infections, and mental health problems.

Discover Why You’re Brain is in a Fog

One of the most frustrating things about fog brain is trying to figure out what’s causing it. Doing the elimination diet and playing roulette with your cleaning products can be more daunting a task than you’re willing to undertake. Unfortunately, you’ll never clear up the fog in your head if you don’t do something about it.

Direct Labs offers two essential tests that can help you figure out what foods and chemicals you’re allergic to and how healthy your digestive system is.

These tests are called the ALCAT Comprehensive Wellness 1-Kit and Doctor’s Data Comprehensive Stool Analysis x 3 DD Kit.

The wellness kit takes the guesswork out of figuring out what’s causing your chronic symptoms by doing the kind of blood analysis most conventional doctors won’t offer. The stool kit not only tells you if a bacterial or candida infection is causing your symptoms, it even evaluates for commonly-overlooked conditions such as leaky gut syndrome!

You don’t have to live with brain fog and memory problems. Once you figure out the cause, you’re halfway to a permanent cure.

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Image courtesy of [David Castillo Dominici]/FreeDigitalPhotos.net