COGNITIVE HEALTH IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM.
Hey Jimi,
Many of my clients come to me expressing fear about losing the one thing that stands them apart from everyone else in the world and their industry….their minds.
If you are suffering from brain fog or forgetfulness you may be thinking to yourself…
“My brain is my superpower. Without it, I am not Jim”
How do you function when it feels like you have to think about thinking?
How do you continue to show up for your family, business and responsibilities when you feel guilt, fear or shame about your inability to hold as much attention, information or creativity as you normally would?
The truth is that your cognitive function is precious and likely one of the most important aspects of your health.
Sadly, most people chalk up forgetfulness and foggy thinking to the aging process.
But just because something is common doesn't make it normal.
What happens when we normalize something, we end up suffering and powering through it.
Never recognizing that it doesn't have to be that way.
Because here's the thing, you get to decide what you want and HOW you want it.
Yep!
You heard me correctly.
You get to create the life and success you want AND you get to decide how you are going to experience that journey.
Do you want to experience it struggling or flourishing?
Do you want to walk the path alone or with the support of others?
We have so many choices.
And recognizing that you do have choice is what keeps you in your power.
ALWAYS.
There are a few common physical root causes of decreased cognitive/mental health.
- Brain on fire: inflammation in the brain that is caused by environmental toxins, pathogens, trigger foods and gut permeability.
- Imbalanced hormones: Thyroid, estrogen and cortisol all affect how your brain function properly.
- Nervous system: Repetitive trauma loops and nervous system dysregulation affect your brain function, especially if you disassociate.
- Mold: Toxic mold exposure causes brain inflammation by affecting the hippocampus, the area of the brain that governs memory, learning, and the sleep-wake cycle.
There are some amazing functional labs that I run with my clients that allow us to identify what those physical root causes are.
And if you have been struggling with foggy thinking or poor memory, I highly recommend digging deeper.
There are some baselines that you need to be doing though and can start implementing immediately.
Stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol damages the brain, even in small to moderate amounts. If you must drink, leave it for celebrations only. The "wine o'clock" train is so 2018. Conscious sobriety is the new sexy.
Eat you macros. You need healthy fat. Your brain uses fat. Adequate protein will make sure your blood sugar is stable and your hormones are supported. And complex carbs are not evil.
Drink water. If you are dehydrated, it's more likely your lymph will not be as flowy as you want it to be. And guess what toxins and pathogens all can get stagnated, especially in the head/neck. We want to protect your precious cargo...your brain. So drink fluids and support lymph drainage.
Stay away from gluten. 60% of people with gluten intolerance do not have a GI response to gluten. Instead, they have a neurological response. So guess what? Your brain could be on fire from your daily avocado toast.
Sleep. You need to be getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. This is when our body heals itself and the glymphatic system in the brain is at its peak draining toxins away from the brain.
If you have foggy thinking or poor memory, don't ignore it and push on.
Creating success in your life and letting your health suffer is one of the most upsetting patterns I see.
You matter more and you want to