Healthy Foods That Actually Cause Brain Fog
You know fried food and processed junk don’t make you feel good: When you’re low on energy and dealing with a stomach ache after eating them, it’s not too much of a shocker. But if you’re nearly falling asleep at your desk and not able to think clearly after finishing a healthy lunch, what gives? Sometimes instead of giving you fuel, the most nutritious foods cause a serious case of brain fog. And here are five that could be responsible for your afternoon slump.Fermented FoodsFermented foods have been proven time and time again to be one of the best options to keep your gut health in check, but when it comes to your brain, they might not be on your side.Your body produces histamines naturally in response to allergens, and functional-medicine expert Dr. Will Cole, DC, says if you're intolerant to them, that could mean trouble when you eat histamine-rich foods -- aka all that kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi. “Histamine intolerance is basically an allergic reaction without the allergen, sometimes called a ‘pseudoallergy,’” he writes.“The typical symptoms of histamine intolerance are similar to allergic reactions, but also go beyond your typical sneezing.” And one of the most common? All that fogginess in your head.EggplantsIf you have leaky gut -- which involves gastrointestinal problems like gas, bloating, and inflammation -- there's a chance it could be messing with your brain, too: “If leaky gut is inflaming the brain, this may cause depression or brain fog, thanks to decreased nerve conduction,” writes functional medicine Datis Kharrazian, PhD.RELATED: 5 Healthy and Delicious Foods That Will Boost Your MoodIf you eat certain foods that exacerbate the problem, making your symptoms worse, you might experience plummeting energy levels and brain fog. And one of the worst foods for leaky gut? Eggplants, which have high amounts of lectins, a type of protein known to worsen the condition.AvocadosIs there anything better than starting the day by smearing a creamy green avocado over a piece of toast? While they're a great source of vitamins and healthy fat, they’re also considered a histamine-rich food, according to Dr. Amy Myers, MD. That means just like fermented goodies, they could bring on brain fog, making it really hard to get through your day.PotatoesPotatoes are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet with just one spud containing an impressive amount of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C, magnesium, protein, and vitamin B-6.Unfortunately, they're one of the types of food that can lead to candida overgrowth, which occurs when the candida -- a type of fungus -- overproduces and causes health issues. According to Amy Myers, MD, candida thrives on sugar, and since potatoes and other starchy veggies break down in your body as sugar, they’re not making matters any better. Unfortunately, one of the many symptoms that overgrowth causes is brain fog. “Once their candida overgrowth is eliminated, their brain fog clears, their memory improves, and they feel as sharp as ever,” she writes.Whole GrainsYou know white rice and bread aren't the best choices for staying healthy, but whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats are good to go, right? According to functional and integrative medicine expert Dr. Frank Lipman, MD, even those super-nutritious choices could be a problem if you have a carbohydrate intolerance. Dealing with brain fog is just one of the signs your body could be reacting negatively to grains.
5 Easy Tips to Help You Be More Mindful While on Vacation
Taking a vacation isn’t like what it used to be. Before technology and 24/7 access, it was a whole lot easier to do what you’re supposed to do when you’re away from work: relax. Now, your boss (and a major source of stress!) is just an email away, your phone is always on you, and your camera acts as a barrier between you and your escape. To be more present and actually focus on what’s in front of you during your next vacay, use these tips. Once you return to the real world, you’ll have memories that go far beyond taking approximately 9,736 food pictures and scrolling through Instagram somewhere besides your couch. RELATED: 7 Mindfulness Tips to Help You Live in the Present Leave Your Work at the Office As hard as it is to truly shut work out of your mind, that’s really the only way you’re going to be able to be present on your vacation. Work already takes up so much of your life—you spend nearly every day, all day there—so that time off the clock is much-needed, to say the least. Not to mention super important for your health; science says so. Turn your out-of-office notification on and resist checking your email to ensure your relaxing trip doesn’t suddenly turn you into a stressed, frazzled mess. And, most importantly, leave all your work (and your laptop!) at the office: even a quick “five minute” task is going to seriously disrupt your positive vacay vibes. Stay Off Social Media What do you want to remember from your vacation: all the gorgeous sights or everything you saw scrolling through Instagram? Instead of mindlessly clicking in and out of apps for hours on end and ignoring what’s going on around you—hey, everyone does it!—resist the urge by deleting them from your phone altogether. Your social media accounts will be patiently waiting for you to redownload them when your vacation is over, but in the meantime, enjoy what’s right in front of your face—not what’s on a screen. Ditch Your Phone Altogether Social media is only part of the problem. When you have your phone in general, you’re still disengaged—even if you’re just hanging out and texting your friends. If you’re trying to be more present during your vacation, either put your phone away and completely out of reach, or turn it on Airplane Mode. You’ll be better able to connect with the people around you when you’re not focusing on something—or someone—else. Don’t Take So Many Pictures Capturing memories by taking pictures during your vacation is great: you’ll have something to look back on someday. But don’t spend your entire trip behind the lens. By only taking a handful of shots at each location you see, you’ll be able to truly take in the full experience without anything getting in your way. “Looking into a camera creates a barrier between us and our surroundings, makes us one step removed. In contrast, one of the wonderful things about being wholly present is the sense of connection it brings. We become part of our surroundings, rather than just observers of them,” says Steve Taylor, PhD. Plus, be real: no one needs multiple pictures of their breakfast or a sunset, no matter how pretty it is. Take the Time to Meditate Before you start each day of your vacation, there’s one thing you can do to help you get the most out of your time off: meditate. In a study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, researchers found meditating on vacation not only helped get rid of stress and improve immune function, but it’s also a simple way to become more present in your life. Even a quick 10-minute session after you wake up could play a role in increasing your awareness, really allowing you to take in your surroundings with a clear head.
5 Healthy and Delicious Foods That Will Boost Your Mood
The next time you’re feeling down, all it might take to get back into your normal headspace is making room in your diet for some proven mood-boosters. It might not seem like what you eat is all that important in what goes on in your brain, but more and more research is proving food doesn’t just affect your risk of issues like heart disease and diabetes -- it also plays a role in depression, anxiety, and other not-so-fun mental health conditions. If you want to lift your spirits, take a bite out of these five mood-boosting picks -- then keep them on your plate on the regular to ensure your future self is still feeling great, too. Pumpkin Seeds Halloween is right around the corner, and if you’re not into carving pumpkins, there’s one reason you might want to get in on the festivities. The seeds you'll find when scooping out the stringy orange goo contain one of the highest amounts of tryptophan of any food -- aka the amino acid that helps control your mood. Studies have shown eating foods that contain high amounts of tryptophan could decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, so don’t toss ‘em in the trash: roast them in the oven for a healthy snack. Kombucha Yeah, yeah -- everyone seems to be raving about kombucha these days. But maybe that’s because of its impressive mood-boosting effects. According to Harvard Medical School, the foods you eat play a big role in how you feel -- especially because 95 percent of the serotonin your body makes is in your gut. That neurotransmitter is responsible for everything from sleep regulation to your mood, and keeping your levels of good bacteria up via probiotics and fermented foods is a great way to keep your mental health in check. And that’s where kombucha comes in: The trendy drink is jam-packed with body-benefiting bacteria that can keep your spirits lifted. Flaxseeds You don't need fish oil to get your omega-3 fix, which has been found to play a role in your mood. Harvard Medical School says flaxseeds -- which actually contain three omega-3 fats instead of two like fish oil -- is a great source, too. In fact, they’re the most concentrated source of that third source -- aka alpha-linolenic acid -- that you can get from plants. When you eat them, just make sure to ground them up beforehand, which the Mayo Clinic says is much easier for your body to digest. Tomatoes Whether it’s in spaghetti sauce or on top of your veggie burger, tomatoes can do your mood a lot of good. The bright red fruit contains the highest amount of lycopene-- a powerful antioxidant -- of any food, and studies have shown eating a diet that's full of them can help fight off depression (and even help prevent it!), keeping you happy, positive, and feeling great. Basically, add them into anything and everything you can. (And no -- not just in ketchup-form.) Mushrooms Mushrooms are continually proving to be one of the best plants for your mental health. On the adaptogen front, studies have shown sneaking some Lion's Mane into your smoothie could help decrease anxiety and depression. And when it comes to the kinds you can buy at the grocery store -- particularly cremini (aka baby portobellos) and oyster varieties -- you’re golden, too: they’re an incredibly high source of the micronutrient selenium, which has been also been found to help fight off depression and lift your mood.