Are you over the suffering and nagging of consistent Brain fog?
Are you battling the constant struggle to focus, remember things, and even carry on a normal conversation?
Do you need a surge of energy to get you motivated and inspired?
It’s not unusual that you should be feeling an energy dip by this time of the year, but that doesn’t mean you have to struggle through your fatigue. There are simple and effective strategies that help you, not only energize but thrive!
The thing that’s great about these strategies is the compounding benefits of increased energy, boosted mood, and overall vitality that come along with implementing them into your life.
1. The Boost of the B’s
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Most of your body’s cells prefer to use carbohydrates as a main energy fuel, however you need a steady supply of vitamin B1 to actually turn these foods into energy.
Eat your B1 – Sunflower seeds, navy beans, black beans, barley, pinto beans, lentils and oats.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Most of your body’s cells prefer to access energy from carbohydrates but they can use fats and protein too. Vitamin B2 helps the body to convert not just carbohydrates but fats and protein into energy too. This vitamin is particularly important for energy production in the heart and muscles.
Eat your B2 – Soybeans, spinach, beet greens, tempeh, natural yoghurt, eggs, asparagus, almonds, turkey and beef liver.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
This vitamin is needed as a cofactor in over 200 enzyme reactions in your body and is another vitamin that’s essential for turning carbohydrates, fats and protein into energy. It is also used to build fat structures in your body such as cell membranes and hormones. If your diet is low in B3 you could be feeling tired due to your body not being able to convert food into energy properly and due to low hormone production such as thyroid hormone.
Eat your B3– Tuna, chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb, beef, sardines, peanuts, shrimp, brown rice.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
Essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates, protein and fats into energy. Like vitamin B3, vitamin B5 is also involved in the production of fat structures such as hormones. Vitamin B5 is particularly important if your energy levels have dropped due to intense stress. This is because this vitamin is involved in the production of energy and stress-busting hormones.
Eat your B5 – Shiitake mushrooms, avocado, sweet potato, crimini mushrooms, lentils, dried peas, chicken, turkey, natural yoghurt, broccoli
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
This vitamin is needed for the development of the building blocks of protein and DNA. It is a crucial vitamin needed for normal energy-yielding metabolism, as it is involved in the breakdown of glycogen stores (found in the muscle and liver) into energy. Athletes or anyone exercising regularly will need to make sure they get plenty of vitamin B6 in their diet in order to be able to access stored energy when they need it.
Eat your B6 – Spinach, banana, sunflower seeds, potato, sweet potato, salmon, chicken, beef, turkey, tuna.
2. Power up from a Balanced PH
We are constantly encountering different stressors that drain our alkaline reserves and leave us in an acidic state. Here are a few simple strategies that I have found to maintain a healthy pH all day and night. The benefit of applying these advanced techniques is higher energy, mental clarity, and emotional stability
Celery – This water-rich veggie is an excellent acid neutralizer. This is great for easy snacking during the day between meals to maintain healthy hydration & alkalinity.
A quick neutralizing fix – Squeeze one whole lemon/lime in a glass and begin adding baking soda bit by bit. The acid/base combination will immediately begin to fizz.
Keep adding baking soda until the fizz stops and then fill the glass with water (8-16 oz). This is the ideal drink before bed to maintain an alkaline environment while sleeping.
Aloe juice – This is incredibly alkalizing and loaded with electrolytes, trace minerals, anti-oxidants and polysaccharides. Pure aloe juice or gel gives one of the quickest alkaline boosts
3. Increase Circulation to Conquer Brain Fog
The brain is a powerful yet delicate organ. Incredibly orchestrating an unimaginable number of body processes all at once and even without us having to consciously control them. There are a number of ways inadequate circulation can inhibit brain function and cause foggy thinking.
Your brain requires massive amounts of energy in order to function at its peak. It relies on the healthy circulation of blood and cerebrospinal fluid to ensure that metabolic waste is removed properly. Because the mitochondria (energy-producing structures in cells) in the brain are so susceptible to damage, proper clearing of waste products is absolutely vital to prevent energy dips and fix brain fog.
Take a HIIT – A quick and easy way to address your energy-sucking circulation problem is to do a quick burst of high-intensity movement whenever you start feeling mentally sluggish. Now you don’t have to go do a full workout every time you feel brain fog. In fact, all you need is 20-30 seconds of movement to increase blood flow to the brain
Take a breath – A lot of times, poor oxygenation of the brain is simply a result of not breathing properly.
Most people take about 12-18 breaths per minute which means that each full breath is only 3-5 seconds! You should really shoot for 10-20 seconds per breath, meaning 5-10 seconds for inhalation and 5-10 seconds for exhalation. Take short breaks to focus on this throughout the day
Take a cold shower – This is a great strategy to boost circulation to the brain. The acute exposure to cold causes a rapid constriction of blood flow to the extremities. Following up with warm water or a quick sauna session rapidly opens the blood vessels and allows blood to rapidly recirculate
Remember when it comes to fatigue, brain fog or low energy levels don’t spread yourself too thin, maintaining a healthy balance is essential for lasting, sustainable energy.
