What is brain fog?
Has your thinking gotten fuzzy – which makes you feel confused, decreasing your ability to focus and rendering your memory slow? Brain fog can interfere with your daily life in so many ways.
Everyone can undergo brain fog after a sleepless night, during a particularly stressful period, or after indulging in a large meal with alcohol. Still, in a few instances, it may be a sign of a more severe issue. If brain fog persists daily or is getting worse, it is time to seek out an evaluation.
Brain fog is not a medical condition; instead, it is a general term that describes a collection of symptoms. Brain fog is a symptom of medical condition chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which involves continuous fatigue for more than six months. For example, you may have problems with short-term memory, or lack of concentration or mental clarity, or the inability to concentrate on a task. Brain fog is when your ideas feel dispersed and difficult to grab; the memory is slow; you cannot concentrate fully or for very long, or your thoughts just don’t easily penetrate the job at hand.
If your brain seems foggy, what you need is to reverse those conditions? You need to have clarity & focus, not daze or confusion.
How can you burn through your brain fog, which you might encounter as scattered thoughts, lagging memory, weak focus, or lack of concentration?
Ayurvedic view of brain fog
Steps to take to burn your brain fog in Ayurveda start with understanding how Ayurveda views brain fog.
Ayurveda’s view of brain clarity centers around three equally essential facets to mental performance:
a. dhi – learning and understanding, governed by Vata dosha
b. dhriti – retention and processing of knowledge, managed by Pitta dosha, and
c. smriti – memory, controlled by Kapha dosha.
For the best brain performance, each of the three variables must be at its peak, and the coordination among the three variables also has to be optimal. Ayurveda recommends paying attention to the three fundamental pillars of good health, diet, lifestyle, and sleep to attain this mental balance.
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Ayurvedic treatment for brain fog
Ayurveda can help lift brain fog with the following:
1. Eat pure foods
According to Ayurveda, It’s crucial to eat foods that are pure and natural for easy absorption by the body. Foods that have been genetically modified, processed, or processed have most of the healthy nutrients missing. They disturb the wisdom and coordination among the three aspects of mental prowess.
Avoid canned foods with artificial additives and preservatives or foods with artificial colors and flavors. Cooking with fresh, organic ingredients may take a bit more time and effort. But your brain, and indeed your whole physiology, will thank you for it and refund the effort with accelerated performance.
Make searching for food fun. Go to the farmers’ markets in your neighborhood for the freshest produce and also to try exotic fresh vegetables and fruits. You can always grow your own in your backyard.
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2. Maintain a source of balanced nutrition
The suggested ayurvedic diet is vegetarian. Grains, beans, and legumes provide nourishment for the brain. Include loads of fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens. Sweet juicy fruits are super cleansers that help flush toxins from the body. Freshly-squeezed fruit juices provide nutrients quickly to your body and brain.
Fat plays some essential functions within the body, including the brain. Ayurveda recommends ghee, valued for its ability to transport the benefits of herbs and spices into the brain and to other areas of the body. Eat ghee in moderation. Include some dairy if you’re not lactose-intolerant, such as whole organic milk and fresh yogurt. Almonds and walnuts pack excellent sources of nutrients.
Cut down on junk foods and sugary drinks that interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the body. Sweet fruits, raisins, and dates are a far better option for those with a sweet tooth.
Spices are crucial additions to a diet to get rid of brain fog. Many spices improve digestion and facilitate the clearing of toxins. Black pepper in tiny quantities helps clear up the pathways of the channels of the brain.
Exposure to toxic heavy metals like aluminum and lead are detrimental to the brain. Also, avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Ayurveda has specific views on how you eat. When you sit down to eat, focus on the food, and savor the meal instead of working or watching tv. Avoid ice-cold beverages as they disrupt digestion and impair the assimilation of nutrients in the body.
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3. Stop Snacking
Quit snacking between your meals. Also, give yourself 12 hours of fasting period immediately (between breakfast and dinner ). This allows your body-on all levels, such as the cognitive/mental-sufficient time to clean out the gunk out of its stations (digestive, neural, circulatory, lively ) during those between-meal fasting hours.
4. Include antioxidants in your diet
Your brain continuously uses oxygen to fire the neurons and stoke the mental fire. But because the brain is such a significant user of oxygen, it’s very vulnerable to oxidative damage. Free radicals – reactive oxygen-based substances that thrive on stress, pollution, and chemicals in your food, may build up and damage brain function over time.
Antioxidants are, therefore, crucial for the continuing effective functioning of the brain. A recent study showed that blueberries are healthy brain food, primarily due to their antioxidant value. Amrit, the potent broad-spectrum antioxidant from Maharishi Ayurveda, comprises Amalaki (Amla), the Indian gooseberry, considered the most abundant natural source of vitamin C, together with a rich balance of different herbs. In published research, Amrit was demonstrated to be 1,000 times more potent than vitamin C or E as a free radical scavenger.
Take your antioxidants in natural forms in foods. Amrit is a powerful natural combination of 38 whole herbs, spices, and fruits – a balanced formula that produces no potentially harmful side effects.
5. Ayurvedic herbs for brain fog
Use scents and herbs to improve mental potential. Ayurveda talks about a particular class of herbs called Madhya Herbs — herbs especially helpful for the brain. These herbs separately enhance learning, retention, and recall and promote coordination among the three variables. They supply powerful brain nourishment.
Shankhapushpi or Aloeweed (Dwarf Morning Glory), and the authentic Brahmi or Herpestis Monniera are ayurvedic herbs for promoting the health and functioning of the brain. Aloeweed enhances memory even under situations of daily stress. Gotu kola (also known as brahmi) is an herb that very specifically calms Vata from the brain, which induces that mental spaciness you are experiencing. It enhances concentration, strengthens memory, and raises alertness. Gotu Kola improves memory with age inhibiting qualities.
Ayurvedic formulations that contain not just these herbs but other supporting and balancing herbs like Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry) increase resistance to stress, particularly for high-stress environments.
6. Essential oils for brain fog
Some essential oils provide aromatherapy for the brain. Try rosemary for mental clarity, or basil oil to overcome mental fatigue and improve your brain’s innate ability to concentrate. Peppermint oil and lemon oil can also be powerful pick-me-ups for the brain.
7. Manage stress levels
We are living in difficult times. Tension and anxiety from any source may have a substantial adverse influence on mental performance. A calm head, serene and centered in its balance, is unquestionably superior concerning attention, attention span, retention of knowledge, and problem-solving ability. It’s important to handle stress before it becomes a severe problem because anxiety harms or destroys brain cells. Many who take prescription medication for stress & anxiety have side effects that could further impair cognitive performance.
Maintain a healthy work-life balance for good brain health. Meditation practiced regularly has been proven to be quite useful for handling stress. Listening to relaxing music, diffusing scents which help relax you, like sandalwood or lavender, or a quiet evening stroll, independently or with a nurturing companion, can help balance the brain and emotions.
8. Get sufficient, quality sleep.
Together with lifestyle and diet, getting enough sleep is an essential pillar of Ayurveda. It’s mandatory to remove these issues for optimal physical and psychological performance. Quality sleep happens when the brain disconnects from the senses. Quality sleep recharges and rejuvenates the brain, improving both short-term and long-term mental art. An individual typically needs 8 hours of good sleep.
9. Ayurvedic massage
Ayurveda advises a daily hot oil full-body massage to improve endurance during the day and promote quality sleep through the night. Cut down on caffeine, alcohol, and smoking. Wind down the day with calming activities to help prepare the brain for restful sleep. Aromatherapy can also help. Try a blend of lavender, chamomile, jasmine, and sweet orange.
The daily morning ayurvedic self-massage (abhyanga) is excellent for both body and brain. It’s a cleansing, toning, rejuvenating experience that may charge you up to fulfill a complete day head-on.
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10. Complete Yogic Breath
This simple, powerful practice has a direct effect and a long-term cumulative effect. Why? For one, you’re going to supply more oxygen to your brain. You’ll also be activating the parasympathetic nervous system with these nasal breaths. This activation heals the impairment of your nervous system due to adverse experiences in your life. Breathing exercises also work to clean the nadis (the energy channels) and centralizes the brain.
Balance Vata to lift brain fog
Utilizing ayurvedic methods to balance Vata might reduce fatigue and bring the body back into balance.
Ayurveda for managing chronic fatigue syndrome:
1. Modify your diet. According to ayurvedic philosophy, Vata is linked to the element of air. When Vata is in surplus, this may cause symptoms like bloating, gassiness, diarrhea, and constipation. To combat these effects, Ayurveda recommends swallowing hot and wholesome foods and staying away from uncooked foods such as smoothies and salads. Adhere to warm soups, curries, rice dishes, and cooked vegetables.
2. Do a grounding yoga practice. When you are experiencing extreme fatigue, exercise might be the last thing you need to do. But gentle exercise is critical to keep your joints and muscles healthy. The perfect type of practice may also help reduce tension and replenish your energy. Shoes that concentrate on grounding and balance, and the muladhara chakra, are considered best for balancing Vata. If your fatigue symptoms are severe, start with a floor yoga practice that entails only seated and lying-down postures, then slowly include standing poses. The most significant teacher to hear when practicing yoga is yourself.
3. Get an ayurvedic massage. It is possible to seek an ayurvedic massage therapist or clinic ayurvedic self-massage (abhyanga) in your home. Choosing heavy oils such as jojoba, almond, and olive for massage can help calm and reduce Vata.
4. Incorporate meditation and deep breathing
Incorporate Pranayama (breathing exercises) into your day. Western medicine is beginning to recognize the advantages of mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. Meditation and Pranayama calm the nervous system and restore brain health.
5. Create a routine. Too much Vata can express as a sense of diversion or spaciness, and establishing a routine might help counteract these feelings. Dedicate to a time to go to bed and to arise every day. Eating meals at the exact time and scheduling tasks like work, research, and interacting may also help reduce Vata.
Healthy fats and oils diminish Vata dosha. Rice and wheat are regarded as the very best grains for Vata imbalance, while the top fruits are the ones that are more dense, like bananas, avocados, mangoes, berries, and figs. Minimize bean intake, as beans can lead to gas.
6. Practice self-care to your mind, body, and soul. Vata dosha thrives on creativity. Help soothe the running ideas in your head by channeling them in creative pursuits. Schedule times daily to pursue your passion.
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Use your brain (or lose it)
Ayurveda offers many advantages for people who experience chronic fatigue. Implementing these ayurvedic guidelines may help balance your Vata dosha and bring the energy back into your life. You need to challenge your brain for optimal performance. When it’s busy and active, it will remain healthy for a lifetime. Idling the brain is inviting the fog to return
