Author: Alex Thompson
Got Brain Fog? Try Our 7 Brain Detox Tips
Researchers now believe that a well-functioning “clearance system” in the nervous system is critical for prevention of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease and ALS. Your liver and kidneys might normally get all the credit when it comes to detoxification, but did you know that your body also has another extensive system in place that helps detoxify your brain? If you’re wondering what a “brain detox” is all about — or “how can I clean my brain?
- Continuing to practice mindfulness and meditation can also contribute to a long-term healthy brain.
- A healthy functioning glymphatic system can help keep us healthy for years to come, protect our cognition, and may even reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease.
- This resting period is also essential for other processes to reset and prepare for the next day.
- Over the last few years, our brains have been subjected to additional stressors amidst a pandemic.
- Fasting seems to help protect the brain against neurological diseases by influencing certain proteins involved in brain aging and by decreasing oxidative stress/inflammation.
Detoxes are a great way to reset your body, but they are a personal decision that should be made under the supervision of your doctor. Functional Medicine health coaches are here to guide, support, and offer resources to help you move forward on your path to better health. A well-working glymphatic system detoxifies the brain during deep sleep phases, which typically lasts between one to two hours per sleep cycle. Make sure you’re regularly giving your brain a rest by setting aside some time to simply sit and enjoy the moment.
Connect With Nature and the Outdoors
Mindfulness and meditation can be amazing tools for a natural brain detox. During restorative sleep, the brain is able to repair cellular damage from toxins and other exposures. Make sure you’re giving your brain a chance to slow down and repair itself every night by getting enough sleep. Proper fluid balance keeps blood and lymph moving through the kidneys and leads to better elimination of toxins through urination.
Get a Health Coach
While it’s almost impossible to avoid all of life’s stressors, finding effective stress-reduction techniques can counteract the detrimental effects of stress on sleep and supports effective brain tissue detoxification. Sleep detoxifies your brain, and lack of adequate sleep can lead to various cognitive issues, and poor mental health, and may increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Impaired waste clearance and nutrient exchange in brain tissue can lead to poor brain function, which can manifest in a wide range of cognitive symptoms and behavioral changes. Due to the gut-brain connection, your diet plays a pivotal role in managing your cognitive health. When the glymphatic system becomes disrupted, it’s thought that this can contribute to some diseases of the brain, as well as symptoms like brain fog and poor memory.
Foods That Support Cognitive Health *And* Skin Appearance At The Same Time
You can never go wrong when adding more fresh produce, lean protein, and whole grains to your diet. Cutting back on processed foods and saturated fats can also give your cognitive function some love. One important product removed from the brain when eliminating waste products is the protein β-amyloid (beta-amyloid), which experts believe plays a part in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Anxiety, stress and depression can lead us to eat foods that add more toxins to our bodies. These are often processed and have a high glycemic index (causing our blood sugar to spike), contain added hormones and antibiotics, are artificially sweetened or colored and are low in fiber. All of these can increase the amount of toxins that our body must eliminate.
Your Best Sleep Ever.
Be sure to include magnesium-rich foods (nuts and seeds, cooked leafy greens, dark chocolate, and avocado, to name a few) as well since magnesium salts contribute to blood vessel wall health. A comprehensive guide to recognizing the signs and symptoms of porn addiction. Learn about the impact of excessive porn consumption on mental and physical health, relationships, and daily life.
When you sleep, your brain gets busy cleaning up and organizing everything you learned and experienced during the day. Quality sleep also helps you manage your emotions and feel less stressed. Most adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, which can be divided into shorter sessions. Workouts that increase blood flow to the brain have been found to support the mitochondrial function and potentially keep dementia at bay. Here’s how to detoxify your brain and discover how sleep, exercise, and dietary habits can impact your brain health.
When your mind brims over with stressful thoughts, it’s not always easy to sort through them and determine what’s causing the most distress. For one, it can help you to stay present and focused on what’s happening around you. Similarly, when unnecessary or troubling thoughts pile up in your brain, you might end up cycling through the same unwanted mental data. Learn about the signs, symptoms, and long-term health risks of ketamine addiction.
Certain dietary and lifestyle factors such as good quality sleep, a low-carb diet, intermittent fasting, and regular exercise can directly stimulate glymphatic waste clearance. This promotes effective brain detoxification, which is linked to better cognitive health, enhanced memory functions, and a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases. A buildup of these potentially harmful compounds can impair normal brain function and increase the risk of poor cognitive function, mental health issues, and neurodegenerative diseases. A healthy functioning glymphatic system can help keep us healthy for years to come, protect our cognition, and may even reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease. After adopting these five simple strategies, I see patients experience fewer headaches, more mental clarity, increased energy, increased ability to focus, less anxiety and sadness, and decreased overall pain.