The Doctor-Designed Anti-Brain Fog Diet

My patients sometimes complain they frequently lose their train of thought or otherwise feel mentally "fuzzy." I know this feeling all too well. About 20 years ago, when I became seriously ill with chronic fatigue syndrome, I felt like I simultaneously had depression and ADD. For lack of a better word, my brain felt broken!

Eventually, I discovered I suffered from mercury toxicity and was completely exhausted from overworking. My brain health suffered the most. I had terrible brain fog and couldn't focus for long periods of time. Here I was, a physician with brain fog: Some days I couldn't even remember my patients' names. How embarrassing.

I want you to experience this same transformation. Whatever your situation might be, optimal brain health creates more opportunities and makes life better.

Many of us get too little good food, nutrients, light, air, water, rest, sleep, rhythm, exercise, community, love, meaning, and purpose. We're exposed to too much poor-quality food, stress, toxins, and allergens. The good news is with these five strategies, you can eliminate the bad stuff to cultivate your best brain ever.

That means whole, organic, fresh, local, and unprocessed food. If it has a label or a bar code, you should probably avoid it. If your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it, don't eat it. Processed junk foods mostly exist in the middle aisles of the grocery stores, so avoid those aisles!

These colorful superfoods come loaded with brain-boosting stuff like phytonutrients. The dark, deep reds, yellows, oranges, greens, and blues mean these foods contain powerful anti-inflammatory, detoxifying antioxidants and energy-boosting, brain-powering molecules.

I provide an excellent, detailed healthy-fats plan in my book Eat Fat, Get Thin. Fat is actually very good for your brain. In fact, 60 percent of your brain is the omega-3 fat DHA, which you can get from algae and fish. My brain worked pretty well before, but embracing fat (even good saturated fats like coconut oil and MCT oil) pushed my mental clarity through the roof.

We need, give or take (depending on your size), 30 grams of protein per meal to build muscle. When you lose muscle, you age faster and your brain takes a huge hit! Eat protein at every meal, including omega-3 eggs, protein shakes, or nut butters, and even fish for breakfast. (Lox, anyone?)

If you've tried these things yet still struggle with fuzzy thinking and other mental problems, dig a little deeper. For me, mercury toxicity was the issue. Yours might be bad gut bugs or hidden food allergies. If you feel like you've tried everything, consider working with a functional medicine practitioner to dig deeper.