How Stress Affects Your Memory

Brain fog is a common complaint that I see in my practice. It can involve a number of symptoms like feeling scattered and having a hard time focusing but one of the most frustrating symptoms is memory issues. By memory issues, I’m not referring to the more major lapses in memory that are observed in dementia. More severe memory loss needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Many of my patients have more subtle memory issues that nonetheless have a meaningful impact on their lives.

A number of factors can negatively affect memory. Stress is an important one to consider. Research in the field of neuroscience has found that chronic stress can change the structure of the brain. It can cause damage to nerve cells and reduced communication channels between nerve cells. These changes occur in parts of the brain that are important for memory such as the hippocampus.

Part of the blame may be due to one of the “stress hormones” called cortisol. Cortisol is released in response to stressful triggers to help the body cope until the trigger is removed. It is a normal, healthy response when cortisol is elevated appropriately. Things go haywire when people are exposed to constant stress that leads to long term elevation of cortisol. Elevated cortisol may be one of factors that changes the brain in a way that interferes with memory. Chronic stress can be very overstimulating to the brain which can make it harder for the brain to form memories.

There are a number of ways that I help my patients deal with memory issues related to stress. My treatment plans typically include devising a good nutrition plan, exercise plan, daily healthy habits and natural remedies to help the body cope with stress better and improve memory. If you need support with brain fog, memory issues and stress management, book a free 15 minute phone consultation to learn more about how I can help you.

Stress and Probiotics: Another Study Showing the Link

Our gut is supposed to have a healthy amount of good bacteria in it. Many things can disturb this balance and probiotics are one of many ways to get gut health back on track. This is important for digestive health, but it can also be important for mental health.

In 2018 a study was published in the Clinical Nutrition journal that aimed to find out if probiotics can help reduce stress, anxiety and their negative effects on the mind. About 100 stressed out adults were either given a specific probiotic to take for 12 weeks or a placebo. They were given questionnaires to measure their stress and anxiety levels before, during and at the end of treatment.

The researchers found that the adults taking the probiotic had reduced stress and anxiety levels by week 4. By week 12, signs of inflammation in the body reduced in these adults as well. Memory and certain cognitive skills also improved. These changes were significantly different from the adults taking a placebo who did not experience the same levels of improvement.

As I always say, the link between gut health and mental health is a booming area of research that is full of promise. This study is yet another reminder that we need to think bigger and think outside the box when it comes to managing anxiety and stress. It’s also a reminder that different systems in our body are deeply interconnected and should not be treated as if they’re in independent compartments.

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Beating Brain Fog and Improving Focus

Brain fog is not a medical term but it’s a term that nicely captures something that many people experience. Brain fog is that feeling of being spaced out and struggling to focus and engage. Have you ever read a book or listened to someone talk for several minutes only to realize that you didn’t absorb anything? Do you feel like you’re perpetually lost in thought? These are common signs of brain fog. When you have brain fog you might forget what you were just about to say or do, or whether you locked the door or packed your water bottle. It can leave you feeling disconnected from the world around you. These little mental slips are normal to an extent but if they’re starting to interfere with your quality of life it may be worth doing something about it.

If things feel like they’re getting out of hand, it’s important to discuss these issues with a health care provider who can assess for potential underlying causes like thyroid dysfunction, anemia, depression, anxiety, ADHD, digestive conditions or cognitive disorders.

Here are some important concepts that can help to improve your focus and clear some of that brain fog:

Mindfulness: You might feel like all this talk about mindfulness is getting repetitive, but useful things are worth repeating. I’m not only talking about doing meditation sessions (which is valuable), I’m also talking about doing your everyday tasks mindfully. Living mindfully involves focusing on one thing at a time rather that scattering your focus in a million different directions. If you’re watching TV, just watch TV. If you’re speaking to someone, just speak to them. If you’re writing something, just write. Don’t try to do these things while also texting, planning your response, thinking about something unrelated, checking emails etc. Practice single minded focus.

Nutrition: Many of my patients notice a huge improvement in their mental clarity when we clean up their diet. This usually involves reducing foods that spike blood sugar, moderating excessive carb/grain intake and increasing protein, good fats and nutrient-packed produce.

Exercise: Mental clarity is one of the first things to improve when you start increasing your exercise. The general recommendation is 150 minutes/week of aerobic exercise. This is the kind of exercise that gets you breathing faster to the point where it would be hard to sing if you wanted to or you have to pause to breathe when you try to talk.

Supplements: When relevant, I will sometimes use supplements to help people struggling with brain fog. My choices vary depending on the case. I will recommend certain supplements based on nutritional deficiencies, hormonal irregularities, digestive health and other components of your health history. But don’t just jump straight to the supplements and ignore the lifestyle things I mentioned above.

If you want a custom-fit plan for your brain fog so you can start interacting with the world with a fresh, clear mind, reach out to me and we can start bringing you back into focus.