Brain fog is the symptom that got me researching into what was wrong with me back when I had candida. I had long been used to being a bit absent minded, but brain fog is a nightmare of not being able to think coherently. It feels as if your mind is encased in cotton and nothing’s getting through. Another symptom of a brain that isn’t working right is aphasia, the inability to recall words or attention deficit disorder.

Brain fog can attack for many different reasons, so it’s important to diagnose it properly and know which stage of healing you are in. If you’re still in the cleansing/detoxing stage, then the brain fog is most likely part of the healing crisis and means you should step up your colonics and enemas. If you’ve thoroughly cleansed and are still experiencing brain fog, then you need to work on addressing deficiencies, avoiding allergans and becoming more alkaline.

The main culprit in brain fog is a toxic bowel. Thorough bowel cleansing should be done, preferably while maintaining a strict diet or fast. Leaky gut, Crohn’s, or lack of microbes, contribute greatly to brain fog because the inflammation and permeability of the gut increases the level of toxins in the bloodstream.

Candida leads to brain fog because having systemic candidiasis means you’re constantly drinking alcohol, as yeasts convert sugars into alcohol. This also congests the liver, another major co-factor in brain fog. If the liver, the filter for blood, is congested, it cannot take toxins out of the bloodstream fast enough. These toxins will pass the blood-brain barrier of the brain and deplete the brain of oxygen and glycogen. So taking the candida quiz and cleansing the liver are essential if you suffer from brain fog.

The brain requires a steady stream of glucose and oxygen. Anything that interrupts this, such as poor diet, parasites, lack of essential fatty acids, minerals, poor circulation, hypoglycemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, asthma or adrenal exhaustion, can cause brain fog.

Another culprit that's gaining popularity is the high-protein, low-carb diet. If the body becomes overtaken by nitrogen (proteins have nitrogen, carbs do not) you'll actually become mineral and oxygen-deprived. In this case of brain fog, breathe into a paperbag for about 5 minutes or less to flood the body with carbon dioxide. That will help replace oxygen and strip out excess nitrogen. Then drink cleansing drinks and perhaps a bit of baking soda.

So basically, to cure brain fog, you must follow the basic rules for curing ailments, including detoxing – cleanse the bowels, do at least 2 liver flushes, do lymph management – and modifying your diet and lifestyle.

Things you need to pay special attention to include:

Mercury or other metals/organic compound poisoning. A hair analysis may be in order. Avoid tap water, arsenic and chlorine are implicated in brain fog. Don’t drink distilled, however, it’s too acidic. Just filtered is fine. Consider replacing your older fillings if you can find a dentist who knows how to do this properly. If you can’t afford to deal with your dental work now, then just keep up with the liver and lymph management, as a clean liver will break down toxins and sweating will excrete metals.

Environmental factors. Many synthetic products such as plastics and foam give off toxic off-gases. Cheap furniture, fake futons, mold under the sink, new cars, pesticides and herbicides, all can contribute to brain fog. Be sure to cook with good, non-aluminum pans and use glassware rather than plastic or acrylic.

Lifestyle. Lower your stress quotient, get rid of toxic people, abstain from worry or taking offense easily. Cut out the drama, you don’t have the energy for it!

Diet. Make sure your meals have a bit of protein, complex carbohydrates, and oil, so that everything can be metabolized properly. Avoid refined sugar, allergens and mucous-forming foods. Avoid foods that are constipating, difficult to digest, tough on the liver.

Purifying the blood and increasing circulation. This can involve exercise, cayenne pepper tincture (tincture works much better than just cayenne powder), goldenseal, ginseng or other blood thinners. You can massage your scalp with heated sesame oil or castor oil and leave it on all night, just wrap up in a towel or cap, wash out the next morning. Whole body massages and castor oil packs applied over the abdomen/liver are also a huge help.

Gingko Biloba, Gotu Kola and Licorice have a nice calming yet invigorating affect on the brain and the last two herbs feed the adrenals as well.

Get your thyroid checked and make sure it’s within normal levels. If not, consider taking Synthroid or Armour as hormone replacement therapy. This is one of the only hormone replacement therapies that actually works.

An overly acidic body will cause brain fog. Be sure to follow all of the guidelines for increasing digestive power, especially proper food combining and digestive enzymes. Then alter your diet so that you partake mostly of the alkaline foods, and take something to help you become more alkaline for about 2-4 weeks, such as Acid Defense and EmergenC.

Common Deficiencies that lead to brain fog:
Dehydration. Be sure to drink the rehydrating drink, one every hour for about 6 hours, to ensure that your body is properly hydrated. Drinking a glass of water or the rehydrating drink or broth should be your immediate, first response to brain fog, then see about cleansing the colon etc.
Minerals/electrolytes (calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, salt)
EFA’s
Lecithin
B vitamins
Amino acids – consider drinking the protein shake with 2 eggs, that should take care of any essential aminos you may be lacking.
Anti-oxidants. Some people have reported good results from taking Co-enzyme Q10, but it takes something like 150mgs and that gets very expensive. Cheaper anti-oxidants include veggie juices such as carrot, cucumber or tomato; cod liver oil; vitamin E.
Flavanoids (see below)
Deep Sleep. You must reach deep sleep to function well. Be sure to turn off the light by 10:30 pm and start winding down (turn off TV) at least 30 minutes prior to that. It helps to rise soon after sunrise and do some sungazing to ensure the body’s clock (circadian rhythm) is in synch. If you don’t sleep well, meditate around 4:00 pm when everything seems to crash and burn.
Chlorella/spirulina. They provide easy to digest and absorb nutrients and slowly cleanse the liver. Plus, candida hates it.
Liquid Chlorophyll
See Leaky Gut and Candida notes for more options.

Flavanoids!
Flavonoids are natural anti-oxidants found in plants, fruits and vegetables. Research has shown that flavonoids improve memory and concentration; are powerful free-radical scavengers; regulate nitric oxide, a free radical involved in blood flow; lower high blood pressure; improve sexual function in men; reduce inflammation and bolster immune function; may prevent Alzheimer’s, relieve Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome and slow down aging.

Flavonoids are present in most all vegetables, including onions, broccoli and greens, as well as fruits such as apples, grapes and blueberries. Berries are one of the most-concentrated sources of flavonoids. Every spring I overdose on blackberries and I tend to eat blueberries year-round. Blueberries have been rated #1 in antioxidant capacity by the USDA and they are natural fat burners too!