Brain Fog - The Pirates Did not Steal Your Brain

I just saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean Movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales. Great movie by the way! Have you ever wondered how the character Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp seems to think on his feet and act fast? He seems to have a clear and sharp mind even under pressure. Photo Credit Mackenzie

If you have brain fog and it gets in the way of your memory, sharp thinking, decision making, and makes you feel like you're on this dazed auto-pilot, perhaps there is something about how your nervous system works, that the "Pirate" knew how to take advantage of. 

The nervous system works like a distribution switch to divert blood flow and activity to certain parts of the brain when needed. To think clearly and not have brain fog, you need to have blood flow going to your FRONTAL LOBE (READ MORE HERE). This only happens if you are relaxed. If you are stressed, blood flow goes to survival centers of your brain, not the frontal lobe. Even more so, when you are stressed, your body secretes neurotransmitters and hormones that can cloud up your thinking. 

Brain fog can be caused by other issues as well, such as candida, heavy metals, toxins, low thyroid, hormonal imbalance. Many times I've worked with patients to balance their sympathetic nervous system and in a few appointments, they were able to have better memory, feel clear minded, and able to do things more quickly. Contact me to see if this is something helpful for you.

So how does the Pirate Jack Sparrow think so quickly in a dicy situation and get out strong? He has this incredible ability to perceive a situation that may seem stressful to you and I, as "not a big deal" and add some humor to it. His nervous system was relaxed and he was able to think clearly.

Laugh till your belly hurts. Laughing moves your diaphragm and relaxes your vagus nerve that passes through your diaphragm, encouraging the parasympathetic nervous system. Laughing also helps you breath deeper, also promoting the parasympathetic state that helps blood flow go to the frontal lobe.

Read More Here to learn a few practical ways to get your mind in a clear state. I suggest you choose just 1-2 that resonate with you and do it daily. 

I Feel Bloated Even After Drinking a Sip of Water

Why do I bloat within minutes of drinking water?

Why do I bloat after eating a bite of food, before the food even reaches the gut?

These are questions some of my patients have asked. So what triggers the bloating? It turns out when mechanoreceptors (pressure receptors) in the gut are triggered; the nervous system sends a message to the intestines via the Vagus nerve. The message can change the peristalsis (contraction) of the colon creating bloating or a full feeling. Photo Credit Robert McDonald

Secondly, a problematic communication in the nervous system can mess up the water exchange in the colon, resulting in a fluid bloat. Lastly, the nervous system talks back and forth with the bacteria in our colon. A stressed nervous system induces the bacteria in your gut to produce methane, giving off gas (gas bloat/flatulence). 

If the receptors (sensors) are too sensitive, even a small amount of pressure from water can trigger the mechanoreceptors. There are other receptors also, that can detect food sensitivities. When an allergic food touches the mouth, a signal is triggered before the food ever reaches the intestines. This is why there is a reaction before the water or food ever reaches the gut. 

So what causes receptors to be too sensitive? When the nervous system is too sensitive, it generally indicates a favoring of the sympathetic (STRESS) nervous system over the parasympathetic (RELAX) nervous system, which is not helpful to the situation. The body can be locked into a permanent fight and flight response (STRESS). Some people are aware of being in a prolonged fight and flight response, some do not know any different because it’s been dysfunctional for so long. 

Stressors increase the machinery in the body that makes you feel bloated. What exactly is a stressor? Some stressors can be PHYSICAL; such as infection, poor diet, lack of rest, overwork, and chronic illness. Some stressors can be EMOTIONAL, such as worry, overthinking, being in a rush, strained relationships, financial stress, not feeling safe, and negative thoughts. 

If you’ve already tried different diets for you GI symptoms and still feel bloated, a solution that is often overlooked are treatments that are geared towards balancing the set point of the nervous system. The nervous system controls many functions of the GI tract via the enteric nerves and the vagus nerve. Depending on your specific situation, I may use chinese herbs, supplements, IL-10 modulating products, homeopathic remedies that balance the nervous system in addition to NET (neuro emotional technique). Addressing the nervous system has helped many of my patients who have felt stuck and frustrated with their gut, and allowed them to stop feeling bloated even after drinking a small amount of water and relieved IBS or other GI problems.