Soy and PCOS
How to Treat Hashimoto’s Brain Fog
Functional medicine takes a holistic approach to address the root causes of health issues. Here are some functional medicine treatments that may help reduce or eliminate brain fog in people with Hashimoto’s.
Optimize T4 to T3 Conversion
Your body must convert the thyroid hormone T4 into T3 (the active form) in order to use it. Here are a few top tips to optimize thyroid hormone balance:
- Reduce stress levels
- Eat foods rich in zinc and selenium, like oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, and fish
- Follow an anti-inflammatory diet by filling your plate with various colorful fruits and vegetables.
- Optimize gut health by prioritizing fiber-rich foods into your diet like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Physical Activity
Directly, exercise offers benefits by improving blood flow to the brain, reducing inflammation, and triggering the release of growth factors. These chemicals play a crucial role in maintaining the health of brain cells and supporting the survival of new ones. On an indirect level, exercise positively impacts mood, sleep quality, and stress levels, while reducing anxiety. Issues in these areas often serve as culprits or contributors to brain fog as well.
Start by introducing short, manageable sessions of exercise, such as 15-20 minutes of brisk walking, two to three times a week. Gradually increase the duration and intensity as your stamina improves, making it easier to integrate regular exercise into your weekly routine without feeling overwhelmed.
Optimize Gut Health
As mentioned before, compromised gut health is a leading cause of Hashimoto’s brain fog. There are a few lifestyle factors you can implement today to improve the health of your gut:
- Aim to eat at least 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Examples of high fiber foods include berries, apples, broccoli, quinoa, oats, and beans.
- Limit added sugar, which feeds the unhealthy bacteria. The top sources of added sugar in the American diet are sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and sweet snacks.
- Get outside. Enjoying nature exposes you to a diverse range of beneficial bacteria that can benefit your gut health.
We see significant symptom improvement in our members who follow a gut healing protocol. Our Gut Health Bundle includes our top three supplements that mimic our functional medicine gut health protocol by removing gut infections or dysbiosis, replacing missing nutrients, repairing the gut lining, and reintroducing healthy gut bacteria.
Related Articles
Anxiety and Hormone Balance
Imbalances in progesterone, thyroid hormones, cortisol, and vitamin D may all cause or worsen your anxiety. Treatment of these imbalances may include diet, lifestyle modifications, supplementation, and/or medication when needed.
PCOS and Constipation
Constipation is a fairly common symptom among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this article, we’ll discuss the relationship between PCOS and constipation, and how you can treat the root cause of both of these conditions with diet, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation.