Gluten & Brain Fog: Understanding the Connection & Relief

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It pops up in a variety of products, from the obvious bread and baked goods to the less obvious soy sauce or lip balm. For those with an intolerance to gluten, ingesting the protein can damage small projectiles in their intestine, called villi, which are needed to extract nutrients from food. This damage leads to a person not properly absorbing the nutrients from foods they eat, which, in turn, can lead to a wide variety of symptoms including: fatigue, depression, headaches and brain fog.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit a doctor. Ask for blood tests to make sure that you actually suffer from a gluten intolerance or allergy. This will ensure that the following steps will aid the the brain fog.

• 2

  Eliminate gluten from your diet. Avoid food products containing wheat, rye and barley. Doing so will allow your villi to heal so that you can properly digest food.

• 3

  Search out alternatives to gluten based products from companies such as Bob's Red Mill or Authentic Foods. These companies sell gluten-free flours, hot cereals and breads.

• 4

  Get a full eight hours of sleep, meditate and exercise. Reducing stress and increasing physical activity will help burn away the fog.

• 5

  Engage in learning activities such as crossword puzzles or riddles. Stimulating the brain will help dissipate the murk.