That Anxiety, Rage, or Brain Fog You're Feeling May Have to Do with What You Eat. Here's What to Eat If You Want to Step into the World in a Different Emotional Space

Are you trying to fend off brain fog? Diet may be your secret weapon. Nutrition has the tremendous power to help us reduce mental cloudiness and maximize focus, productivity, and brain power in the workplace. Plainly speaking, choosing the right foods provides us with tangible means of optimizing professional performance. Using foundational principles of Nutritional Psychiatry, when we tap into our body's intelligence and mindfully add foods to our plate which truly nourish the brain, we unlock the potential to be our best self…with every bite we take.

We'll start with a discussion of those post-food 'snoozes.” Common triggers of post-meal brain fog include foods high in simple carbohydrates (due to the crash in blood sugar that inevitably follows), high caffeine intake (because what comes up must always come down), and unknown allergies or undiagnosed digestive conditions. Brain fog and unpleasant gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms after a gluten-containing meal may be a harbinger of celiac disease, a condition where the immune system mounts an attack on the digestive tract due to the presence of gluten.

However, even in those without celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity can also cause trouble, especially if you are experiencing a foggy mind, headaches, or body pains after eating gluten. Other GI troubles, such as undiagnosed SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease may also be culprits of this discomfort.

Need the quick hit? Here are the common causes of brain fog and how to remedy them:

• Too many simple carbs, which can cause blood sugar imbalance. To remedy this, add more protein and fiber-rich foods to nourish the gut.
• Too much caffeine and ultimately 'crashing.” Instead, try focusing on tapping into your body intelligence to choose foods that are truly energizing, such as roasted nuts with 80%+ natural dark chocolate.
• Unknown allergies. If you have persistent fatigue, this is something that certainly warrants thorough medical evaluation.
• Undiagnosed digestive troubles, including SIBO, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease.

Avoidance of these triggers may provide immense relief: adjusting meal composition by decreasing simple carbs and including more protein- and fiber-rich foods, for instance, optimizes nutrients that keep our blood sugar levels steady. Both protein and fiber are known to improve your blood sugar control. And, as our gut microbes thrive on fiber, a fiber-rich meal means extra love for your gut! Think veggies, berries, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, lentils, and healthy lower-glycemic whole grains for a start. You can only obtain fiber from plant sources and not from seafood, poultry, or meat. So, make sure these sources of fiber are on your plate along with your favorite clean protein source, whether it be animal or plant-based!

On the other hand, Nutritional Psychiatry teaches us that we can take advantage of the properties of brain foods to boost our energy and clarity.

The following pearls of advice are my fundamentals when it comes to optimizing cognition:

Fill up your plate with colorful fruits and veggies.

Fiber-rich, plant-based foods are packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, flavanols, vitamins, and minerals that help reduce inflammation in the brain and resist the effects of oxidative stress (the kind that damages cells, and even lead to premature aging). These super-foods can help improve focus, reduce fatigue and enhance cognition for optimal performance. I encourage people to try this out as a game with your family and friends, to see how many new colors you can add in a day or a week, to enhance the biodiversity in your diet. A plus: eating the rainbow has also been linked to improved gut health!

Cook with herbs and spices.

Cooking with herbs and spices adds a delicious punch of brain-boosting molecules to food! For example, when we add turmeric with a pinch of black pepper to our cooking, the black pepper enhances curcumin absorption twenty-fold. Turmeric has an active ingredient called curcumin which has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties supporting positive moods and sharper focus. It's also easy to add a teaspoon (with a pinch of black pepper!) to a warm tea, nourishing soup, or fresh smoothie. For an antioxidant treat, check out my mood-boosting golden milk recipe.

Follow your Body Intelligence surrounding caffeine and alcohol.

Many of us utilize the nature of caffeine to help 'power up” in the morning and throughout the day, and then wind down in the evening with wine or cocktails. While both of these substances have been shown to have some health benefits when consumed in moderation, their effects are also highly specific to each individual and their microbiome. This is where I suggest tapping into one's Body Intelligence, one of the pillars of Nutritional Psychiatry. Pay close attention to whether or not caffeine helps you improve focus or is actually over-stimulating and causes uncomfortable jitteriness. Similarly, it's important to gently recognize if, after a wine or cocktails, you toss and turn all night and wake up feeling poorly rested. This awareness can guide you to potentially adjust your consumption … I believe in balance! … to resist any negative impact on mental health and work productivity.

Stay hydrated.

Remaining properly hydrated is key for optimal brain health and function! Many symptoms of poor mental health and cognitive function are tied to dehydration. Sipping on water throughout the day and including hydrating fruits and vegetables in the diet, such as cucumber and leafy green lettuces help maintain a steady supply of water within the body. Keep a stainless steel or glass water bottle on your work desk and remember to refill it a few times every day or set a reminder on your phone to keep sipping! Dehydration can worsen or even precipitate anxiety, and conversely, staying hydrated is associated with decreased depression and anxiety.

Snack on nutrient-dense brain foods.

When hunger pangs strike between meals during the work day, or when in need of a ‘pick-me-up', opt for brain foods that help keep our cognition tip-top and sharp. Due to their location in the brain, hunger and thirst signals are sometimes confused so try sipping on some hydrating water to overcome hunger pangs until you can reach out for a healthy, brain-food filled snack. Some of my favorite focus-enhancing snacks are a small square of extra dark (75%+) natural chocolate, a handful of walnuts, or a dish of berries, all of which contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that enhance our brain power.

I believe in 'adding in the good,” because as we start to feel an improvement in our mood and focus, we also start to let go of habits, which don't serve us. Maximizing whole, nutrient-dense foods and decreasing ultra-processed food intake is a vital element in eating to boost productivity and beat brain fog. Avoiding inflammation-inducing foods may, in fact, lead to better energy after eating a meal; research indicates that blocking inflammatory markers contributed to a reduction in fatigue after eating. And the benefits of consuming a variety of phytonutrient-rich fruits and veggies are boundless. As a Nutritional Psychiatrist one of the pillars I share is the 80/20 rule which allows for nutritional discipline with some flexibility. Focus 80% of the diet on whole, real foods with plenty of fiber, healthy fats, and quality, well-sourced clean protein. The remaining 20% allows for leeway to take life as it comes. We all need space in the diet for food freedom to create the most sustainable lifestyle changes that will stick…and bring us joy and fulfillment all along the way.

Dr. Uma's Spicy Brain-Healthy Shrimp  

(gluten-free, dairy-free)

These shrimp are a great way to get a dose of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and pack a one-two punch with the power spice trio of capsaicin(from cayenne pepper), turmeric, and black pepper into your diet.

Turmeric is my go-to anti-stress spice. Curcumin, its active ingredient, decreases anxiety and changes the corresponding brain chemistry, protecting the hippocampus because stress can deactivate the hippocampus.

Capsaicin affects our energy because it impacts glucose metabolism in the body. When capsaicin enters the gut, it triggers a vagal response to the brain, thereby regulating appetite by helping hormones from the brain's appetite regulation center more effectively detect when we are satiated.

Servings: 1

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cooking Time: 5 minutes

8 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons avocado oil

In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and stir- fry until they are cooked through and pink on the outside, about 3 minutes.

Recipe given to The Sunday Paper with permission of Dr. Uma Naidoo. Learn more here.