Brain Fog
People with AS often have difficulty with their concentration ('brain fog'). Several factors can be compunded to make this symptom severe ie: drug side effects, high white blood cell count (just consider how hazy your head is when you have a bad flu), and poorly controlled blood sugar levels.
Foods that have a high GI ratio are my main problem at the moment. The more slowly a food converts to energy the less severe the blood sugar spikes, and this leads to improved concentraion. So here are some links with info on Glycemic Index, etc
Forum threads
Quoted from http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=118756
Things That Help
Excellent Meals
Here are some of the foods and meals that I find lift my brain fog:
Some foods that worsen the brain fog:
Foods that have a high GI ratio are my main problem at the moment. The more slowly a food converts to energy the less severe the blood sugar spikes, and this leads to improved concentraion. So here are some links with info on Glycemic Index, etc
- Huge database of GI values of food
http://www.glycemicindex.com/ - A short list of GI values of various foods
http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/glycemic_index.htm - Dietary fibre is slow burning and therefore helpful.
This database has the dietary fibre content of most foods:
http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/nutrition/nutrition.htm -
- Mustard seed 14.7%
http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/nutrition/mustard_seed.htm - Sesame butter (Tahini) 9.3%
http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/nutrition/sesame_butter2.htm
- Mustard seed 14.7%
Forum threads
- Thread on brain fog:
http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=118756 - eric says he is getting great results from an acidophilus probiotic that cultured on apple pectin: far less pain, improved concentration, and more energy. Taking 6 doses a day for a total of 20-30 billion bacteria daily
http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=197567
- Vitamin B12
http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/23/8.cfm - good info on Vitamin B12:
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/b12.html
Quoted from http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=118756
One thing that could be causing your brain fog is a vitamin B-12 deficenicy. Have you noticed any tingling in your fingers/toes and/or fatigue? I have Crohn's Disease also, and it's very common for CD patients to have a B-12 deficenicy to to poor absorption from damage to the intestines. I started taking 2000 mcg B-12 a day about 6 months ago and my brain fog cleared up pretty much immediately, along with the tingling. I've tried to cut back to a maintenance dose of 1000 mcg, but that doesn't really cut it for me, I guess I've had too much damage to my bowels.
Feeling better after eating meat/cheese would make sense if you have a B-12 deficenicy, animal products are the only sources of the vitamin (aside from supplements). Might be something to consider.
Feeling better after eating meat/cheese would make sense if you have a B-12 deficenicy, animal products are the only sources of the vitamin (aside from supplements). Might be something to consider.
Things That Help
- Taking a short walk
- Exercise: walking, jogging, yoga, etc
- Cold showers
- Water flush - ie: drink 2 cups of water on an empty tummy.
- Coffee. Although I try to avoid this as it causes me grief (brown urine - looks like tea, also candida due to depressed immune sytem, ..).
Excellent Meals
Here are some of the foods and meals that I find lift my brain fog:
- Greens and vegetables. Very effective. eg: snack on carrots.
- Seaweed. Very effective
- Raw nuts. eg: almonds, walnuts, etc. Very effective. Seems to work even better when freshly roasted.
- Meat and protein.
- Tuna and seaweed soup. Very effective. Tastes better than it sounds hehe ;)
- Brown rice with tofu skin and pear. I have this for breakfast as it gives me the energy I need without triggering my Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Some foods that worsen the brain fog:
- Sugar. The prime culprit. Perhaps due to blood sugar spikes, or Candida
- Sweets : chocolate, candies, etc.
- Dried fruit
- Fresh fruit. Safer than dried fruit.
Avoid:
Acidic foods
Dairy products.
Tea and especially coffee
Best treatment for severe episodes: Not pleasant but works - colonic washouts along with food restrictions
Washouts every few days to release toxins
Seek medical advice or professional help before undertaking this procedure.
(Comment this)
text below quoted from: http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=starch&Number=227232
[..] a SALT water flush to kick the fast along. It is like having an enema from the top down. Helps to clear out all the fermenting gunk in your gut before the fast.
Got this from some book.. though I can't remember its title ..
=== SALT water flush ===
* Mix 1 table spoon of SALT (sea SALT or rock SALT only) with 1.75 litres of water
* Drink as much of this as you can within a few minutes. Preferably drink all of it in about 3 min's. Pause for a bit if things get painful (shouldn't happen anyway)
* Make sure there is a toilet always nearby (and vacant!) during the next three hours.
* Don't eat within [4] to 6 hours of this. Best to be done first thing in the morning.
* Problem: Rarely some people throw up. I never felt nauseous doing this SALT water stuff until I read about it as a problem so.. psychological factor is real here.
* Book said that people with Dropsy (edema/fluid retention) should not do this. Makes sense.
[...]
>> Ok, so the SALT flush looks like about 3 tsp of SALT for 7 cups of water.
Yep that would be right
One correction: Quite sure that the book I read said not to eat within 6 hours of doing the SALT water flush. Really is best to do it first thing in the morning.
>> I'll give it a try, but that is a lot of water!
Yes, dont worry if you can't drink it all at once I usually stall somewhere around 5 cups. If done right it all comes out the other end after two or three hours! :O really similar to an enema I think (not that I have ever had an enema, though I hear they are quite effective).
[end quote]
From memory this procedure works by attempting to balancing the osmotic pressure of the salt water to that of the cells in the gut. What then happens is that the water is not absorbed bby the gut (well.. not much) and just passes right through you, giving your gut a bit of a rinse.. (Comment this)
I see you have AS also. Two good places with info on treating AS by dietary means are:
http://www.kickas.org/ .. and also my other blog here http://zarkme.blog.com/
>> Avoid: Acidic foods .. Dairy products. .. Tea and especially coffee
I have problems with dairy and coffee also. I can however eat most acidic foods .. not too many oranges though.. and no vinegar alcohol for me because my liver is a mess and toxic foods such as these somehow have a knock-on effect and worsen my AS. (Comment this)