Either way, it can be frustrating and overwhelming when your brain isn’t firing the way it should be. When I have patients complain of brain fog (which is different from headaches), I immediately look into diet, as there are many things hidden in our daily meals that can contribute to slower-than-usual thinking. The main culprits are typically dairy, gluten, sugar, and many other additives to foods we ingest. The best way to alleviate brain fog with diet is to consume mostly whole foods, fresh produce, and to buy from local farms and gardens. That way you can be sure your food isn’t traveling from far and wide, which typically requires preservatives that make their way into your system. Once your diet is cleaned up, and even if it’s on its way to being clean, these quick acupressure techniques can help excite and clear your brain fog on the spot. To help lift your brain fog, stimulate each of those points for 60 to 90 seconds with moderate pressure, then move to the next one in the cycle. You can do this cycle two to three times when you are feeling tired and sluggish and then get up, move around the room, and take some deep breaths. Moving chi (or energy) with acupressure and then oxygenating yourself is a sure way to liven up your body and get the brain juices flowing again! These three acupressure hot spots will help you clear your mind and fight brain fog: Locate these points: You can locate these points by locating the vertex of the head, finding the midpoint (this location is the acupoint DU20 below), then finding a group of four points, about one inch respectively anterior, posterior, and two points lateral to the midpoint DU20. Locate these points: The easiest way to find DU20 is to gently fold over the ears back to front and from the top where they come to a point when you have folded them, connect that line to the top of the head and that where you will find DU20. The DU meridian starts below the tip of the tailbone and runs up the midline of the body, over the head and ends on the inside of the upper lip where the frenulum joins the upper lip and gum. It’s an incredibly powerful meridian for brain fog and all cognitive functions as it is said to innervate the brain. Locate these points: You’ll find Kidney 1 on the sole of the foot, between the second and third metatarsal (foot bones), approximately one-third of the distance between the base of the second toe and the heel, in a depression formed when the foot is plantar flexed, like when you make a step-down motion. Applying pressure with your fingers is an excellent way to stimulate this point. Stimulating Kidney 1 floods the body with kidney energy that has many beneficial effects including improving memory, strengthening focus, and improving hearing. Stay tuned—Paige’s acupressure class launches next week! Paige grew up in Vancouver, Canada and became passionate about Alternative Medicine after having several remarkable experiences with it at a young age. After High School she enrolled in Canada’s first Holistic Nutrition program at the Canadian College of Natural Nutrition and graduated a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. From there she traveled extensively through Asia where her passion blossomed into studies as she began taking an interest in Ayurveda, an ancient East Indian medicine. After living in India for several months she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pursue her Ayurvedic training further studying alongside the famous Dr. Vasant Lad at his Ayurvedic Institute. Following Ayurveda, Paige pursued a Psychology degree at the University of Colorado and began to assimilate what she had learned of Eastern Medicine with Western Psychology. Understanding that disease in the body is most often attributed to disharmony within the psyche/emotions, a concept called “Psychosomatic Illness”, Paige was drawn to the integrative philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine where everything is believed to be interconnected. After falling in love with the TCM approach to health science, she went on to complete a 4-year Masters of Science degree as well as a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Health and Science.
