PLEASE NOTE: I am not a medical professional. I’m just a dude wth brain fog trying to work out how to clear my head, feel motivated, and get good work done.
About 11 years ago I started getting gout.
What is gout?
For those of you who don’t know, gout is a very painful form of arthritis. It typically presents in the joint of the big toe of the left foot. I’ve always thought that was weirdly specific. It can present in nearly any joint actually. The cause is understood to be a buildup of a substance called uric acid. When everything is going according to plan, uric acid is usually filtered out of the blood by the kidneys.
Henry the eighth is one of the world’s most famous gout-sufferers. His gout was linked to his kingly diet of rich foods and the amount of alcohol he consumed. You can be forgiven then if you assume a gout sufferer in his thirties is probably succumbing to some bad lifestyle choices.
Except that I wasn’t.
I didn’t drink frequently and, at the time, I was trying to be vegetarian.
That said, gout symptoms have been linked to the presence of chronic stress. If I suspended my repression and denial for five minutes, I would certainly have entertained that as a possibility in 2008. I was running a business and trying to build a house in increasingly inclement weather.
Oddly enough, when I finally got my sleep apnea treated once of the side-benefits was that my gout significantly disappeared. I also noticed my pet allergies greatly improved.
Understand, I am not a doctor, nurse, or a medical professional of any kind.
I’m just the owner and occupant of a human body and would like to use it as problem-free for as long as I can manage.
Now 12 years later, my gout came back with a vengeance and I started on a course of taking a strong anti-inflammatory called indomethacin.
Paradoxically, while it made me feel a bit woozy, I noticed that it significantly sharpened my concentration and creative energy.
Was it possible there was some inflammation in my brain that was responsible for the level of concentration I was used to?
Maybe?
Over a few days, I researched the mechanics of inflammation, symptoms of brain inflammation, and brain fog.
I stumbled upon a few interesting ideas that POTENTIALLY described a link, at least in my case with heart disease, type-2 diabetes, autoimmune dysregulation and brain inflammation.
The hastily drawn diagram I’m sharing is JUST A HYPOTHESIS. Again. NOTA DOCTOR! DON’T TAKE MY ADVICE.
The plan is to use this framework as a possible way of reducing brain fog symptoms by making careful tweaks to what I eat.
There are no downsides to trying this.
First up was stopping the consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
The next idea was to stop eating foods that are said to be high in lectins. It’s suggested these days that lectin rich foods can be potentially responsible for something called leaky gut.
AGAIN, I’M NOT A DOCTOR!
Anecdotally, I’m experiencing at least some improvement in mood and concentration. I’ve replaced my go-to snack, popcorn, and chips with a head of red cabbage which I pick at when I’m feeling snacky.
Maybe I will continue to share ideas about this as I continue to pursue this line of reasoning.
Meantime, my ability to concentrate, focus, and come up with creative solutions in my work is improving.
You’re allowed to care about your health and understand your body. If you’re interested in starting down that path, I suggest learning about how to nourish your brain. Understanding your body is a worthwhile but complicated task. You’ll need a healthy brain to do it.
Your answers will be different from mine. There are huge benefits to running this kind of experiment to tune up your mood and focus. There are no downsides if you’re careful, consult a physician, and keep good notes.
I’m NOT A DOCTOR.
