Low energy levels affecting the mind can often result in brain fog. Motivational coach Jay Shetty recently addressed this common problem with ‘Biohacker’ Gary Brecka in his podcast. The duo began by understanding what constituted the condition and how one tackles it.
With his experience as a biologist and mortality-modelling expert, Brecka often dives deep into understanding how the human body functions. With his expertise, he helps his clients address their health problems at the grassroots level and solve them. When Shetty brought up the subject of brain fog, Brecka explained that it all boiled down to the lack of energy and oxygen.
Oxygen, according to the biologist, was the core of energy. The amount of oxygen present in the blood determines the energy levels of a human being. Therefore, brain fog directly indicates lethargy and low levels of oxygen in the blood.
Oxygen is carried by the red blood cells, with the help of hemoglobin. Both of these are made in the bone marrow and the production is determined by certain hormones. To address the lack of energy in an individual, Brecka goes to such depths to find out levels of various hormones and elements of the blood to pinpoint the root cause of it all.
“In low respiratory states, when our respiratory rate gets very shallow, we want our blood to be very good at carrying oxygen…if you’re already poorly transporting oxygen and…try to get into a deep sleep…your brain will wake you up.”
In a state of exhaustion, we tend to wake up startled and hamper our sleep quality. Brecka points out it’s because of the brain pulsing cortisol due to lack of oxygen in the blood. Often, individuals find themselves stuck in a spiral of sleeping pills to amp up their rest hours instead of addressing the root cause. However, this situation only worsens the brain fog with time.
“That drug’s been out of your system for hours. You’re feeling the effects of having suffocated for six hours!”
The only viable solution to brain fog is a detailed check on one’s hormones and blood oxygen levels. Conditions like insulin resistance and nutrient deficiencies can drastically impact one’s energy. Most of the time, such a deficit in hormones requires enough nutrients to make those hormones. Brecka has often believed in simplifying the way we treat conditions and championed a healthy lifestyle over additional pills and supplements.
Gary Brecka once called out Americans for too many supplements
While Brecka is a big believer in including non-processed non-GMO foods in one’s diet along with supplements, he once had a bone to pick. He talked about the tendency of some fitness enthusiasts to pile up their supplement rack with things they don’t even need in a podcast.
“Stop supplementing for the sake of supplementing. Start supplementing for deficiencies.”
Supplements weren’t a compulsory additive that had to precede and follow a meal. They were meant to fill in the gaps that normal diets could miss out on. Overdose of anything could be harmful, and Brecka spoke up against the extreme consumption of supplements.
