THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON FIRE

All of us have experienced brain fog - for some, on a daily basis struggling to focus our attention on the task at hand, unable to manage a constant stream of distraction.

We tend to respond by eating or drinking things that we sense might helpa calorie-dense meal to comfort us, a bit of sugar or caffeine to give us a boost to get over the hump of the afternoon. When there is a fire smoldering in our brains, we'll try anything to put it out - even if we know it's not a healthy choice.

In truth, trying to clear your head by eating the wrong foods is like pouring water on a grease fire. Even if the flames move around temporarily, nothing will be truly extinguished, and your problems will only spiral further out of control. Fortunately, the opposite is also true: a brain-healthy diet can lead to mental clarity that is reliable and sustainable by nurturing the same healthy eating patterns that promote a healthy metabolism and immune system.

Uma Naidoo, MD, is a board-certified Harvard Nutritional Psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutritional biologist. She founded and directs the first hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the United States. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of the bestselling This Is Your Brain on Food and Calm Your Mind with Food.