Beating Brain Fog – The Happy Menopause Podcast

Season 2 • Episode 16
Dr Sabina Brennan - Neuroscientist & Psychologist

Do you ever wonder what you came upstairs for, forget where you’ve parked the car or find yourself grappling for the right word that just won’t come? These are all common concerns for women in midlife because brain fog is one of the classic symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

All that hormonal turmoil plays havoc with the oestrogen receptors in your brain and the resulting forgetfulness, poor concentration and focus, plus an overall sense of your brain not firing on all cylinders can be incredibly disconcerting. I’ve come across many women in my nutrition clinic who were genuinely worried about early onset Alzheimer’s when it was actually all about the hormones, so the focus in this episode is brain fog as we get to the bottom of what it is, why it happens and what you can do about it.

I’m delighted to be speaking to Dr Sabina Brennan. She’s a chartered health psychologist, neuroscientist and host of the Super Brain podcast, so brains are very much her business! Sabina directed a dementia and brain health research programme for seven years at Trinity College, Dublin where she also led a large-scale research study examining the relationship between brain health, lifestyle, genomics and dementia risk. Her latest book Beating Brain Fog is a wonderful read, with lots of practical strategies to support and tune up your brain.

We discuss the different forms of brain fog, and how they can affect you and your day-to-day performance and wellbeing. Sabina gives us strategies for tuning up your brain and explains the importance of novelty and learning. We discuss the role of diet and lifestyle and why a simple smile has a host of wonderful health benefits. This episode is essential listening for any woman struggling with cognitive issues, so tune in for some amazing practical advice!

Show Notes

Find out more about Sabina’s work and have a look a her free resources by visiting her Super Brain website

Check out her books: Beating Brain Fog and 100 Days to a Younger Brain

Listen to her Super Brain podcast

Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and You Tube.

Useful Links & Resources

Listen to my interview with Becks Armstrong, founder of the Clarity App as we discuss how mindfulness can relieve brain fog

Discover a nutritional approach to managing brain fog in my book The Happy Menopause

Support your mental energy with Va Va Voom: the 10-Day Energy Diet