Wellness Wednesday: Feeling Forgetful?

I don’t know about you, but with the holidays clicking by so quickly, I tend to feel rushed, overwhelmed and flat out forgetful. Being a single mom isn’t harder, it’s just more work; I am one person, doing the work of two, so planning ahead is critical for me. Even still, when my son is having a bad day, I drop everything to be with him so I can make sure his needs are met before pressing on with my own agenda. He deserves that and most of all, he needs to know that I will go to bat for him when he needs me the most.

In the grand scheme of things, my son is the most important part of my life, so he is the exception to my otherwise tight daily schedule. What kills me the most, is the moment I step out of my schedule, I tend to become forgetful. Time is suddenly an immeasurable metronome and my pace isn’t the burning rush that I’m used to and it’s so relaxing, I tend to forget about all those important deadlines. But the stress of letting myself relax to such an extreme just isn’t worth it. I’ll wake up with such a start, that my heart feels like it is ready to explode in my chest. Had the earth spun around the sun several hundred times? If I were a man, I’m pretty sure I’d look like Rumpelstiltskin.

Thankfully, even for the most seasoned of over achievers, there are remedies for those less than stellar days of gluten free optimal memory, recall, and depleted type A performance.

Blackbird Bakery’s acupuncturist and Wellness Wednesday expert, Laura Farb, LAc+ ACN, has some pretty tried and true ideas to get that foggy brain back on track.

Bacopa monnieri or Water Hyssop, is important in Ayurvedic medicine and has been used, particularly in India, for several thousand years. Bacopa enhances clear thinking and supports learning and memory functions while increasing concentration. Bacopa plays a protective role in the synaptic functions of the nerves in the hippocampus, the seat of memory. Nerve impulses are transmitted across the synapses and their degeneration is believed to contribute to impaired memory and cognition.

The best way to take bacopa is int he supplement form. It usually takes a few days to notice the effects of bacopa, but once you do, you’ll feel pretty on point.

Ginkgo is another go-to for memory, concentration enhancement, and anti-vertigo symptoms. Long range studies have also shown that daily doses of ginkgo helps delay the on-set of dementia, which is always a good thing to keep at bay.

“Plus, sometimes all everyone really needs is a solid night worth of sleep. When we are constantly on the go and overly demanding of ourselves, the first thing to go is our ability to remember everything perfectly. Lack of sleep is extremely taxing on the brain and when the brain is tired, it can’t work at optimal levels. So rest is always the first step, but if you feel like you need a little boost, then try bacopa or gingko,” Ms. Farb explained. “We are constantly looking for soemthing to take to alleviate symptoms when sometimes the very best remedy is sleep.”

I’ll take that. I honestly can’t remember the last time I took an actual nap where I did it on purpose. The last time i fell alseep during the day was in my last group therapy session.

So if the holidays are giving you the proverbial deluge of chronic stress and anxiety resulting in a string of moments of forgetfulness, then just remember there is a natural, gluten free solution just a click, or a nap away.