Attention thyroid sufferers. Special on aisle 12: brain fog.
It’s one of the symptoms my community mentions the most when it comes to the most annoying and disruptive symptoms of thyroid disease. Combine it with insomnia, as the disorder so often does, and you’ve got a recipe for total brain white-out conditions. Zero visibility.
Of course, the best way to get rid of brain fog for good, are to heal the underlying causes, and these causes can be different from person to person, including food intolerance, dehydration, hormone imbalances, and more.
But healing takes time, and in the mean time we’ve still got to get on with our lives! So when I heard that something as simple as switching your light bulbs could have a positive effect, I had to check it out.
Better than coffee?!?
Studies have shown that exposure to blue light increased people’s reaction time, alertness, and attention span. Even blind people have been shown to receive benefits from blue light in one super cool study!
So, break out the colored bulbs! I’m betting I’m not the only one for whom that would be an amazing improvement!
Interestingly, in another study, scientists compared the effects of caffeine and blue light on brain function. In simple tasks, the effects were the same, but in tasks that required “executive function” (in other words: actual brain power), caffeine actually had a negative effect, while blue light had a positive effect.
One more reason to give up your coffee habit if you haven’t already!
How to bring the magic blue fairy into your life.
Follow these steps if you’re interested in trying out the blue light experiment on yourself:
- Look for a blue LED bulb—the studies were done with LEDs. You should be able to find them at the hardware store. And don’t be surprised if they don’t look blue in the package; the effect can be subtle. They’re also sometimes sold as grow lights for plants.
- Or, get blue light for free—outside. Natural sunlight has a blue cast, so just getting outside into nature for a few minutes a day can help a lot.
- Or, download an app—there are blue light apps for your phone now, too.
- If you work at a computer—you may not see as much of a benefit, because you’re actually already getting a dose of blue light from your LED screen!
- It doesn’t have to take long—research shows that as little as 50 seconds of exposure has benefits.
- Time your exposure properly—blue light can disrupt sleep (makes sense if it keeps you alert!) so try not to use it after about 6pm to ensure appropriate sleep habits, and don’t put blue bulbs in your bedroom. (Likewise, if you have trouble sleeping, this is another reminder to step AWAY from the computer well before bed.)
What do you think? Will you try blue light as a remedy for brain fog? Is it an inexpensive quick fix, or a whole lotta hooey? Let me know in the comments below!
Whether you’re ready to try blue light or other natural remedies, I provide a ton of resources on healing your thyroid, including:
- Our totally free Thyroid Healing Type Assessment, Report and Coaching Sessions
- Right here on my blog, where I talk about what’s worked best for me and my clients, as well as the latest research and resources I come across. You can subscribe to get new blog posts delivered right to your email by signing up on the righthand side of the page.
- My book, Healing Hashimoto’s Naturally — part memoir, part instruction manual for how I personally healed my Hashimoto’s disease.
- My exclusive free 6 Thyroid Myths That Can Keep You From Healing workshop — with info on the comprehensive Thyroid Fix in 6 program, which walks you through, step-by-step, the exact actions you need to take to heal your thyroid and get your life back! We’ve seen hundreds of participants in the Thyroid Fix in 6 avoid, decrease, or even eliminate the need need for thyroid medications.
- The incredible Your Best Thyroid Life Video Bundle, in which I personally invited 27 of the world’s top health experts to share their best tips for living with and healing thyroid disease.
Healing does take time, but there are natural solutions out there to help you get back on your way to feeling your best again!
Jen Wittman is a Certified Holistic Health Expert, Chef, Author & Vitality Coach, who teaches women how to reverse thyroid and autoimmune conditions naturally. She’s helped hundreds of women decrease (or even eliminate) their thyroid medications and has helped others stay off thyroid medication entirely.
Through her free Thyroid Healing Type Assessment, Jen teaches easy and simple steps to thyroid healing that can fit into your busy day. She also provides print outs to bring to your next doctor’s appointment so you can get the support and respect you deserve.