Whole30 and Mental Fog: Causing it, not Reducing it

[eboyle86]

Has anyone ever found that eating a Whole30 diet causes mental issues? The reason I ask is that I've googled the issue and everything I can find talks about how eating a whole food diet can alleviate mental issues.

 

Here's my issue. I've been eating a whole30 diet since January 1, 2015. I do allow the occasional non-compliant food made of only compliant ingredients (like sweet potato chips) so we'll call it a wholeErin diet. I've noticed recently that I'm tired ALL of the time. I rarely sleep and it can take 4-5 hours for me to finally fall asleep only to have to wake up within a few hours. I forget things all the time and have a general sense of unwellness. It's really hard to explain but I just don't feel like myself. I had a blood test done near the beginning of the year and the doctor's only concern was that my B12 was a little low. I have B12 supplements at home, but as I'm always forgetting things, I rarely remember to take it. I find myself sort of repeating situations and conversations in my head while I'm working, in the shower, watching tv etc and I've never really thought about whether this was "normal". My hands shake now when doing things that take fine motor skills (like cutting something out of the newspaper). I also forget words or say them them wrong (like froggy syes instead of soggy fries). I've been trying to determine when the last time I felt good, without the sense of unwellness, and when I went on my cruise vacation in December, I felt fine. I had a Doctor's appointment in April and felt fine. I believe it's really become an issue within the last two months. Aside from diet, I've been pretty stressed out as my father had a stroke on Mother's Day weekend and passed away on June 26. It was a very trying 7 weeks and I believe the stress may be what has caused my lack of sleep. The doctor's appointment I had in April was for two lumps I found on either side of my neck. I had ultrasounds done and saw an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor who said they were just enlarged lymph nodes and not to worry unless other symptoms occurred. Is it possible that the mental unclarity could be caused by these? I know this isn't really whole30 related but I thought I'd see if anyone else had any similar experiences as the issues have surfaced the longer I've been eating whole foods. Could it be lack of B12 and vitamin D? Lack of proper fat consumption? I'm going to make a doctor's appointment with my family doc but thought I'd check in to see if anyone had any ideas?

[Munkers]

A couple of thoughts: Yes, it could be stress related. Yes, it could be diet-related. It could be depression brought on or exacerbated by your father's stroke and death. Lack of sleep is likely exacerbating your symptoms. It's good that you're seeing your doctor since there are a lot of possibilities as to what the issue could be and none of us our doctors or familiar with your particular health history.

 

In terms of self-care and things you can try at home:

 

-Work on sleep hygiene. Create a bedtime routine and stick with it. This includes going to bed at the same time every night. Turn off your electronics at least 30 minutes before bed. Depending on how sensitive you are to them, you may need to up this to an hour. Try supplementing with magnesium before bed to help with falling asleep. You can get your magnesium through an epsom salt bath, as well. If you're lying in bed and find that you just can't fall asleep, then go ahead and get up, and do something quiet like reading or journaling until you feel sleepy again. Try to keep the lights low.

 

-Set a timer on your phone to take the B12 so that you take it consistently. Low B12 is linked to impaired memory. Look for sublingual methylcobalamin as opposed to cyanocobalamin. Both of these are forms of B12, but methylcobalamin is better absorbed by the body and the sublingual tabs help make sure that it's directly absorbed in the body without possibly losing some to impaired gut absorption.

 

-The sleep issues could also be due adrenal dysfunction. Do you wake up super groggy, have zero energy during the day, but then catch a second wind at night and can't fall asleep on time? If you do, that's a classic sign for your cortisol rhythms to be off. One of the ways you can help this is by back-loading your carbohydrate consumption. This would mean have little to no starchy carbs (like sweet potatoes, turnips, or other root vegetables) in the morning, a little more at lunch, and then most of them with your evening meal. Starchy vegetables also help with serotonin and melatonin production which can also help with sleep and mood.

 

-I don't know if you're working out right now, but if you are, you might seriously consider scaling back on it for now. In general, it's good to exercise, but when your system is already stressed and overburdened, exercise can be the straw that broke the camel's back. Walking is fantastic and also a good way to get some sun which will help the Vitamin D. Sun exposure also helps your body to reset its internal clock which can further help with sleep. If you're doing HIIT or other high intensity activities, thinking about reducing your sessions or even taking a week to off-loading and see how you feel.

[eboyle86]

Thank you very much for the reply, Munkers. I've remembered the b12/daily vitamin two days in a row and I got adequate sleep last night and feel decided better today than I have in a while. I know I can't really say that remembering for two days has changed anything but it's a start lol. I do definitely wake up super groggy and I'm very tired most of the time. I'll try the trick with carbs and see if that helps. I've requested an appointment and a full workup with the doctor so we'll see how that goes. I used to take zoloft for OCD tendencies but have been off it for a little over a year and I'm doing to discuss perhaps starting again to see if that helps with the depression symptoms at all.

 

I'm almost out of B12 so I'll look for the type you've suggested. Thanks again for the suggestions. I'll post again after I've spoken with the doctor and had the bloodwork done.

[Munkers]

Best of luck to you in getting this figured out. At the very least, I hope your sleep continues to improve and that your doctor can help shine a light on the situation!