This Could Be Why Your Mood & Memory Are Getting Worse

You’re eating clean, working out, even taking supplements but your focus is off, your mood is unpredictable, and your mental clarity is fading. Sound familiar?

Here’s what most people (and most doctors) miss:

Your brain isn’t separate from your body and if you’re dealing with inflammation, poor metabolic health, or chronic stress, your brain feels it first. Depression, anxiety, and brain fog aren’t “just mental” they’re symptoms of a deeper biological imbalance.

If you’re not addressing the root causes, you’re stuck treating symptoms.

3 Ways to Improve Your Brain Health Today! 

✔️ Fix your food first

What you eat doesn’t just affect your waistline, it directly impacts your mood, memory, and focus. Ultra-processed foods (think: refined carbs, added sugars, artificial additives) inflame the gut-brain axis, disrupt your microbiome, and contribute to brain fog and low mood. 

➡️Swap them for nutrient-dense whole foods rich in fiber, omega-3s, antioxidants, and polyphenols. A colorful plate feeds your neurons, literally.

✔️ Sleep like it matters

Deep sleep is when your brain takes out the trash, clearing metabolic waste, including amyloid-beta, which is linked to Alzheimer’s. It’s also when your neurotransmitters rebalance and your emotional centers cool down. Poor sleep disrupts everything from memory to impulse control. 

➡️Build a sleep routine: dim the lights, cut caffeine by 2 p.m., and ditch screens an hour before bed.

✔️ Stop stress from rewiring your brain
Chronic stress isn’t just a mental state it physically reshapes your brain, shrinking areas tied to memory and growing those tied to fear. But you can reverse it. 

➡️Just 5–10 minutes of daily breathwork or mindfulness, regular sun exposure to sync your circadian rhythm, and staying socially connected can lower cortisol, reduce neuroinflammation, and build resilience in your nervous system.

In the latest episode of Extend, I’m joined by Dr. Austin Perlmutter, a board-certified internal medicine physician and bestselling author who specializes in the intersection of brain health, inflammation, and lifestyle medicine.

Episode 65: Dr. Austin Perlmutter: Why You’re Addicted to Bad Habits (And How to Reverse It)

We also discuss:

✅ The hidden drivers of neuroinflammation
✅ Why antidepressants aren’t enough (and what to do instead)
✅ How metabolic health shapes mood and cognition
✅ The promise—and problems—of psychedelics in mental health
✅ Daily habits to rewire your brain for clarity and calm

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.