Beating brain fog 戰勝腦霧的方法

你是否時常感到思維遲鈍或者記不住事情？這種一頭霧水的感覺正困擾著越來越多的現代人。研究顯示，近四成的人都曾有過這樣的經歷。雖然導致這種現象的具體原因尚不明確，但不健康的生活方式和飲食習慣也許或多或少會加劇這種情況。因此，通過調整作息、遠離加工食品，多吃天然食物，我們或許可以重新回到思維清晰的狀態。

詞匯：brain fog 大腦迷霧

1 Do you ever wake up with a fuzzy feeling in your head, you can’t concentrate on anything, or find your memory just isn’t working as it should? You’re not alone. 39% of British people said they suffer brain fog on a regular basis in a FutureYou Cambridge study. But why do we get brain fog, and can we do anything to prevent it?

2 The technical word for brain fog is cognitive impairment. When you have it, you can’t think as clearly as you normally can – just as if your brain was actually full of fog. Dr Brennan, a neuroscientist and author, says “Brain fog is different to these short-term disruptions, because it is persistent, occurs regularly and can interfere with the quality of your life, your relationships, and your work”. The reality is that no-one knows exactly what causes it, though theories include chemical or blood flow changes in the brain, and low-level inflammation. What we do know are factors that make it worse.

3 Fatigue, for example, is a key contributor to brain fog, making it hard to stay focused. This is because sleep deficiency can change activity in some parts of the brain, which means processing and recalling detail becomes harder. Pain and anxiety can also contribute to it – they interfere with cognitive speed because they are distracting. There are also medical conditions that can make it worse, like long Covid or autoimmune conditions like lupus disease.

4 So, if you’re suffering from brain fog, what can you do to fix it? One thing you can do is avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Dr Megan Rossi, the founder of The Gut Health Doctor, told the AYYBLOG that “UPFs are often low in essential nutrients like magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and iron, all of which are crucial for brain function and mental clarity“. Therefore, we should pack our diets with nutrient-rich foods like whole grains, vegetables and healthy fats. Blueberries are particularly rich in polyphenols and have been shown to improve cognitive function and memory in clinical trials. Hydration is also very important.

5 So, if you feel a bit foggy, try to get more sleep and consider making some changes to your diet.

測驗與練習

一、將標題和段落配對。

Paragraph 1 ________
Paragraph 2 ________
Paragraph 3 ________
Paragraph 4 ________
Paragraph 5 ________

a. Fix your problem
b. A change in diet
c. The benefits of socialising
d. The possible causes of brain fog
e. What is it?
f. It’s not uncommon

二、根據文章內容選出正確的選項。

1. Globally, over a third of the population have experienced brain fog.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. Scientists know what makes brain fog worse, but not exactly what causes it.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

3. Why can sleep deficiency contribute to brain fog?
a. Because it is distracting
b. Because it can change brain activity
c. Because it can lead to anxiety

4. What does ‘it’ refer to in the following sentence? There are also medical conditions that can make it worse.
a. anxiety
b. cognitive speed
c. brain fog

5. Why can blueberries help avoid brain fog?
a. Because they are a type of UPF
b. Because they are hydrating
c. Because they are rich in nutrients that help with brain function

三、用下列單詞完成對本文的總結。

If you every suffer from 1) _______, technically called 2) _______, here are some tips to help you out. Make sure you get enough sleep as this will help your brain to process and 3) _______ detail. Also, avoid 4) _______ and make sure your diet is rich in 5) _______ – 6) _______ are particularly good for cognitive function.

nutrients
recall
cognitive impairment
autoimmune
ultra-processed foods
brain fog
blueberries

（答案見詞匯表後）

詞匯表

fuzzy 模糊的，不清楚的
brain fog 腦霧，一頭霧水
cognitive impairment 認知障礙
neuroscientist 神經科學傢
persistent 持續的，持久的
blood flow 血流
inflammation 炎癥
fatigue 疲勞
sleep deficiency 睡眠不足
recall 回憶，回想
distracting 分散註意力的
autoimmune 自身免疫的
lupus disease 紅斑狼瘡
ultra-processed food 超加工食品
omega-3 fatty acid 歐米伽-3脂肪酸
iron 鐵元素，鐵
mental clarity 思維清晰度
nutrient-rich 營養豐富的
whole grain 全谷物
polyphenol 多酚
hydration 水分補充

答案

一、將標題和段落配對。

Paragraph 1 f. It’s not uncommon
Paragraph 2 e. What is it?
Paragraph 3 d. The possible causes of brain fog
Paragraph 4 b. A change in diet
Paragraph 5 a. Fix your problem

二、根據文章內容選出正確的選項。

1. c. Not given. Global statistics aren’t mentioned. 39% of British people said they suffer brain fog on a regular basis in a FutureYou Cambridge study.

2. a. True. The reality is that no-one knows exactly what causes it yet. What we do know are factors that make it worse.

3. b. This is because sleep deficiency can change activity in some parts of the brain, which means processing and recalling detail becomes harder.

4. c. ‘it’ refers to brain fog which is mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph. Each sentence in the paragraph then gives an example of a contributor to brain fog.

5. c. Blueberries are particularly rich in polyphenols and have been shown to improve cognitive function and memory in clinical trials.

三、用下列單詞完成對本文的總結。

If you every suffer from brain fog, technically called cognitive impairment, here are some tips to help you out. Make sure you get enough sleep as this will help your brain to process and recall detail. Also, avoid ultra-processed foods and make sure your diet is rich in nutrients – blueberries are particularly good for cognitive function.