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Healthy Fats: Fueling Your Brain and Hormones
How I Fixed My Foggy Brain and Hormonal Chaos
I used to be terrified of fat. I’d meticulously cut the visible fat off my meat, choose “low-fat” everything, and measure oil with a teaspoon like it was liquid gold. I was doing everything “right”—but I felt awful. My brain felt foggy, my hormones were a rollercoaster, and my skin was constantly dry and irritated.
The turning point came during a particularly stressful exam period. My focus was shot, my memory felt like Swiss cheese, and my period—which had always been irregular—disappeared for three months. A wise professor noticed my struggle and said something that changed everything: “Your brain is mostly fat. Are you feeding it?”
I started researching, and what I discovered turned my nutrition world upside down. The healthy fats I’d been avoiding were actually essential for both my brain function and hormonal balance.
Here’s what I learned on my journey:
Your Brain Runs on Fat
About 60% of your brain is fat. The protective myelin sheath around your nerves? Made of fat. The membranes of your brain cells? Mostly fat. When I wasn’t eating enough healthy fats, I was literally starving my brain of its building blocks. No wonder I couldn’t think straight.
