Episode 12: Brain Fog and Memory Loss Explained

In this episode, Dr. Kacey dives into something so many women are experiencing—but few feel like they have clear answers for:

Brain fog and memory changes.

If you’ve ever:

•  Walked into a room and forgotten why 
•  Struggled to find the right words 
•  Felt like your focus just isn’t what it used to be 

You’re not alone—and this isn’t something you have to just accept.

In this conversation, we look at what’s really driving these changes—from stress and inflammation to deeper imbalances in your metabolism, hormones, and brain—and what you can begin to do about it.

Because this isn’t just about “getting older.”
 It’s about understanding what your brain actually needs to function well.

And when you start supporting it the right way,
 clarity, focus, and confidence can come back.

🧠 Your Next Step (Start Here)

👉 The Weight, Energy & Stress Reset Guide ($9.99)
A simple place to begin if you’re feeling foggy, overwhelmed, or off—designed to help stabilize your energy and support your brain from the ground up. Click Here to grab yours.

🔬 Want to Understand What’s Driving Your Brain Fog?

👉 Adrenal Optimization Test (AOT)
If your focus is off, your energy is inconsistent, or your sleep isn’t restorative—this test helps uncover how your stress response may be impacting your brain. Click Here to order yours.

👉 Mineral Analysis (HTMA)
For deeper insight into long-term stress, nutrient patterns, and metabolic factors affecting brain function. Click Here to order yours.

🌿 Deeper Support

👉 Memory Momentum Method
A structured, root-cause approach to support memory, focus, and long-term cognitive health. Click Here to learn more.

👉 The Anchored Journey (1:1 Care)
Personalized, lab-driven care to help you restore your metabolism, hormones, and brain—with expert guidance. Click Here to learn more.

🛍️ Support Your Body

👉 Get Healthy Store (Practitioner-Grade Supplements)
Targeted support for brain health, energy, and overall resilience. Shop Here

📩 Stay Connected

👉 Dr. Kacey’s Corner (Weekly Newsletter)
Weekly insights, tools, and real talk to help you feel sharp, steady, and like yourself again. Click Here to get your weekly dose.

📚 Recommended Resources

“Safe Hormones, Smart Women” – Lindsay Berkson
https://amzn.to/3vEuikF

“The End of Alzheimer’s Program” – Dale Bredesen
https://amzn.to/3TT5COB

“First Survivors of Alzheimer’s” – Dale Bredesen
https://amzn.to/3TTNuEq

“How to Do The Work” – Nicole LePera
https://amzn.to/4c61Tno

You’re not losing yourself.
 Your brain is asking for support.

And when you start listening—
 things can change.

Connect with us:

Facebook   Instagram   Pinterest   Website

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hey there, wellness warriors. Welcome to the Anchor to Wellness Show, your compass in the sea of holistic health. I'm Casey Wallace, and I'm your passionate advocate for vibrant well-being. And after witnessing countless patients caught in the cycle of sick care model, I became really disenchanted with the conventional healthcare system. It's a system where people aren't truly getting better, they're just simply managing symptoms. But I refuse to accept this as the norm, and I'm determined to shift the paradigm from sick care to well care. I have embarked on a journey into the realms of functional medicine and holistic health. And in each of these episodes, we will dive deep into the latest research, debunking myths, and unlocking the secrets to optimal wellness. From brain health to hormone balance, we'll cover it all with a blend of science, soul, and a dash of controversy. Together, we're making waves to reclaim control of our health destiny and anchor ourselves to wellness. So whether you're seeking clarity on brain fog or ready to reclaim your vitality, you're in the right place. So let's make waves and set sail towards a life anchored in wellness. I am so thrilled that you are on this journey with me to help others to uncover the secrets of a vibrant, sharp mind. We know that there is a profound impact on our cognitive function and our overall well-being, and I just want to take a moment to address the challenges that many of us face, and that is everything from brain fog, memory loss, and also the fear of cognitive decline. We've all experienced those frustrating moments when our minds feel cloudy and our thoughts seem elusive and our memory fails us at the most inconvenient times. It's like this fog has descended upon our brains, and it makes it difficult to think clearly and perform at our best. You are not alone in this experience. Many factors contribute to brain fog and memory issues. Everything from poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles to stress and sleep deprivation. Our modern fast-paced world places immense demands on our own cognitive abilities, and it leaves us feeling overwhelmed and mentally exhausted. This podcast and my programs are designed to empower you with the knowledge and tools and strategies to combat brain fog, boost memory, and protect against cognitive decline. I guide you on this path, offering insights and practical steps to optimize your brain health and reclaim mental clarity. It is so rewarding to see somebody prevent cognitive decline, but even better yet, to reverse their cognitive decline. Yes, there is hope. Inside the memory momentum, we explore the connection between the brain and various lifestyle factors. We learn how to eat foods that help the brain flourish. We learn about exercises to engage in, the quality of our sleep and how profound that is for our brain health, and the way we can manage our stress that it can profoundly impact our brain function. I will also say we dive into the science behind it all, or we break down the complex concepts into these bite-sized, easy to understand pieces. We also discuss other things that are contributing to our decline in brain health, and that is everything from what is happening with our gut health to hormone issues and also what is happening in our environmental toxins and detoxification pathways. This isn't just about education, it's about action. We believe in the power of small, meaningful steps that can lead to significant transformations. Even with just small practical action steps, we can make tangible changes in our daily lives. So in this episode, we are going to talk about these things, and that is understanding brain fog and memory loss, exploring cognitive decline and dementia, the limitations of our conventional healthcare system. We will gain hope from lifestyle medicine and learn strategies for brain health and cognitive enhancement. So first let's do some definitions. What is brain fog? It is a state of mental cloudiness or reduced cognitive function that can affect various aspects of our daily lives. It can manifest as difficulty concentrating or confusion, forgetfulness, and even just a general feeling of mental fatigue. It can make it more challenging to think clearly, process information efficiently, and perform tasks with precision. Often this is associated with underlying factors such as poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, stress, hormonal imbalances, gut disturbances, and even certain medical conditions or even medications. By addressing the root causes of brain fog, we can regain mental clarity and enhance our cognitive abilities. Now let's discuss memory loss. This is the inability to recall or retain information that was previously stored in our memory. It can range from minor forgetfulness such as misplacing our keys or forgetting appointments to more significant memory impairment that affects daily functioning. It can be caused by various factors including age-related changes, stress, sleep disturbances, nutritional deficiencies, certain medications, and other underlying medical conditions. Implementing strategies to support memory, such as memory exercises, healthy lifestyle choices, and brain-boosting activities, can really help us to improve our ability to improve and retain information. What is cognitive decline? This is a progression of deterioration of cognitive function, including thinking, reasoning, memory, and decision-making abilities. It can be a natural part of the aging process, but I don't normally blame it just on that, because certain factors can really accelerate cognitive decline, such as chronic diseases, lifestyle choices, and genetic predispositions. If cognitive decline was associated just with aging, then everyone would have cognitive decline, but we just know that that is not true. This can have an impact on our overall quality of life and independence, making it crucial to prioritize brain health and engage in activities that support cognitive function. People with cognitive decline usually can still do fine in their everyday life. It is more of a subjective issue for most people, and this means that they can usually perform well on all their cognitive testing, and therefore they might be told that everything is fine, even though they are experiencing these concerning symptoms. This is where we really need to start taking action. Preferably not just waiting until we have cognitive decline, but this is where it becomes very profound. We can have great impact in this area. Then we start reaching into MCI, mild cognitive impairment. MCI refers to a noticeable decline in cognitive abilities that is greater than expected for that person's age. But again, we don't just blame everything on age, and that this doesn't yet interfere significantly with daily functioning. This is considered an intermediate stage between just normal cognitive that can be associated with aging, but also a more severe cognitive decline associated with conditions like Alzheimer's disease. And research suggests that individuals with MCI have an increased risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease. While not everyone with MCI progresses to dementia, studies indicate that an annual conversion rate from MCI to dementia can range from around 10% to 15% per year. This progression is a concern because it does signify a decline in cognitive function, and we usually see objective evidence of this on our testing, such as a MOCA test or CNS vital signs or something along those lines. But many times this just gets blamed on aging, and that's just not the case. Some cases of MCI may even remain stable or improve over time. And regular assessments and early interventions and lifestyle modifications can play a huge role in managing mild cognitive impairment and potentially reduce the risk of progression to dementia. In my training through the Bredesen protocol, there was a lot of discussion about mild cognitive impairment. It is played off by the medical community as it's just part of aging, right? Like everybody's going to have some cognitive decline. But we just know that that doesn't have to be that way. Or everyone would have cognitive decline as they age. And we don't see that. Dr. Bredesen discusses not just ignoring MCI. He describes that it is like ignoring breast cancer when it is in its early stages and waiting until it's metastatic before treating it. We can see that that just really doesn't make any sense. So why are we waiting? Let's discuss dementia. This is a broad term that's used to describe a set of symptoms characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities that interfere with daily functioning. There's the difference. It interferes with our daily function. It is not a specific disease, but rather a syndrome that is caused by various underlying conditions, and that is most commonly seen as Alzheimer's disease. Dementia often affects our thinking, our memory, our behavior, and our social abilities. It gradually starts to impair our ability to perform daily tasks independently. But here's the thing: early detection and lifestyle interventions and even appropriate medical care can help manage the symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals with dementia. I would just say if you're someone in your 50s and even 60s and you've been diagnosed with dementia, something more is going on and needs to be addressed. It does not just need to be a situation where you're told to get your affairs in order that this is going to worsen and you're going to end up in a long-term care facility. No, take action, get something further looked into and have further analysis because something deeper is going on. There are many other disease processes that can lead to dementia, such as Parkinson's, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, and that's just to name a few. And the strategies we will implement in this program have been researched and studied to be the primary source of improving overall brain health. I will say that Dr. Bredison's research is mainly focused on Alzheimer's disease, and there just hasn't been a lot of research if it will really help other disease processes, but we know that what we teach inside functional medicine can help a whole host of issues when it's related to health, all of our health in general. So, yes, I don't have any reason why we would not implement this program to see if we can improve anyone's brain health. And we don't just focus on that specific disease or diagnosis. Our primary focus is just improving brain health on the whole. Understanding these terms is it's important as we explore the ways to improve our brain health and address the challenges associated with brain fog, memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia. So let's look at some eye-opening statistics and studies that shed some light on the prevalence and societal impact of brain fog and memory loss. Understanding these numbers is crucial to realizing the urgency and importance of taking action towards better brain health. Did you know that nearly half of adults experience some form of brain fog or memory issues? And many just play it off to normal aging. So it is thought that this is really underreported. It's not just a minor inconvenience, it's a widespread concern affecting millions worldwide. But it goes beyond just personal frustration. Studies are revealing that cognitive decline can have a significant impact on productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life. Imagine the ripple effect it has on our workplaces, our families, and in our communities. We are going to explore this latest research that highlights the connection between brain health and various lifestyle factors. And that's everything from our sleep and exercise and activity routines to our nutrition, our stress, hormones, guts, everything that can have these foundational effects and bring powerful insights into the choices we make every day. As we uncover these numbers, remember that you're not alone on your journey. Many others are facing similar challenges, and together we're learning how to take charge of our brain health. So let's look at these statistics. When it comes to memory loss and cognitive decline, around 40% of people age 65 and older experience age-associated memory impairment. Mild cognitive impairment, remember MCI, a precursor to more severe cognitive decline, affects approximately 15 to 20% of people aged 65 and older. Rates of cognitive decline tend to accelerate after the age of 70. When it comes to dementia, globally there are about 55 million people living with dementia. There are over 10 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for around 60 to 70% of the cases. It is thought by 2050, the number of people living with dementia is projected to reach 152 million. Gosh, that's so much. So let's talk about the rate of brain deterioration. The rate of brain deterioration can vary widely between individuals. On average, research suggests that once cognitive decline begins, the rate of decline is around 2 to 4% per year. And we want to stabilize this decline or even to reverse it. And yes, it can be done. I see it routinely. The societal impact of memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia is substantial and affects various aspects of individuals' lives and the broader community. So here are some key points I want you to remember about the societal impact. Let's talk about economic impact. We can have loss of work productivity. Memory issues and cognitive decline can lead to decreased work productivity and efficiency, it affects job performance, and potentially leads to early retirement. Then we have to think about caregiver employment. Family members often become caregivers for individuals with dementia, which may require them to reduce their working hours or leave their jobs altogether. Also, health care cost, medical expenses. Individuals with memory loss or cognitive decline often require regular medical visits, testing, treatments, and this leads to increased health care cost, dementia care cost. The cost of caring for individuals with dementia is substantial, including expenses related to medications and doctor visits and that specialized care, long-term care. These are all things that we can start to reverse to really have a better ripple effect on our overall society. Can you imagine the impact of having 152 million people with dementia? This is going to be substantial. And as we progress, I think that this is going to be just so taxing on our healthcare system that it's already significantly taxed. Let's think about long-term care when it comes to nursing homes, assisted livings, and in-home care. Advanced stages of dementia may necessitate placement in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, and that results in significant ongoing costs. Many families do opt for in-home care services, which can also be expensive and impact financial resources. There's also usually significant family and caregiver strain. It takes a significant amount of emotional toll to take care of someone with dementia. Family members and caregivers often experience emotional stress and burnout due to the challenges of caring for someone with memory loss or cognitive decline. There's also significant impact on our relationships. These dynamics within families can change as roles shift to accommodate caregiving responsibilities, and that can place substantial strain on our relationships. Think about the overall quality of life for the person with dementia. There's usually significant reduction in independence. Memory loss and cognitive decline can lead to decreased independence. It affects the ability to perform those daily activities and maintain a high quality of life. There often is a feeling of social isolation. Individuals with cognitive issues may withdraw from social activities, leading to isolation and decreased overall well-being. We also have to think about the demand on services. Communities may experience increased demand for support services, including memory care programs, respite services for caregivers, and other educational resources. Addressing the societal impact of memory loss and cognitive decline requires a comprehensive approach that involves healthcare systems, government policies, caregiver support programs, and initiatives to raise awareness about brain health and prevention strategies. The global cost of dementia care is now above $1 trillion, US dollars. This is expected to be $2.8 trillion by 2030. This figure includes both direct medical costs and the cost of informal care provided by family members. In 2020, the total cost of caring for individuals with dementia in the United States was estimated to be over $305 billion US dollars. This includes direct health care costs, long-term care expenses, and the value of unpaid caregiving provided by family and friends. Due to the aging population and increasing prevalence of dementia, these costs are projected to rise significantly in coming years. Again, there's so many things we can do to help our brains. Early is better, prevention is better, but we can start to reverse some of the cognitive decline and therefore the impact that this has on us overall. Let's discuss a little bit about the limitations of conventional medicine. The conventional healthcare system often focuses on diagnosing and managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying root causes of health conditions. It is invaluable in acute care and emergent situations, but it tends to overlook the complex factors that lead to chronic issues like cognitive decline, which I think is why so many disease processes are on their rise. Everything from cancer to cardiovascular disease to dementia, they're all on the rise. And I think it's just because our healthcare system isn't really not doing a good job of managing these. And where does that start? So many things. I think that's a whole different episode. So for many of my patients, conventional medicine was just really frustrating. It was very limiting to them. It only offered a quick fix solution with medications, but no answers to why the symptoms are occurring in the first place. A typical patient might be told that everything is normal based on standard tests while they still struggle with brain fog or memory issues or just an inability to concentrate or focus or just being extremely mentally fatigued. And these feelings are lost in the cycle of symptom management without any real improvement. When it comes to cognitive decline, the cycle is kind of this. Okay, let's go see our PCP. Now we're going to get referred to a neurologist. There might be an MRI in there somewhere. And then we get that quote diagnosis and then we start the medications. And then there's usually, okay, let's follow up in six months and see how we're doing. But we all know that there's probably just going to be continuation of that cognitive decline. There's no real hope given. I've never seen anyone improve cognitive decline by staying in the conventional medicine system. I was there for a very long time. Have you seen anybody improve? The only people I've seen improve are the patients I'm currently working with through my cognitive program and those inside memory momentum that are putting in the time and energy and effort to really start to improve their cognitive health. It is very rewarding to see someone get their mind back. To provide truly effective care, we need to go deeper beyond simply controlling symptoms with medication. Functional medicine, the foundation of my work, allows us to dig into the unique aspects of each individual's health, such as hormone imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, gut dysfunction, and toxin exposures. It's about uncovering the full picture instead of putting a band-aid on a problem. This approach helps empower patients, giving them hope that there is a path toward healing that extends beyond what conventional medicine offers. So there is hope. There really is hope. Lifestyle medicine is a beacon of hope for those who have been stuck in the cycle of conventional treatments. It focuses on how everyday habits like diet, sleep, stress, movement, toxin exposures, how they all impact our overall health and crucially cognitive function. My work involves not only addressing these foundational aspects of health, but also educating my patients on how to harness lifestyle changes for profound improvements in brain health. For example, optimizing nutrition with anti-inflammatory foods, reducing toxic burdens from everyday products, and managing stress can have transformative effects on brain health. Many people just don't believe that, but it is the truth. Many people feel trapped by their symptoms, believing they are destined to face cognitive decline because it runs in their family or because they are aging. But I've seen firsthand that adopting an empowered approach to health, rooted in evidence-based lifestyle changes, can change this trajectory. People can regain control, sharpen their memory, sustain their energy without feeling like they have to accept cognitive decline as inevitable. It's about taking proactive steps now and not waiting for things to worsen. But if you're in a situation that you feel that you need help, let's do it. Let's get you some help because there are some things that can be done even if you're already experiencing cognitive decline, even if you're already experiencing mild cognitive impairment, and even if dementia is already present. There is immense power in these small but consistent changes, and they bring real hope for reversing the trend of brain decline. So in this episode, I wanted to share practical, actionable strategies for enhancing cognitive health. And these are steps that anyone can take today to begin transforming their brain health. Optimizing brain health involves focusing on a few key areas. First, just simply adopting a good bedtime routine can improve your sleep quality. That is essential for memory consolidation and brain repair. Staying off social media and screens within a few hours of bed, getting rid of blue light, those are things that you can really put into your bedtime routine. Reading, taking a bath, doing some self-care an hour to two before bed every single night can really start to improve your sleep quality. Another important thing that you can do is just reducing some sugar and process food intake in your diet. These are very inflammatory, and this is very detrimental to both our gut and our brain health. I'm going to do a whole episode about this, but just know that we are eating a ton of sugar. In the 1800s, most Americans were only consuming about 20 pounds of sugar a year. Now we are consuming over 200 pounds of sugar a year. There's a whole bunch of reasons why this is happening, but even just reducing your sugar intake will decrease inflammation a bit and start to restore some of our gut health and brain health, which are very tied together. Increasing your physical activity throughout the day, even in small ways, this boosts blood flow to the brain and supports cognitive function. Just getting up and standing up and stretching every hour, or walking a few minutes out of every hour, or taking a 10-minute stroll a couple of times a day, this can really release what's called BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This is like fertilizer for your brain in a good way. So just being a little more active. Sedentariness is releasing the same inflammatory chemicals as smoking. So now we are saying sedentariness is the new smoking. So just be a little more active throughout the day. We also want to incorporate brain supportive nutrients such as omega-3s into our diet. These are things like walnuts and chia seeds and flax seeds, even things like cooking with avocado oil and coconut oil, getting rid of seed oils, not cooking with vegetable oil, those can really start to transform our brain health and can ensure a more diverse, healthy gut microbiome, which therefore helps the brain. Reducing toxin exposures, like using glass instead of plastic containers, choosing non-toxic cleaning products, and drinking filtered water can minimize the neurological damage caused by certain environmental factors. There are some things that we can control here. Developing stress reduction techniques, such as even just taking a few deep breaths throughout the day, or doing a five-minute meditation, or just doing something for your own self-care, taking care of yourself, you know, five minutes a day, give yourself 20 minutes a day, whatever that looks like for you. Also being socially active, making sure you have a good community around you, practicing mindfulness throughout the day, just being mindful of your present circumstance and taking a break if you need it. These can be really helpful to reduce the mental strain that really starts to negatively impact our cognition. These strategies they seem really simple, right? No, it can't just be that, but they can collectively lead to profound cognitive enhancement and are tools that I use to guide my clients and my patients through long-term health. In this episode, we looked into the eye-opening statistics surrounding brain health, memory loss, and cognitive decline. These numbers emphasize the urgency of taking proactive steps to protect and enhance our brain function. We've also looked into insights into how lifestyle changes can make a remarkable difference in your cognitive well-being and how the conventional medicine system is a bit limiting when it comes to cognitive decline. But there is hope, and we can use this knowledge to defy the odds and promote a healthier, more vibrant future for our brains and ourselves. So if this resonates with you, reach out, get in our community, and we will learn more about this moving forward. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Anchor to Wellness Show. Together, let's anchor ourselves to a life of vibrant well being. Until next time, take care, stay curious, and embrace the journey to holistic vitality. Stay anchored and stay well.