Sarai Voss had always considered herself pretty sharp—until the brain fog set in. “It was like walking through a cloud some afternoons,” she says. “I’d stare at my laptop and forget what I was even doing.”
She knew it wasn’t just stress. Something deeper was at play. After digging into the latest research, Sarai realized that inflammation—often triggered by certain foods—could be impacting her mental clarity. “I thought inflammation was just about joints,” she says. “I had no idea it affected the brain.”
Determined to make a change, she restructured her midday meals to support cognitive function. She focused on foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3s, and anti-inflammatory compounds—things like leafy greens, turmeric, berries, nuts, and olive oil.
Gone were the processed sandwiches and heavy pastas. Instead, she started packing colorful lunch bowls with warm quinoa, grilled vegetables, and tahini dressing. Or she’d blend soups with ginger, sweet potato, and a swirl of coconut milk—easy to digest and deeply nourishing.
The changes didn’t just help her mind—they lifted her mood. “My afternoons feel sharp again,” she says. “And I’m not crashing at 3 p.m. with coffee and sugar.”
Sarai now hosts workshops on food and brain health, especially for women juggling busy lives. Her message is simple: “What you eat at lunch can shape how your brain shows up for the rest of the day.”
