Did you know that the health of your feet can impact your cognitive function? This is because the feet contain a network of nerves that send information to the brain. Feet are connected to cognitive function in a number of ways:

· Balance and coordination
The ability to stand and balance depends on neural signals from the feet, which are sent to the cerebellum and brainstem.
· Gait and cognition
Changes in gait in older adults can be linked to dementia*1, falls and disability.
· Poor circulation
Poor circulation in the feet can indicate poor circulation in the brain*2, which can cause brain fog, memory decline, and other symptoms.
· Barefoot walking
Barefoot walking can improve cognitive ability
So, what can we do to help our feet and our brains, to improve brain health, improve memory and prevent dementia?
Practice yoga, Pilates, or other activities that improve foot health, require balance and strength (muscle strength is also strongly correlated with cognitive health)
Walk barefoot to get those signals from your feet to your brain
Get foot massages to maintain the flexibility in your feet
Soak your feet to improve circulation
Wear proper footwear – you might want to try barefoot shoes, they help your feet to feel the ground (without any sharp unpleasant feelings on stones) but they also allow your toes to spread as you lever off your back foot as nature intended and also encourage your arch to work. A word of warning, start slowly wearing the shoes only for a short time and build up slowly as you get used to them.
So what are some other things we can do to improve our brain health and memory?
The NHS, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK all quote a clinical trial published in the Lancet*3 that states that 45% of dementias can be prevented with 14 simple lifestyle factors.
So what are those factors?
Education: Early life education quality
Social isolation: Infrequent social contact
Air pollution: Exposure to air pollution
Traumatic brain injury: Head injury from accidents or sports
Hearing loss: Uncorrected hearing loss
Depression: Treating depression
High blood pressure: Treating hypertension
Diabetes: Treating type 2 diabetes
Obesity: Maintaining a healthy weight
Physical inactivity: Being physically active
Smoking: Quitting smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption: Avoiding excessive alcohol intake
Uncorrected vision loss: Treating vision loss
High cholesterol: Treating high LDL cholesterol…
…but that’s pretty generic!
What if you could be tested to establish what more contributory factors are at play specifically for you (hormone imbalance, exposure to heavy metals or biotoxins, nutrient deficiencies, genetic variations that mean you detox or process certain nutrients less well, the beginnings of insulin resistance or inflammatory markers for example), then address lifestyle changes and supplementation bespoke to your needs?
This groundbreaking proof of concept trial*4 from Dr. Dale Bredesen, did just that and achieved a staggering improvement in 84% of participants who already had symptoms of cognitive decline!

Another larger randomised trial is currently being undertaken across 6 sites in the US. Final results are due to be published in February ’26, but watch this space, we’ll be bringing updates as each site completes their portion of the study.
If you’d like to know more about how to get started to improve your brain health and memory, eliminate brain fog from menopause or post infection (for example post Covid) or just stay brain healthy for life, get in touch here: https://www.thecognitivehealthcoach.co.uk/contact
Lindsey Byrne, The Cognitive Health Coach. FMCHC, Certified ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach

*2
*3
*4
Comments