I haven’t had real brain fog in over a decade—but it wasn’t always like that. When I was 22, I could barely focus for more than a few minutes. I had chronic fatigue syndrome and my brain felt like it was wrapped in cotton. I was building my career and doing everything I could to perform, but I just couldn’t think clearly. I knew something was off, and I was determined to fix it.

Stress Was Wrecking My Brain

One of the biggest discoveries I made was that brain fog often starts with chronic physiological stress—not just psychological stress. My body was lacking key nutrients: minerals, animal fats, and clean protein. Without them, it couldn’t adapt to stress properly. I lived in fight-or-flight mode and mistook that constant low-level burnout for mental toughness. But over time, it destroyed my clarity.

To fix it, I started focusing on stress recovery. I used meditation with binaural beats, grounded outside with bare feet, took cold plunges, and did breathwork. These activities helped reset my nervous system and train my body to handle short bursts of stress followed by rapid recovery. That’s when things started to shift.

I Started Taking Sleep Seriously

In my 20s, I treated sleep like a luxury I couldn’t afford. I was chasing success, staying up late, and thinking I could get by on willpower. But the truth is, your brain detoxes itself while you sleep. That detox—through the glymphatic system—only happens if you get enough deep sleep. Poor sleep leads to toxic buildup in the brain, which equals serious fog.

Now I prioritize sleep like my life depends on it. I use blackout curtains, keep my room cool, take magnesium, and wear sleep trackers. I learned to get better sleep in less time, and the impact on my mental clarity was massive.

I Protected My Cognitive Bandwidth

Decision fatigue is real. Back then, I was trying to do everything and think through every detail, which drained my brain before noon. Your brain isn’t a computer. It has limits—and even with biohacking, you can only push so far before your performance crashes.

I started batching similar tasks, simplifying decisions (like what to eat), and taking strategic breaks. I also used nootropics like caffeine and modafinil to help me stay clear without overstimulation. These tools gave me space to think again.

I Fixed My Screen Habits

One thing most people miss is what I call digital eye pollution. Your eyes are an extension of your brain. Staring at bright screens, especially with toxic blue light, exhausts both. I adjusted my screen setup, blocked bad blue light, and started following the 20-20-20 rule—every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. That small change made a big difference in my focus.

I Balanced My Hormones

By my mid-20s, my hormones were a mess. Low thyroid, low testosterone—it explained why I felt off. When I started working with a functional medicine doctor and testing through Axo Health, I was able to pinpoint exactly what was going wrong. With the right supplements and lifestyle changes—including bioidentical hormone therapy—I became sharper, leaner, and more energized than I had been in years.

Hormones impact everything, from your focus to your motivation. I learned to monitor and manage them like any other key metric.

I Fought Inflammation at the Source

Brain fog is often just low-level inflammation in disguise. Once I cleaned up my diet, added omega-3s, paid attention to gut health, and moved my body daily—even just 20 minutes of walking—I felt more alive. Hydration played a huge role too, but not just plain water. I added electrolytes, especially sodium, to help my cells absorb what they needed.

Stress management also helped lower inflammation. Letting go of daily frustration and doing the inner work to stay calm wasn’t just good for my mind—it was medicine for my brain.

I’ve learned that brain fog is not something you have to accept, no matter your age. These six shifts changed my life, and they can change yours. You don’t need to live with low energy, forgetfulness, or mental fatigue. When your brain works the way it’s supposed to, everything in life gets easier. You show up better, think faster, and feel like yourself again.

Most people think you need hours in the gym to stay lean and strong. But I’ve discovered something different—something that works better. I stay fit with just 20 minutes a week, and I maintain under 10% body fat without doing traditional cardio, without spending hours lifting, and without extreme dieting.

My secret? Smarter stress and smarter recovery.

My Wake-Up Call on Overtraining

When I was 23, I weighed nearly 300 pounds. I followed the fitness advice I was told to trust: I hit the gym six days a week, 90 minutes a day—half weights, half cardio. I stayed committed even when I was sick or exhausted. After 18 months and 700 hours of workouts, I still had a 46-inch waist.

I was also hungry all the time on a semi-vegetarian, low-calorie diet that was supposed to help. It didn’t.

Worse, at 26, my testosterone levels were lower than my mom’s. I had trashed my hormones, metabolism, and recovery—all from too much training and not enough nutrients.

Why Less Is So Much More

Your body doesn’t need more exercise—it needs the right signal. Short, high-intensity bursts of movement tell your body to adapt and grow. When paired with proper recovery, minerals, fat, and protein, that’s when real results happen.

I focus on what’s called the minimum effective dose of exercise. It’s about intensity, not duration.

There’s research to back this up. A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that short, intense workouts increased mitochondrial function by more than 50% in just 12 weeks. That’s like flipping the biological clock back by decades.

My 20-Minute-a-Week Workout Routine

I break my workouts into three or four short sessions each week. Each one focuses on all-out effort followed by full recovery. Here’s what I use:

AI-Powered Tech at Upgrade Labs – Customizes intensity and recovery for maximum impact

5-Minute High-Intensity Cardio – Six times more effective than steady-state cardio

Blood Flow Restriction Bands – Increases muscle gains without stressing the body

Digital Resistance Machines – Create force without risking joint damage

You don’t need all of this tech to get started. You can sprint in your backyard—just make sure you let your heart rate return to normal between sprints.

10 Things I’ve Learned About Training

More exercise ? better results
Overtraining destroys hormones like testosterone
Short, intense workouts build better mitochondria
Cardio should be efficient, not endless
Lifting smarter beats lifting longer
AI and tech save time and improve recovery
Recovery is non-negotiable
Sleep, protein, and minerals matter as much as workouts
Always track how you feel—not just performance
You don’t need hours to be strong and lean

It’s Time to Rethink Fitness

This isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about working with your biology, not against it. You can grind for hours, or you can train smarter and recover better.

I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been. My labs show I’m biologically in my 30s, even though I’m over 50. I sleep better, recover faster, and have more clarity. The same can be true for you.

If you want to see how this works in the real world, check out Upgrade Labs. We’re building the future of fitness—and it’s way more efficient than anything you’ve tried.

Get on
“The Inside Track”
with Dave

See What Trouble Dave’s Getting Into on Social

Start hacking your way to better than standard performance and results.

1293. The Plants That Reverse Aging And Block Daily Toxins — with Darin Olien