This week let’s dive into the Mind/Body connection between the gut and brain. Your gut is your second brain, (or depending on how you look at it, your first one, taking into consideration how much it directly affects the brain) and the importance it plays in all functions of the body are drastically overlooked in everyday life.
How many diets have you seen saying “Feeding Your Microbiome!”? Even within the medical world, the crucial role the micro flora plays in your health has become widely popular and studied only within the last decade.
So why all the hype? Mainly because your gut affects literally every system in your body, including your brain. Sixty to 70% of the immune system is directly located in the gut! These bacteria are even directly linked to your mood, your health, the way you think and feel! A good way to look at it is the image Jim Kwik offers, in his book Limitless, comparing the mind-gut connection to a tree. Kwik states:
The roots in the ground are drawing vital nutrients and water from the soil as well as communication with other plants. Those nutrients are then brought up into the body of the tree, fortifying and building the trunk, giving the tree what it needs to sprout new leaves… which in turn gathers light, another energy source. In the same way, the nutrients we take in are absorbed through our intestines. We rely on those nutrients to fuel our brain.
Our gut is figuratively our roots, and the nutrients we absorb affect the rest of our body’s ability to function at its optimum health. If a tree is planted in the wrong soil and not watered, the tree will start to die. Although we may not be planted in soil, if we are eating the wrong foods, we are killing our internal microbiome as well; it dies, and all of our systems are affected. Even to the point where we can start to experience depression and anxiety.
Serotonin, a neurotransmitter is used to regulate moods, and is known as a “feel-good” hormone. Ninety percent of the body’s serotonin, which is, found in the gut; when that gets out of balance because our microbiome is all out of whack, it can affect our moods, create anxiety or depression, and this is caused when we haven’t been feeding those flora healthy foods and prebiotics.
New studies have found that the health biome in your gut isn’t just affecting your digestion. Research from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia found that the same neurons that the brain and gut share also share autism-related gene mutations as 90% of people with Autism also suffer from gut issues. Harvard Health released a study in May of this year finding there is a gut-brain connection in ALS stating: “changing the gut microbiome using antibiotics or fecal transplants could prevent or improve disease symptoms”.
Leaky gut, IBS, constipation, bloating, brain fog, headaches, weight problems
and many more
issues can all be signs that your digestion is in a muck! But,
don’t let this get you overwhelmed- there are ways to feed these good bacteria
and help you get your health back on track!
Sulfurous foods such as garlic, onions and radishes break down the fibers in food, making the fiber more available for internal use. The little burn you get when biting into these foods is actually the sulfur and are fantastic prebiotics. Expello-C is also a fantastic prebiotic to feed your good flora
Now this isn’t saying that because you have eaten a lot of fried foods this week, you’re putting yourself at risk for ALS- the take-away from this is that what you eat IS affecting your body and in very dramatic ways.
Through the last 6 weeks, I guarantee you have noticed changes with your body in the way you feel on a daily basis. Cleansing, introducing more fibrous greens and drinking more water have all started the healing process on your body and gut. Take just a moment and scan your body; how does it feel? Really take a moment and look to your belly and how it feels. Does it ache, feel heavy, or do you just feel at unease? Taking time to be conscientious about the foods you eat, and the foods the bacteria in your stomach are eating, will show up in amazing ways, with not only your health, but just how you feel in your everyday life!
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