BRAIN/GUT CONNECTION
Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? Did you ever notice that right before you make a huge decision that you have a “gut” instinct that you already knew the answer? Emotions land in different parts of the body and the stomach can be the home of anxiety, worry, fear, sadness AND elation. These emotions can trigger the gut and cause a whole host of uncomfortable “symptoms” such as nausea, acid reflux, butterflies, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and constipation.
The connection between our brain and our body is undeniable. Research says that our stomach is our ENS (Enteric Nervous System) and known as our “second” brain. This connection is a two-way street and just as the brain can send signals to the gut, the gut can send signals to the brain. The gut microbiome influences hormones and the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine which are responsible for regulating mood, appetite and sleep. Ladies…. Did you hear that? The gut can influence your hormones. Keep an eye out for another blog this month on women and hormonal health! Now back to the blog, keep on reading😊.
Experiencing things like anxiety, depression and chronic stress can wreak havoc on the gut. It can cause bad bacteria to increase and good bacteria to decrease. There is a direct correlation between an overgrowth of bad bacteria and experiencing mental health issues amongst other things.
So, which comes first, the chicken or the egg? You may be wondering, “Well how do I even begin to break this cycle?!?”
First let’s talk a little bit about stress and how it affects your gut. There is a cranial nerve called the vagus nerve, which runs from the cranial vault all the way down to your colon and impacts your digestive system every day. This nerve is responsible for bringing you back into a parasympathetic state (rest and digest); however, when under chronic stress this nerve weakens and causes digestion to hit the fan, and everything suffers.
Working on your gut can do wonders for your health but it’s not as simple as taking a probiotic. It often requires multiple lifestyle changes. Here are some strategies to improve your gut and your mental health:
Take care of your nervous system through chiropractic care, meditation, prayer and breath work.
Practice mindfulness around meals. Before you eat take 5 deep breaths and eat slowly. It’s important to chew your food slowly and be present as you eat. Practicing gratitude for your meal can change how you digest your food.
Move your body every day whether it be walking, running, going to the gym, yoga or lifting weights.
Eat a variety of food and try to eat the rainbow in fruits and veggies. The more diverse your meals are, the more diverse your gut will be.
Start and end your day with gratitude. Positive thinking increases the good bacteria in your gut!
Take a look inside of your gut and actually see what is happening. We have stool tests here at the office!
Take a probiotic. It’s essential to give the gut a little help thanks to the Standard American Diet and fast paced world we live in. Standard Process has a few supplements to help the gut. Prosynbiotic and GI Stability are a great place to start if you have never fortified your gut.
Working on the brain/gut connection may seem overwhelming at first. Start small and keep building on your new ways of life. Remember that any type of progress is progress!