The Gut Brain Connection
I’m sure you have heard the term gut health! It’s something that more and more people are talking about and researching
Gut health isn’t a fad, it’s a very critical factor to our wellness. However, not many people know how crucial it is or how to heal their gut!
So, what is gut health?
It’s the function and balance of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. Each person has a unique gut microbiome filled with good and bad bacteria.
Our gut contains healthy bacteria and immune cells that ward off infectious agents. Did you know that 70% of your immune system is in your gut! That's HUGE!
It also communicates with the brain through nerves and hormones, to maintain our health.
Our Gut is our second brain (some even argue that it’s more important than our actual brain!)
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Our gut health impacts how our body feels, but did you know that it also affects our mental health?
The Gut is often referred to as the Second Brain, why is that?
Serotonin is our "feel-good" neurotransmitter, and 95% of Serotonin is produced in the gut! Doesn't it make sense that you would feel sad or depressed if your gut health was off and affecting the majority of your "feel-good" neurotransmitter?
Your Brain also communicates with your gut through the Vagus Nerve which is involved in digestion, absorption, and metabolizing nutrients as well as gut permeability. If your gut is dysfunctional, so is your brain.
Inflammation... the key to the majority of our health problems. This goes for your brain too, when your gut is inflamed, so is your brain.
So think of things like Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, Dementia, Alzheimer's, OCD, Insomnia, & Fatigue. All of these conditions are greatly influenced by your gut health. Think of how many people's lives would change drastically if they knew this!
Dr. Uma Naidoo has a great book called "This is your brain on food". She shared a study of a group of people that for 4 weeks were treated with a probiotic. The study showed that these people had similar results to those treated with Prozac. That is mind blowing! If someone had the choice of taking Prozac vs. a probiotic, of course they would want the probiotic. HERE is a video of Dr. Uma Naidoo called the Mood Food connection.
How to Improve Your Gut Bacteria
1. Eat a diverse range of foods. Skip the sugar, processed fats and GMO's when possible! Choose whole foods that are rich in nutrients.
2. Eat more vegetables, legumes, beans, and fruits. Those that are high in fiber, promotes the growth of good bacteria.
3. Fermented foods can enhance the function of the microbiota and reduce the number of disease causing bacteria in the intestines. Yogurt (plain), kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha are some options!
4. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame and artificial sugars may help reduce weight gain, but they also increase blood sugar due to their effects on the gut bacteria.
5. Eat prebiotic foods. (Garlic, Onion, Asparagus, Bananas, Oats, Apples, Flax Seed) These are what your gut microbe eat and promotes the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut! Here are a few of my fav supplements with prebiotics.
6. Take a probiotic. Probiotics help restore the microbiota to a healthy state and support your metabolism. This is for Kids and adults! Your kiddo's need probiotics just as much as you do! We take ours at bed time.
7. Take a Digestive Enzyme before meals - this will help you digest your food and absorb nutrition from your food.
8. Stay hydrated! Drinking an adequate amount of water will not only improve your gut health, but has many other benefits on the body. And just saying, digestion doesn't keep moving very well unless it is well hydrated! So keep things moving and drink your water!
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If you want to learn more about your gut health, and how to heal your gut, join my free Gut Health Email Course. You will get a daily email for 20 days with info and tips about what affects your gut health and how to heal it.
And if you really want to notice a difference, fast! HERE is my 3 week supplement jump start! A little jump start on your gut health journey.
- Bailey Lowe
Functional Nutrition Coach
(989) 245-5358
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