How Your Gut Affects Your Mind
Though you might already be aware that your
gut can affect your overall physical condition, not many people know
that the gut and brain are actually connected, too. The gut is actually
rich in neural pathways, so many in fact, that some scientists fondly
call it the second brain. Keep reading to learn all about how they
affect one another.
At some point or another, everyone has felt
“butterflies” in their stomach when nervous. That’s just one example of
how your gut-brain works. Hidden deep within your digestive tract are
loads of nerve cells which communicate with your brain, and can trigger
emotional shifts in people who have poor gut health.
If you eat in a way that irritates your GI tract, such as by consuming
plenty of processed and sugary foods, for example, you will clearly be
in for a rough ride. Such food leads to spikes in blood sugar and the
production of excitotoxins, a reaction which causes your gut’s nerve
cells to signal your brain to enter fight or flight mode, resulting in
anxiety and stress.
Conversely, you may feel a great deal of
anxiety from being stuck in traffic or working in a place you hate. In
such cases, your brain and body release stress hormones such as
adrenaline and cortisol, which communicate with the nerves in your
gut-brain, potentially causing stomach upsets, bloating, or diarrhea.
If you want to restore the balance between
your body, gut, and mind, then there are a number of things you can try:
Use Food as Medicine: The best way to do this is to avoid foods that
cause inflammation, such as red meats, dairy, gluten, refined sugars and
carbohydrates, alcohol, coffee, and other processed foods. In their
place, we'd recommend eating plenty of whole grains, like quinoa, brown
rice, vegetables, legumes, and some fruit. You should also focus on
drinking plenty of water and tea.
Practice Mindfulness: Reducing stress and increasing mindfulness will
reduce the overproduction of stress hormones in your body. This will
result in quieting those signals that alert your gut. There are various
ways to incorporate mindfulness into your routine, and most of them
include periodically slowing down and paying attention to the little
things in life.
Take Probiotics: Probiotics can be very
helpful when it comes to regulating digestion and improving the gut
microbiome. Take a high-quality probiotic each morning, and try to
choose a supplement with at least 50 billion CFU (colony-forming units)
for best results.
Take Digestive Enzymes: These work by breaking down what you eat into
smaller components, thereby making it easier to digest your food and
absorb its nutrients. Try taking one or two with your heaviest meal of
the day. Choose a digestive enzyme that contains amylase (to break down
starch), lipase (to break down fat), and protease (to break down
protein).
Take Glutamine: A poor diet and stress can
cause leaky gut, which is when the junctions between cells of the
intestinal lining loosen, allowing harmful substances and toxins to
enter the rest of the circulation, affecting your entire body. This
amino acid works by strengthening your gut lining and help to seal it.
You should ideally take one to two grams a day.
Take a Tech Break: As necessary as they might seem, tablets, laptops,
smartphones, and television are all highly stress-inducing gadgets when
used too often. When you wake up in the morning, do not touch any
electronic devices immediately, to avoid getting off to a bad start,
thereby affecting your GI health adversely.