The Gut-Brain Connection
Our digestive system (Gut) is the site where our body absorbs the food and fluids we eat to be broken down into nutrition that can be utilized by the cells in our body and brain. It houses the majority of our immune system and is where our moods are balanced or destabilized. Feed your gut a minimally processed variety of healthy whole foods and you will likely experience good health. Feed your body highly processed fats, sugars, processed carbohydrates, pesticide laden artificial colors, chemicals, dyes, additives found in ultra processed foods and you will likely have poor health and be overweight. Our digestive system is teaming with a large variety of bacteria both good and bad. Stress increases bad bacteria and lowers healthy bacteria. Healthy bacteria protects our immune system and allows our bodies to break down the foods we eat into useable forms.
Understanding Gut-Brain Balance
Steps to Heal the Gut
Healing your Gut=Improved Mental Health
The microbiota plays a huge role in our health and serves many important purposes such as strengthening gut integrity and shaping the intestinal epithelium, digesting fibre, regulating energy metabolism, protecting against pathogens, regulating immune function, and brain health . https://www.healthygutclub.net/how-to-heal-gut-microbiome/
Low Stomach Acid =GERD
"Depression and Anxiety - Low stomach acid is an overlooked cause of depression and anxiety since it reduces the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, and copper, which have all been linked to increased depression and anxiety." https://www.backtothebooknutrition.com/low-stomach-acid/
Symptoms of low acid
Leaky Gut & Mental Health
Leaky Gut
"If your intestinal wall has been compromised, and you have leaky gut, you'll likely experience these symptoms and signs: Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Food allergies or food intolerances Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, ADD, or ADHD Mood imbalances such as depression and anxiety". -Dr. Amy Meyers
Gluten & Mental Health
Gluten intolerance may lead some people to experience a higher chance of developing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Researchers report gluten may lead to depressive symptoms by inducing abnormalities in serotonin production and causing changes in the gut microbiota. https://kresserinstitute.com/gluten-killing-brain/
Gluten & Brain Health
GI Bacteria & Mental Illness
Gut Dysbiosis =Anxiety & Depression
There is clear evidence that people experiencing anxiety and depression tend to have pro inflammatory species of bacteria in their digestive tracts. Individuals with anxiety and depression often have fewer microbes that produce short-chain fatty acids which help regulate the central nervous system.
Histamine Elevation & Mental Health
"Histamine intolerance may affect your mental health and lead to anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, and related other issues. The reasons are that histamine acts as a neurotransmitter in your brain. It affects your stress response, memory, learning, attention, sleep-wake cycle, alertness, and sexual function." https://drbeckycampbell.com/understanding-histamine-intolerance/
Histamine Intolerance
Food Sensitivity & Gut Dysbiosis
Individuals with a food allergy or intolerance may experience inflammation, swelling, weight problems, digestive issues, aches/pains, anxiety, or depression. Inflammation=body's immune system defending a perceived threat. Food intolerances are reactions that are delayed effects (several hours to 48 hours). Symptoms often appear as chronic issues (ie. joint aches, IBS, depression, or anxiety; commonly overlooked and not connected to a food intolerance.
Common Influences to Gut & MH Imbalance
Probiotic Rich & Gut Supportive Foods
Probiotic Rich & Gut Supportive Foods
Prebiotics
These are needed to help the gut maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria and decreases bad bacteria. Prebiotics serve as food for probiotics to form healthy bacterial levels. If your diet is low in these, you need a multi strain several billion CFU brand to help improve your gut balance.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that help provide digestive benefits because they stabilize healthy bacteria in the gut microflora when eaten or swallowed. Probiotics need prebiotics (their food source) to grow. Sometimes they can cause gut interactions / unwanted side effects like gas, bloating, or loose stools. Reducing the frequency or the dose of the probiotics typically can help decrease or eliminate these symptoms. are needed to help the gut maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria and decreases bad bacteria.
Promotes Gut Health
Garlic
"Garlic is naturally high in inulin, a type of non-digestible carbohydrate or “functional fiber” that feeds the good bacteria in your digestive system. Basically, it acts as fuel for those bacteria to do their job better, which makes your gut function better overall."
Bone Broth
"Bone broth is one of the most beneficial foods to consume to restore gut health and therefore support immune system function and healthy inflammation response. Collagen/gelatin and the amino acids proline, glutamine and arginine help seal these openings in the gut lining and support gut integrity."-Dr. Josh Axe
Benefits of Bone Broth
Omega 3 for Brain Support
Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids (EFA) are needed for normal sensory, cognitive, and motor function. Doco-sahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an EFA and essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. DHA is also required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults. The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are associated with deficits in learning. DHA is taken up by the brain in preference to other fatty acids.
Chia seeds
"Detoxing the Gut with Chia Seeds Chia's super high levels of insoluble fiber helps to sweeps the digestive tract clean and smaller amount of insoluble fiber acts as a prebiotic to feed the beneficial gut bacteria. The insoluble fiber absorbs water and swells up making the stools easier to pass but only if you have enough fluid with the seeds." -
Gel coat benefits
Leaky Gut Repair
Flaxseeds for Healthy Gut
A recent study found that fermentation of flaxseed fibers in the gut may change gut bacteria in a way that may improve metabolic health and help prevent obesity.
Gel Coating Smoothie
1 cup plain Kefir
1/2 banana
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 scoop collagen powder
1 scoop Vanilla protein powder (non-dairy)
1 T soaked chia seeds
1 T soaked flax seeds
Gel Coating Tea
This recipe "gel coats the GI system" to help restore the gut microbiome. It tastes great on its own or can be added to a flavor like peach or cranberry. Instructions: Boil hot water then pour over ingredients in a glass or ceramic tea pot. Let stand 10 min to penetrate ingredients before drinking.
-1 T marshmallow roots + 1 T Licorice root + 1 tsp slippery elm powder
Testing Digestive Health & Gut Microbiome
Food Sensitivity Testing
Designed for at-hometesting, it measures the body’s immune response to 96 foods as a guide to identify what foods best to avoid. This test identifies IgG Reactivity to 96 Foods. Collection is just a Finger prick sample. Click link to order home test. Approx cost $159.00.
Check Food Sensitivities/Allergies
Vitagene (Heritage & Nutrition)
Vitagene offers a DNA health testing kit that analyzes your ancestral heritage with a focus on how it affects your personal nutrition and health. Click link to order home test. Approx cost $139.00.
Gut Dysbiosis
An "at-home test" that analyzes your stool to balance the good & bad gut bacteria. Goal is to identify the root cause of symptoms with guidance on best and worse foods to treat your symptoms. Click pix to order home test. Approx cost $159.00.
Test results Include:
-Personalized Gut Health Report
-Personalized Nutrition Plan
-Personalized Recommended Probiotics
Test your Gut Balance
Recommeded Books & Professional Resources
Learning how to improve your gut health
The books recommended below are written by experts in the field of integrative health. They simply spell out how to make subtle adjustments to your diet and lifestyle to improve your overall physical and mental health. Their books are informative, connect mental health to physical health. Explain how food sensitivity and allergies are often related to chronic body inflammation, low gut pH balance, and digestive issues that are often missed by mainstream traditional medical providers who lack the clinical education on whole person health and nutritional medicine. Click pix for link.