Hi Vibrant Health Seeker
Some people like to trust their gut, when making decisions. Some get butterflies in the stomach when nervous, and the Australian saying “Don’t get your guts in a knot” means don’t get stressed.
All of the above are about feelings, but there is something going on in your gut that is 100% real. Among the billions of cells in your gut there are a very special 100 million or so.
These cells are essentially brain cells, but they don’t live in your head, they are an important part of your gut. This is just another reason why we need to care for our entire digestion.
If you have used or knows someone who has used an anti-depressant it is most likely a type that is known as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Its job is to spare the neurotransmitter serotonin in your brain.
This chemical helps us all to be calm and feel emotionally stable. The interesting thing is that 90% of the brain is manufactured in the gut. This means that in order to enjoy good emotional health we need to look after gut health.
I’m sure you have heard about good bacteria and bad bacteria. Good bacteria is damaged by anti-biotics, alcohol, stress, sugar and junk food for starter. This shifts the balance of health in your gut and leads to a problem called leaky gut.
But importantly in this tale of health is that your levels of serotonin will drop and so will your mood.
In the mental health field there is a lot of focus placed on medication but little or usually no attention given to gut health.
Now treating the gut to improve mood, may seem a bit weird in the world of psychiatry but I’m sure that already by now you are realising that caring for the gut would be a no-brainer! And it is to a growing band of astute therapists, but in conservative circles, things stay the same, and in the words of Ronald Regan the “Status Quo” is Latin for “The mess we are in.”
It will take time to repair your gut but the good news is that it can be done if you stop eating sugar and all grains but especially wheat and to start re-populating the good bacteria with pro-biotics and feeding them with pre-biotics which are the fibre rich vegetables in particular.
The bad news is that if you don’t care for your gut then it won’t repair and you will suffer ill health for your whole life. The problem is that you may not notice, you will just get used to feeling sick, tired and in pain.
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Wishing you Vibrant health and happiness
Ian Newton ND & Dr Susan Newton