Gut Feelings

"A healthy gut environment is going to help your body produce more of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin."

You're up on stage and you're feeling anxious....you have no appetite because you're about to present a speech...you just bought a sh*t ton of stuff off Amazon and you need to beat your husband home to avoid conflict...

Yeah, THAT kind of gut feeling!

We have those sensations because our gut is actually connected to our brain and central nervous system. This explains A LOT of why our gut affects our emotions and mood!!

The connection is made through our Enteric Nervous System, this is what surrounds our digestive track and communicates to our Central Nervous System. So when we experience any sort of stress, all nervous systems react as such.

Stress includes anything that inhibits our "fight or flight" response: intense training, increased anxiety, poor diet, inadequate sleep, or day to day life. The gut is also a major hub for serotonin production. This is the "happy hormone" it triggers nerve signals to the brain that affect our mood and hunger! Dopamine is another hormone that is transmitted from our gut. If the gut environment is under stress, it will impact the production of thus neurotransmitters, thus impacting function and mood!

The reason stress impacts our digestive system so much is when we induce that flight or fight response it breaks the gut-brain communication. Vital organs will start to pull blood away from the digestive track in order to protect those organs and maintain their function, thus lessening the functionality of the digestive system. This is went you experience poor digestion, inflammation, or constipation.

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The Healthy Gut Environment

Our gut is actually full of bacteria. Some are good and some are bad, like in all other areas of life, we strive from BALANCE. Bacteria is necessary for proper function...it processes the food we eat, synthesizes vitamins, and helps our nerves and hormones communicate with the Central Nervous System.

Healthy bacteria and bio film in the intestines help lubricate the area to help absorbs nutrients and keeps things moving, which is what we want!! Having that balance also means you're lessening the inflammation in your intestines, which makes for less GI issues. WIN WIN!

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The biggest take-home here is to protect your gut because it is just as important as your mental, physical, and physiological health....because ultimately it's all connected!

Here are some healthy practices for your gut

> Less sugar and processed food

> Take a digestive enzyme to help breakdown nutrients

> Whole food consistently

> Incorporate fermented foods into your diet to give your gut the good bacteria

> Take a Probiotic daily!

> Apple cider vinegar (1-2 tablespoons mixed with water)

Happy gut healing!

Do not use the information on this website to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or to determine your need for medication or treatment. Always consult your healthcare professional before adjusting any diet, exercise or medical regimens. Nothing contained in this website should be considered complete or instructional for medical diagnosis or treatment