The Gut Mind Connection: Nurture Your Gut, Free Your Mind
Our bodies are a temple. One that requires sufficient nurturing in all aspects, from our minds to our guts. Gut health has been a prominent topic in online conversations, with creators sharing their amazing results following short periods of focusing on gut-promoting eating and habits. Gut health is not only essential for digestion but also for our mental well-being. Even though they seem worlds apart there is a deep and meaningful connection between our gut and mind. When our guts are neglected, our mind and body will feel the impact wholeheartedly. So, how can we nurture our guts, to free ourselves from negativity and adverse health? In this blog, we will explain their intrinsic connection, and how you can manipulate both for overall better wellbeing.
What connects our mind to our gut?
The gut and the mind are in constant communication, a dialogue facilitated by the gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis is a bi-directional pathway that allows our gut microbiome to send signals to the brain and vice versa. This connection is facilitated through the Vegas nerve, which for those in tune with your spirituality, will know plays a crucial role in connecting the body to the soul. During mediation, the Vegas nerve is stimulated, resulting in a calming and grounded experience. So, because of this connection when our gut thrives, our mind follows suit. But when we neglect our gut health, it can lead to brain fog, anxiety, and even depression. Science continues to uncover just how deeply our emotions, cognitive functions, and stress levels are intertwined with our digestive system.
The mind-gut connection
If you’ve ever experienced a ‘gut feeling’, or butterflies in your stomach when feelings of nervousness and anxiety arise, you will be familiar with the mind’s influence on our gut. This is because the enteric nervous system, often referred to as the “second brain,” resides in our gut, influencing our emotional and mental states. The vagus nerve acts as a superhighway between the brain and the gut, ensuring that our mental state directly impacts digestion and vice versa. If you’ve ever experienced an upset stomach or difficulty with bowel movements during stressful times, you’ve already felt this connection in action.
Most hormones are created within your gut
Believe it or not, your gut is responsible for producing nearly 90% of your body’s serotonin, the key hormone that stabilizes mood and promotes feelings of happiness. This might explain why you feel lethargic and groggy following a large, fast food meal, in comparison to light and positive following a meal consisting of whole, unprocessed foods. Along with dopamine and other neurotransmitters, the gut plays an integral role in regulating our emotions. If your gut bacteria are imbalanced, the production of these crucial hormones is disrupted, leading to mood swings, anxiety, and even depressive symptoms. A healthy gut creates a steady stream of feel-good hormones, helping you stay balanced and positive.
Gut bacteria can influence your mood
Your gut microbiome is home to trillions of bacteria that dictate how well you digest food and also absorb the right nutrients. An overgrowth of harmful bacteria, which can be caused by gut-adverse foods such as alcohol and processed foods, can lead to increased inflammation, which is linked to depression, brain fog, and fatigue. On the other hand, a thriving gut microbiome supports more positive moods and overall mental well-being. Incorporating probiotic-rich foods like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi can help maintain this balance, improving both your gut and your mind. If you’re wondering where to buy kefir, kimchi and gut-friendly foods, you can find them in most supermarkets, or even organic based grocers.
Meditation can heal our guts
Meditation is not only great for our minds, staying grounded and present, but it can also support our guts. Studies have shown that mindfulness practices can lower inflammation, promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, and regulate digestion. Deep breathing exercises activate the ‘parasympathetic nervous system’, which helps with gut motility and reduces stress-induced digestive issues. Taking just 10 minutes a day to meditate can have profound effects on both mental clarity and digestive function. In addition to meditation, there are some great yoga poses that are proven to stimulate digestion and further improve gut health.
Final thoughts
Our gut-mind connection is one that most people ignore, all the while it can be the key to unlocking your mental and physical wellness. Not only are there studies and research papers backing the crucial connection, but for centuries communities around the world have recognized the spiritual link between our minds and guts. Treat your gut as you would a healing mind, harness the power so they work together, and not against each other.