How to Improve Your Second Brain: Your Gut
Your stomach is a hub of intelligence, holding the equivalence to a small pet’s brain. It’s host to 200 million neurons and hundreds of billions of bacteria that influence our personalities.
Your brain and stomach are in constant conversation. They both use the same neurotransmitters, it’s the language that nerve cells speak.
In both IBS and IBD, the mind and body are connected; however, it’s unclear which symptom started first. Did the mind affect the body or did the body affect the mind? Either way, we know they are intertwined and that we have to heal the ‘whole’ person in order to improve the condition of any ailment.
HOW YOUR DIGESTION AFFECTS YOUR WHOLE BODY
All health starts in the gut! Our digestive tract contains most of our immune system and 90% of our serotonin (the feel good chemical). These are just some of the many reasons why maintaining a healthy digestive tract is so important for the health of our entire body. Here are a few tips to help keep your body – and your digestion – running smoothly:
CHEW YOUR FOOD
Digestion starts in the mouth. The act of chewing not only breaks down our food into smaller particles to swallow, but it secretes saliva, coating the food with enzymes that begin to digest fats and starches right in your mouth.
EAT YOUR MEALS STRESS-FREE
The state of mind that you are in when eating will affect your digestion. Eat meals at the table with loved ones. Turn off the TV. Put away your phone.
DECREASE DRINKS AT MEAL TIME
Drinking too much with meals will decrease the amount of stomach acid which is needed for proper breakdown of food and nutrients. In fact, drinking too much during a meal will actually shut down the digestive process. Take small sips of water at room temperature if thirsty.
About the Author
Researchers Find Gut Microbiota and Mental Health Connection
Groundbreaking new studies are revealing the connection between gut health and mental health.
Researchers have known about the connection between the bacteria that live in your gut and the brain for some time, but when it comes to how closely they’re connected science has just scratched the surface. Now in a systematic analysis published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review researchers looked at 26 studies that assessed the role gut biology plays in anxiety and depression.
The findings showed people with anxiety and depression had different levels and types of microbes in their gut, compared to people without anxiety and depression. The digestive tract of people with anxiety and depression contained more pro-inflammatory bacteria species and had less of the type of bacteria that help regulate the central nervous system.
