The Gut Brain Connection

This week I’m sharing something about your gut that you might not know about, and it’s a bit of a “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” situation.

Think about a time when you’ve felt nervous, on edge, or worried about something. That’s definitely been me lately, worrying about my son. It’s been a rough week as he hasn’t been improving as quickly as we had hoped and it’s impacting his ability to attend school and focus.

Like me, you might have had an uneasy feeling in your stomach about it. That’s because a big part of your stress response happens inside your gut, inside your “second brain” that resides in your digestive tract. It’s called your enteric nervous system. It’s made up of layers of cells (more than 100 million of them) that line your gastrointestinal tract, all the way from your esophagus to your rectum.  

Your Second Brain

Your enteric nervous system communicates directly back and forth with the brain in your head through the gut-brain axis. This axis is an incredibly complex system involving hormones, nerves, body fluids, your immune system, and more. 

And here’s where it gets interesting…

90% of the communication goes from your gut to your brain, and only 10% from your brain to your gut. This means when your gut is unhappy, your brain and all your other body’s systems are unhappy, too. Stress, along with what you eat, can have a big impact on this entire system. 

Your Microbiome Matters

The microbiome in your gut has around 100 trillion bacteria, and there are more than 1000 known strains. But only a handful or two of those strains make up most of the population of a healthy gut. When the good and bad bacteria get out of balance (due to poor diet, some medications including antibiotics, stress, toxins, and more), it can throw more than just your gut out of whack.

Unhealthy Gut, Unhealthy Body

Researchers are looking into how imbalances or irritations in your gut lining and microbiome affect your mind and overall health. For one thing, it can make you moody! That’s because your gut produces neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which have a huge impact on your mood.

More important than that, there are known links between gut issues and mental health, including anxiety and depression, but scientists are looking into so much more. Another example is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which has up to 45 million sufferers in the U.S. alone. IBS is considered a gut-brain disorder because it affects your gastrointestinal tract and is also associated with depression, anxiety, and imbalances in the gut microbiome.

Keep Your Second Brain Happy

So… What can you do to keep your second brain happy, even when you’re feeling stress? Do your best to live a gut-friendly lifestyle! 

• Cut back on (or eliminate) sugar and processed foods
• Eat fiber and probiotic-rich fermented foods
• Destress
• Get regular exercise
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep at night

Like I wrote last week, choose the easiest strategy on that list and start there. Then add on as you feel ready. If you can’t choose, I recommend starting with sleep. If you get enough sleep you’re more likely to exercise, eat well, and be less stressed!

I’m working on all of these things myself to stay healthy for myself and to have the energy to be there for my son. It’s more important to me now than ever.

Be sure to check out my gut health guide if you haven’t already! And if you have serious or chronic gut issues, definitely check in with your doctor. As much as I believe in doing what you can do to improve your health, it’s also very important to rule out anything major that might need medical attention.