Love your gut!
Our gut health has the power to impact not only our physical well-being, but also our mental health and mood. This is due to the link between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis.
The gut and the brain communicate each other on a regular basis, using special chemical messengers produced by the billions of different bacteria that live in our gut. For example, among these we can find dopamine and serotonin – also known as happiness or ‘feel-good’ hormones. Although gut-brain axis communication is two-way, over 80% of the messages are actually sent from the gut to the brain rather than the other way round! So, it really does pay to give your gut some love!!
Here are a few tips to give your gut and brain the love it needs!!:
Keep an eye out for more tips to come..
1. SLEEP
Sufficient sleep is something everyone needs. Found yourself resisting sleep to watch another episode of that favorite box set? This unfortunately means you may be depriving yourself of sleep which in turn, won’t help communication between the gut and the brain. The bacteria in the gut directly communicate with the central nervous system and disrupted sleep can affect the levels of bacteria in the gut.
2. STRESS
Because of the unique link between the gut and the brain, mental stress can affect what happens in the gut. We’ve all had “butterflies” when we are nervous and many people who suffer with IBS notice their symptoms getting worse if they are stressed. This mental stress can actually alter hormones that work on the gut. By practicing meditation, or any relaxing activity, you can reduce stress and help your gut get back to normal functioning again.
3. NOURISH THE GUT
There is study's showing the link between the food we eat and how we feel afterwards. Fiber from plants feeds the bacteria in the gut that, in turn, produce chemicals to communicate with the brain. Therefore it is essential we are feeding our bodies with wholefoods, rich in nutrients and goodies to help not only feed the body but our brain also!
We hope you enjoy reading this wee blog and it inspires you to love your gut! Keep an eye our for more gut health blog posts aswell as gut-skin connection blog post coming soon! xx