Most of us know that when we eat better, we feel better. What you put into your body regularly has significant impact on your health and well-being. One aspect that many people overlook is the connection between diet and mental health. Foods you put in your body can affect levels of stress and anxiety all the way to the extreme of mental illness, such as schizophrenia.
The best way to start breaking this down is to talk about the brain-gut connection. The scientific community is starting to refer to the stomach as a second brain where a significant amount of neurotransmitters, including around 95% of serotonin. Serotonin is known to regulate mood, appetite, digestion, sleep, memory, sexual desire and function. The precursor to serotonin is the amino acid tryptophan that can be found in foods such as eggs, turkey, seaweed and yogurt. The fact that most people in the West have struggled with digestive issues at one point or another – whether bloating, heartburn, diarrhea or constipation – is largely thanks to the Standard American Diet, which is full of sugar, preservatives, synthetic flavour, dyes, highly processed dairy, grains and factory farmed meats chalk full of antibiotics and hormones. To add insult to injury, those who take pharmaceutical drugs like painkillers or antibiotics, wreak further havoc on their digestion. Lastly, the impact that stress has on the entirety of our health is the icing on the cake.
You can support your mental health via the digestive system by taking probiotics or including probiotics in your meals, eating healthy fats, kicking the addiction to high sugar foods, avoiding processed foods, eating superfoods and nutrient dense foods on a regular basis. There are many protocols that would be specific to your needs. Most importantly, you don’t have to cut anything out, but instead cultivate balance to create a supportive foundation throughout the entirety of your life.
Amy is an Holistic Nutritionist
The connection between our digestive health and our mental health is complicated and extensive. The primary thing you can take away today is that when you improve your digestive health, your mental health and well-being will follow suit. You literally become what you eat on a cellular level and everything, everything is connected. Now THAT is food for thought!
With the holiday season coming up and stress levels inevitably coinciding, it is so very important to make a plan to takecare of yourself so that you can show up for your family and friends as the happiest, healthiest version of you! What you put in your body will impact you in ways you may not realize, and it’s up to you to become empowered with your health. Set up an appointment for Nutritional Consult to establish your best plan!
Amy Winters for Wellness on Whyte