If you have ever wrestled with foggy or cloudy thinking, this is for you.
Because…if you’ve ever had a sneaking suspicion that your mental health might be directly tied to what you eat, you’re right.
It’s not widely known by most, but the truth is that the health of your brain is directly tied to the health of your digestion.
Not only that, but poor gut health predisposes you to a number of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and even bipolar disorder.
The purpose of this short article is to give you all the tools you need to figure out if you have a digestion problem or a brain problem.
Few people have a good grasp on how important the impact of their gut health is on their mental health in the longterm.
That’s why…the better you understand the brain-gut connection, the better you can ensure your mind is functioning at its highest capacity.
You want to be your best self, and I want that for you, too!
Did You Know Your Gut Has A Mind Of Its Own?
(Don’t forget that another word for gut is “digestion” ok?)
Now…did you know that your gut communicates directly with your brain? Now…the “gut” starts at the mouth and ends at your “poopy place.”
It has a direct impact on your mood, regardless of whether you experience headaches, conditions like ADHD, and fluctuating hunger levels,
Bottom line: having a healthy digestive system is at the root of how well you can concentrate or be optimistic during hard times in life. Your gut helps you through stress, and it even helps you make difficult decisions.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Trust your gut?” Well…this popular saying is rooted in old wive’s tales, many of which are rooted in fact.
The connection between gut health and the brain is so critical that the NIH did a studied back in 2014. That study cost over a million dollars.
During the study, they discovered just how sensitive the mind is to what’s happening in the human digestive system. Ultimately, people who have healthier diets generally have better mental health.
Again, according to old wive’s tales, we already knew that. That’s age-old wisdom. But here’s why…
The same way your brain lets you know you’re hungry, your digestive system also sends out messages when something isn’t right. Let’s discuss this further.
The gut’s nervous system is called the Enteric Nervous System or the ENS. It’s so influential that some researchers and physicians call it the body’s “second brain.”
It doesn’t matter if it’s food poisoning, just your nerves, or a significant change in the weather. Your “gut” picks on on these things…
And if there’s something going on with your digestive system, your Enteric Nervous System will let your brain know about it.
So if you notice that you haven’t been thinking well, your memory isn’t as good as it used to be, and you’re a little more Moody then you and your loved ones are accustomed to you being…
… you might be having challenges with your gut health. Here are some quick tips for healing both your digestion and your mind.
3 Tips For Healing The Gut And Brain
Here are 3, quick tips you can use to make sure that you’re eating well for optimal brain health.
#1: Keep up your daily intake of water.
There are two, prevailing ideas about how much water we should be drinking everyday.
The first idea is that the average size adult should be drinking 64 oz of water per day.
The second school of thought says adults should drink up to 1/3 or up to half of their body weight daily. (Side bar: I definitely agree with the second way of thinking if you happen to be in high altitudes.)
Otherwise, my recommendation is to just do what makes you feel your best.
#2: Eliminate or seriously reduce your intake of refined sugar
Whether you want to admit it or not, sugar has a serious effect on the brain and has been directly linked to attention deficit disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, and obesity.
WebMd lists it as one of the ingredients and foods to avoid if you have mental health issues.
Sugar has an effect on both your emotions and your energy – two things that desperately need stabilization if you’re going for a healthy body and brain.
On top of that, you’re going to want to avoid artificial sweeteners since they don’t occur naturally and are not considered whole foods. The chemicals have been shown to have a direct impact on energy and thinking in healthy people.
The fact is that everyone should be limiting how much sugar they consume.
Too much of it has been proven to lower your ability to concentrate, make it difficult for your body to regulate its response to sugar (which can lead to both diabetes and dementia), and negatively affect your ability to remember and to learn new things.
#3: Increase your magnesium, fish, and green leafy vegetable intake
And this point in your life, you probably heard that eating fish and green leafy vegetables is a good move.
Well these are all facts, but it goes beyond just eating healthy or losing weight.
See… green leafy vegetables and fish are high in folic acid and omega-3 oils. both of these decrease inflammation and make sure your brain works the way it’s supposed to.
You’ll be getting magnesium in these but if you want to increase the amount of the mineral you take in every day, you’ll need to add black beans, cashews, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds to your diet
If you want to, you can supplement with transdermal spray or oil. You can also use a magnesium powder in a hot drink.
Magnesium has a calming effect on both the body and the brain, and it helps you to rest well at night. And we all know that adequate sleep at night is good for mental health.
More Research Is Coming
Now that we know the brain and the gut are intimately connected to one another, all you need to do is eat based on the way you want to feel.
The old adage “Junk in. Junk out,” is very true. We simply are what we eat…
…and if we want to feel better, we must choose to consume better. No fast food. No processed food.
Only healing, nutritious whole food.
Hopefully, this article was useful to you!
Tell me…did you know how closely connected the brain and your digestive system are?? Have you ever had an experience with your gut that told you how closely related it is to your brain?
