A Healthy Gut Promotes a Healthy Mind
Did you know that in the world of functional medicine the gut has been coined the second brain? Yep, you heard it right. This second brain is also known as the Enteric Nervous System or ENS. The ENS is made of millions of nerve cells that line your gastrointestinal tract, and it communicates constantly with our actual brain, the one in our head.
In addition, your microbiome, which is the population of microbes or bacteria that live in your gut, play a major role in mental health. There is a harmony that exist in the gut between the good bacteria and the bad bacteria. Disruption in this harmony can cause things like depression and anxiety.
95% of serotonin is made in the gut. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in mood, emotions, appetite, sleeping and digestion. An unhealthy gut could potentially mean unhealthy levels of serotonin.
So, how can you love your guts so that your guts love you?
- Eat a balanced diet of lean organic proteins, fruits, fiber, fats and vegetables.
- Consume prebiotics like Kombucha and other fermented foods.
- Take a quality and diverse probiotic.
- Get an efficient amount of sleep.
