LET’S CHAT MIDLIFE

WHAT IS YOUR GUT SAYING?

BY DENISE LONGTIN

Have you ever heard “follow your gut”, “listen to your gut” or one I have heard so many times - “trust your gut.” While I have been known to repeat these phrases to others, I started to think about what they actually mean. Generally, these sayings are referring to your intuition - when the neurons in your gut chat with the ones in your brain. Yes, I said neurons. According to the the American Psychological Association, the gut is home to a network of 100 million neurons which communicate with the brain. Researchers have identified this gut-brain connection and it’s no joke. The connection functions both ways - a problem in your gut can send signals to the brain just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. It may surprise you to know that the gut actually manufactures about 95% of our body’s serotonin having direct impact on your mood. That, however, is just one of the many important functions.

Our gut is a pretty valuable piece of real estate in our body. Not only does the quality of its health directly impact the regulation of mental processes, it also plays an essential role in your immune system with 70% of our immune cells being concentrated in the gut. Also impacted, is the health of your skin (the largest organ in your body) along with how well your nutrients are absorbed. With trillions of bacteria, or microbiome, the gut regulates your metabolism and digestion as well as regulating estrogen levels. The gut is a vital part of a healthy body and mind so keeping it balanced and in tip-top shape is paramount to the quality of our overall health.

Phew - that’s a lot of info! It’s not surprising that gut health is such a hot topic right now as the National Institute of Health estimates that 70 million Americans suffer with some sort of digestive disorder. Some of the top offenders include; indigestion,

constipation, GERD, IBS, or leaky gut. These can cause significant discomfort as well as lead to more serious health issues.

As we age, there is often a decrease in digestion quality which may be due to lower production of stomach acid. Muscle mass can also decrease as we get older and since muscle contractions move food through the digestive system this can cause a slow down in the process. Meanwhile, for us women, midlife brings with it menopause and all its baggage. Being that our gut regulates estrogen levels, the gut microbiome is impacted by drops in those estrogen levels. Let’s not leave out our sidekick stress which wants in on the game as well. When we are stressed, our body is in fight or flight mode and then diverts blood flow from the gut making digestion more difficult and causing, you guessed it… gut issues.

If this seems overwhelming, take a deep breath - you have more control than you think! Improving gut microbiome is not only key for good overall health, but it can also have a positive impact on menopause symptoms. Here are a some ideas of things you can do to make a difference…

1) Avoid processed food … ultra-processed food can change the gut microbiota and lead to inflammation.

2) Add fermented foods to your diet… It can increase the diversity of gut microbes - try sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, or miso to name a few.

3) Nourish your gut with probiotics… Choose high quality probiotic supplements that have several strains of beneficial bacteria. Make sure to include spore-forming strains.

4) Limit sugar intake … Sugar can reduce beneficial bacteria, keeping in mind that many

DR K

“The gut is a vital part of a healthy body and mind so keeping it balanced and in tip-top shape is paramount to the quality of our overall health.”

5) Add some strategies to reduce stress… Self care, meditation, yoga, breath work, saying “no” more often, and exercise can all be helpful.

6) Slow down your eating and chew more… Digestion starts in the mouth as saliva contains digestive enzymes.

7) Consider a high-quality (organic, whole food) supplement… Our food supply is not as nutrient rich as it used to be making supplements often necessary. However, many supplements are full of synthetic chemicals and fillers so look for whole food, organic.

8) Eat some soil… Well, sort of - here’s what I mean. Formed through breakdown of nutrient- rich plant matter, fulvic acid contains organic substances beneficial to the gut. While we used to get these beneficial microbes in root veggies, most conventional soils lack organic plant matter leaving our food depleted of fulvic acid and the trace minerals we need to thrive as studies confirm 90% of us are deficient in one or more minerals vital for health.

In this modern, fast-paced world, it can be confusing as we try to process the mountain of information about nutrition, exercise and our health. It seems one day something is good for you and the next it’s not with many opinions and very savvy marketing. Have you ever wanted to make a change but felt so overwhelmed that you do nothing? If so, you are not alone. As we try to maximize the quality of our midlife years and beyond, there is much you can do for yourself and taking care of your gut is high on that list. If you would like to get more details on this topic or to discuss your personal situation, please reach out to me via email for a complimentary consult. Meanwhile, remember that some of your biggest issues only require small changes but those small changes can have major impact on the big issues. One step at time, you got this, I am cheering for you!

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