wellness / Health
SUPPORT YOUR
Gut Health
For Increased Mental, Physical + Sexual Energy
W
e’ve all heard the phrase “You are what you eat,” but it’s really better said, “You are what you absorb” — and that comes down to the health of your gut. Your gut is often referred to as your "second brain" because of its deep connections with the brain and the enteric nervous system that resides in your digestive tract. The good and bad bacteria of your gut can communicate with your brain — via the vagus nerve that connects your gut to your brain stem — and can deeply affect your mood, energy and overall vitality. Your gut houses 75% of your immune system, helps create 90% of your serotonin and is your first line of defense against bacteria, toxins and inflammation that can negatively affect your health and wellness.
photo by ava sol
YOUR GUT MICROBIOME Your gut houses trillions of microbes, collectively referred to as the “microbiome.” Your microbiome houses between 300 to 500 different strains of bacteria; some negatively impact your body and some are crucial to maintaining essential physiological operations. When the balance between the negative and essential bacteria is out of balance — often referred to as leaky gut — your body will communicate this imbalance through various symptoms: upset stomach (gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and heartburn), uninten-
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tional weight fluctuations, disrupted sleep patterns or constant fatigue, skin irritation (eczema, acne and redness), autoimmune conditions and food intolerances.
MENTAL HEALTH On a daily basis, a healthy gut microbiome produces about 50% of the dopamine found in your body and up to 90% of the neurotransmitter serotonin. These two neurochemicals are responsible for your mood, happiness levels, pleasure and joy. The happy bacteria in your gut also influence your appetite to make sure you’re eating things that keep them healthy. The food you consume dictates which microbes live and die and, as a result, the bacteria that survive send signals to your brain telling you to eat the food that they like most. See the connection? People who take care of their microbiomes have an easier time dealing with mental and emotional health, as people with a rich and diverse microbiome have more good microbes working to build up your serotonin and dopamine levels.
PHYSICAL ENERGY A balanced, healthy gut produces serotonin (happy hormone) which is the precursor to melatonin (sleepy hormone) so when the bacteria balance in your gut is out of whack, you’re more likely to see a negative shift in mood AND sleep. An unstable gut microbiome negatively impacts energy levels in a few ways:
DECREASED NUTRIENT ABSORPTION With too few beneficial bacteria, your digestive tract isn't able to absorb all of the vitamins and minerals found in the foods you eat. Poor nutrient absorption not only lowers your immune system's ability to fight off colds, but it’s incapable of producing vitamins K and B — two nutrients that play a vital role in a cell’s ability to produce energy. Without a stable gut environment, you could be lacking in crucial levels of energizing vitamins. DISRUPTED SLEEP PATTERNS Serotonin (happy hormone), melatonin (sleepy hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone) are all directly linked. In a perfectly balanced world, your cortisol levels should be highest in the morning, helping you wake up, and then continue to lower throughout the day. Once you’ve hit bedtime, cortisol levels should be at their lowest, just when melatonin kicks in and helps you relax and drift off into a peaceful slumber. If your gut isn’t creating enough serotonin, it’s unable to produce adequate levels of melatonin, therefore creating unhealthy levels of cortisol. And, what’s worse, cortisol encourages the growth of certain microbes which then thrive in a high-cortisol environment, which can heighten stress and anxiety even more. THE BLOOD SUGAR ROLLER COASTER We’ve all experienced the unpleasant effects of soaring and crashing blood sugar — eat a donut and all those refined carbohydrates give you an instant boost of energy as your blood sugar rises, making you feel — temporarily — better. Then comes the crash, as your body responds to the sugar spike and sends your blood sugar and energy levels into the ground. These extreme highs and lows leave you feeling sluggish and fatigued, as many of your body’s resources are being used to rescue your blood sugar all day long.
SEXUAL ENERGY By now, we know that serotonin has major
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