Ever hear “listen to your gut”?  Well, maybe we should listen to it more since there is scientific proof that your gut is directly connected to your health.  The stomach is a complex organ that houses an independent network of hundred of millions of neurons (more than the spinal cord).  It is so complex and important to our bodies that it is sometimes referred to as “the second brain.”  It is not only in charge of the digestive process, but your gut’s lining is the core of your body’s immune system and defends you from viruses and bacteria.  The cells within the gut lining also produce 95% of the serotonin in our bodies (with functions ranging from stimulating nerve-cell growth and sending messages to our immune system of invading germs) and the rest of it occurs in the brain where it regulates your mood.  Serotonin connects the gut and the brain constantly sending messages back and forth.  When we are stressed, scared or nervous, our brain sends a message to our gut and our stomach gets upset as a response so it is safe to say that if our digestive tract is off, our brain (which affects our mood) gets that message from our gut and our mental state for that day can be greatly altered.  Essentially a healthy gut means a happier you…

In a healthy gut good bacteria should outnumber bad, but what’s going on in that head of yours can greatly affect the balance.  Emotional issues influence what lives in your GI tract and being under stress, depression and anxiety could change the way your bowel contract and how your immune system functions, then changing the type of bacteria in the small intestine and colon.  For example, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a disorder that causes abdominal pain (and other symptoms we all know but I won’t list) are accompanied by gas & bloating (so lovely) and sometimes by anxiety and depression (good Lord, it’s a trifecta) and all of this can be related to an overabundance of bad bacteria in the small intestine.  And if women aren’t already blessed with enough, we seem to be more susceptible to this.  What is know is stress is a factor, so stress less ladies!

The use of antibiotics and our affinity for junk food contributes to the imbalance in our guts and there is a link between the bacteria in our gut and the rise of food allergies and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis.  Increasing the number of good bacteria in our GI tract by taking probiotic supplements and eating foods that contain probiotics can help combat these health issues according to scientists.  There is new research that these good bacteria could alleviate mood and anxiety disorders as well.

So the solution is to eat more fruit and veggies and cut back on processed foods, animal protein and simple sugars (what we hear over and over again) which feed harmful bacteria and allow them to thrive in numbers.  Choose foods that have probiotics (milk, sauerkraut and yogurt), prebiotics (bananas, whole grains and veggies like onions & tomatoes) which feed the good bacteria in our bodies.  If you choose a probiotic supplement look for formulations containing Bifidobacterium or strains of Lactobacills with a dose of 1 billion to 10 billion colony forming units.  Avoid unnecessary medications like laxatives and NSAIDs (i.e. aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen) as well as antibiotics which wipe out both good and bad bacteria.  If you take antibiotics, take probiotics for twice as long as the antibiotic prescription to prevent nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramping that they can cause.  Cut back on alcohol because research has shown that as little as one drink a day can increase your risk of an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your small intestine and cause GI distress.  But sometimes a girl needs to just have a drink to de-stress, it is all about moderation ladies!  And lastly exercise, it is mainly for stress management and a 30 minute daily sweat session helps your gut keep things moving.  Squeeze in a walk, jog or even some yoga and take a few minutes each day to just relax.  It is not only good for your mental health, but it is also good for your gut and we all now know that what happens in your gut can affect your whole body and your state of mind.  Here’s to a happier and healthier 2013!