Gut Health: Caring for the garden within

We hear a lot about gut health these days... What is it? And why should we care about it?

Our gut is home to more than a trillion microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Every individual's microbiome is unique and believed to have started before birth. It is determined of course by DNA but also by diet, exercise, sleep and stress. Our gut microbiome helps with digestion, metabolism, immune function, emotional and brain health.

Our gut breaks down food into nutrients our body can use, helps keep the good and bad bacteria in check and produces dopamine and serotonin. The processes in the gut affect many systems throughout the whole body.

If our gut is unhealthy or out of balance, we can start to experience health problems. These imbalances can compromise the gut wall allowing potential pathogens to enter the bloodstream causing inflammation. Our immune system is made up of cells, proteins, and organs with the main goal to protect the body. If these pathogens are allowed into the bloodstream the immune system will fight back and try to eliminate this potential threat from the body. When our gut is not healthy over a long period of time this puts extra stress on our immune system and tires it out and makes us more susceptible to illness and disease.

If the gut microbiome is our internal ecosystem, we want it to be like a thriving luscious garden full of healthy bacteria, rather than a dry desert.

Photo Credit: Balint Varga, Pexels

Poor gut health can lead to insomnia or poor sleep which causes inflammation and fatigue which can impact the bodies overall energy level. In turn this can become a very unhealthy cycle because one of the bodies basic needs is sleep and rest for the body to recover and heal. If you are not getting enough sleep the body cannot rest and there is further stress and imbalance in the gut and your overall system.

Our gut houses millions of nerve cells in the gastrointestinal tract lining, called the Enteric Nervous System ENS. These nerves communicate with the brain in the Central Nervous System. Have you ever been nervous before delivering a presentation or going to an event where you do not know anyone? Stomach problems are the most common symptom of stress and anxiety. There is a strong connection between our gut and brain. The gut is often referred to as our second brain with two communications between the brain and the gut.

The ENS produces neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin which have a huge impact on our mental health and mood. Studies have shown the balance of bacteria in the gut may affect our emotions and the way the brain processes information.

We use the phrase “gut feeling” a lot, sometimes referred to as our “sixth sense”, it’s how our body processes and interprets the world around us and sends out messages to our brain and our body. These sensations are so important and it’s a useful skill to learn how to pay attention when you have a “gut feeling”, begin to ask your gut for feedback.

For these reasons and more we can see the importance of a healthy gut. The great news is there is lots we can do to improve the health of our gut by diet, lifestyle, herbs, and supplements. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can improve your gut health, let's connect for a complimentary connection call - and we can chat and see how we can work together.