Is what you're eating affecting your mood?
Have you ever noticed a feeling of butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, or when you're feeling anxious?
It’s because there is a real link between our gut health and our mental health.
You see, the gut microbiota, the gut lining and the nervous system, they all interact.
So this interaction influences our mood, our behaviours and our cognitive functions.
There are trillions of microbes living in our guts. These produce little neurotransmissions, such as serotonin and dopamine, which play a really crucial role in regulating our mood, and our emotions as well.
It's something that I hadn't really considered before.
If you've read previous blogs and followed me on social media, you will know the journey that I have been on, a few years ago crippled with anxiety and depression.
A huge part of my journey was understanding and examining all of the key elements that played a part in how my mental health was responding.
Gut health being just one of those big ones.
I am always open to taking medication if it’s being recommended to me, but, I am also the type of person who will always look for a more natural way of dealing with symptoms.
In particular, through my diet.
I think that we've got a pretty good diet, but we will always look to see if there are any changes or improvements that we could make to help.
I must admit, I wasn’t sure if there was anything, diet wise, that was going to be able to help me and mental health, but, I was wrong.
Through my research, I realised that improving my gut health would play a huge part in influencing my mental health.
I also learned how a healthy gut can support health, too.
I will be sharing more about that in future blogs. So please subscribe to this channel and keep reading.
It's not too over the top to say, it's changed my life.
I learned that processed foods, foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats lead to inflammation, which is linked to mental disorders.
There have been countless studies and research that backs this up, so please, have a look.
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains and probiotic foods promote a healthy gut and better mental well being.
Omega 3 has played a huge part in this discovery for me, too.
We don't produce Omega 3 ourselves, so we only get Omega 3 from our diet.
So it's really, really important that we make sure that we are taking in enough.
Omega 3 is important for building cells, it helps with functions within the body and also has anti inflammatory properties.
I'm going to be talking an awful lot more about Omega three, and the link between how Omega 3 can really help to affect your guts, health, hormone health, and mental health.
Changes in the gut can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.
And so, if you're reading this today and are feeling like you are noticing changes in your mental well being, and you're wondering what things you can do to help yourself, I would definitely recommend considering your diet and lifestyle.
Ask yourself if that could be having an effect?
Of course, if you have any concerns, you must speak to a medical professional.
What can we do to help?
Eat a balanced diet.
We know that we need to be taking the right amounts of the right food.
Make sure that we include probiotic foods, things like yoghurts, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi - they're perfect because of how they work with the microbes in the gut, to promote a healthy gut.
Manage stress.
Chronic stress can have a real impact on your gut health, which then has a knock on effect on your mental well being as well.
Exercise.
We need to keep moving.
Even if it's just 30 minutes a day.
A 30 minute walk or some yoga every day can really make a difference, not just on your physical health, but that helps your gut health and also has an impact on your mental well being as well.
Good sleep.
Sometimes, I have been so tired that I have actually felt sick.
Have you ever had that?
That's because it has an impact on your gut health. I never fully understood this. But it really, really does.
These were the 4 areas in my life that I made a conscious effort to improve and to include into my daily routines.
I can tell you now they've made a huge impact.
Remember, though, this isn't a magic wand.
Making these positive changes aren't going to make a massive difference on day one.
But over time, you will start to experience the difference these things can make.
I have shared the links to a couple of interesting articles below, for your information.
I hope you have found this useful.
Thanks for reading
Anne
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