Have you ever had a gut feeling or an uneasy or nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach? These gut feelings or sensations emanating from your gut suggest that your brain and gut are connected. This connection between your gut and brain is called the gut-brain axis.
What is the gut-brain connection?
The gut and brain are in constant communication through this gut-brain axis. This connection happens through three main pathways: the vagus nerve, hormones, and neurotransmitters. The vagus nerve acts like a two-way communication highway, sending signals back and forth. For example, when your gut is inflamed or imbalanced, it can send stress signals to your brain, potentially leading to anxiety or depression. Likewise, if you’re stressed or anxious, your brain can trigger digestive issues like bloating, cramping, or an upset stomach. Your gut microbiome plays a huge role in this relationship.
What is the Gut Microbiome?
Here’s some news that might surprise you; your body has more bacteria than human cells! The gut microbiome is a collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes located all throughout the digestive tract. The trillions of bacteria in your gut produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which directly influence your mood. If your gut bacteria are out of balance—say from a poor diet or chronic stress—your mood and mental health can suffer. On the flip side, eating nourishing foods like fiber-rich plants and fermented products helps your gut thrive, which can stabilize your mood and even improve mental clarity.
Food and Mood
This gut-brain connection highlights the powerful impact of “food and mood.” What you eat affects the health of your gut, which then affects how you feel emotionally and mentally. In turn, your mood can drive your food choices—stress often leads to cravings for processed, sugary foods that can harm gut health.
Tips for Improved Gut Health:
1. Fermented Foods contain probiotics or live bacteria that line the digestive tract and support the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Food sources: kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, greek yogurt, pickled vegetables, sourdough bread
2. Eat a Diverse Range of Plant Foods: Eat the Rainbow!
Polyphenols are natural compounds found in plant-based foods. They are prebiotics for gut bacteria and are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Food sources: garlic, onion, asparagus, artichoke, root vegetables, lentils, beans, chickpeas, berries, unripe bananas, apples, oats, nuts & seeds, chicory root.
3. Avoid Excess Added Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners
Sugar not only feeds the bad bacteria but can suppress the growth of good bacteria.
Check food labels for added sugar and artificial sugar. Avoid "sugar-free" foods as many of these contain artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols.
Choose unrefined sugars such as raw honey, coconut sugar, fruits, and 100% pure maple syrup.
4. Avoid Highly Processed Foods
Processed foods can lead to a leaky gut lining and trigger inflammation.
Processed foods contain many harmful ingredients like excess sugar, sodium, and additives that can negatively affect your gut health.
5. Stay Hydrated
Water helps the gut by facilitating the breakdown of food, aiding in nutrient absorption, and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome by ensuring efficient digestion and bowel regularity.
6. Eat Mindfully
It’s not just what you eat but how you eat!
Enjoy undistracted meals daily to be totally mindful of the act of eating
20-minute rule
Sit down and eat
Slow down your eating and be sure to chew your foods thoroughly
Be grateful for your food!
7. Sufficient Sleep
A good night's sleep is essential for good bacteria to thrive.
Your gut microbiome has a circadian rhythm as we do and if sleep is disrupted so can our gut.
Aim for 7-8 hours per night for optimal rest! Use a sleep app to track not only quantity but quality of sleep.
8. Exercise & Move Your Body
Research has shown that those who exercise have a more diverse gut compared to sedentary individuals.
Aim for at least 150 mins of exercise per week for benefits.
9. Listen to Your Gut!
Pay attention to how you respond to certain foods.
Journaling your food intake may be helpful to identify which foods make you feel symptoms.
Take note if certain foods make you feel bloated, brain fog, nauseous, etc.
Incorporating these gut health strategies can help you to create an environment where healthy microbes can grow, thrive, and contribute to better digestion, immunity, and overall well-being.
By prioritizing gut-friendly foods, you’re not just supporting digestion but creating a foundation for emotional resilience and mental well-being. It’s a cycle, and you have the power to make it a positive one!
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Jennifer Pond, MS
Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach
NextGeneration Nutrition believes that better health should be accessible to everyone and that we all are able to improve our health through good nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle change. We do not support setting shame-based goals but encourage embracing our bodies, genetics, and personality. Our philosophy is abandoning the “One Size Fits All” mentality to create a personalized wellness plan based on your biological makeup and your lifestyle.
For more information, connect with us on Social Media or message us!
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