Unlocking the Mind-Gut Connection: A Path to Better Health
If you believe in preventive care, read this.
As originally published in In Fitness And In Health on Medium.com.
Image: francescoch on iStock
We often talk about a “gut feeling” when we meet someone for the first time, or go somewhere for the first time. We’re also told to “trust our gut” when making a difficult decision or when deciding if something is wrong for us.
There’s a reason this saying came about — this mind-gut connection is not just metaphorical.
A very real connection exists between our brain and our gut. And understanding this connection can go a long way to staying healthy.
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The Communication Between Our Gut and BrainI believe in the mind-body connection — because I’ve experienced it first-hand.
In my 30’s I endured a multitude of poor health conditions such as a brain seizure, brain fog, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and much more.
But it wasn’t until about five years ago that I began to understand how my depleting emotional and mental state was affecting my physical health, and vice versa.
In “The Good Gut” Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg state that our brain and gut are connected by an extensive network of neurons and a highway of chemicals and hormones that constantly provide feedback about how hungry we are, whether or not we’re experiencing stress, or if we’ve ingested a disease-causing microbe.
This information superhighway is called the brain-gut axis and provides constant updates on the state of affairs at our two ends.
That sinking feeling in the pit of our stomach after looking at our post-holiday credit card bill is a vivid example of the brain-gut connection at work. Or when we decide to take a walk down that dark alleyway, alone. We’re stressed and our gut knows it — immediately.
What’s more, studies have shown that not only does our brain affect our gut health, but that our gut may well affect our brain health. After all, the brain is metabolically expensive.
In humans, the brain consumes approximately 20% of our metabolic energy, despite comprising only 2% of our body mass, making it amongst the most energetically costly organs in the body.
The network of neurons in the gut is as complex as that in our spinal cord. But why is our gut the only organ in our body that needs its own “brain?”
As well as managing the process of digestion, it might just be that another job of our second brain is to listen to the trillions of microbes residing in the gut and feedback information to our brain.
Image: Revival Health GmbH adapted from VectorStock image
For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, pain, upset stomach, and the like. But more recent studies have now shown that it may also be the other way around.
Researchers are finding evidence that irritation in the gastrointestinal system may send signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger mood changes.
In fact, research shows that a change in the composition of our gut microbes has been shown to significantly affect:
Our mood
Our pain tolerance
Our cognitive performance
Our behaviour
Our mental health
In other words, if we’re living on junk food, we may, over time, feel a lot more negative emotions creeping into our day-to-day lives.
Listen to Your Body
“If you listen to your body when it whispers, you’ll never have to hear it scream.”
— Cherokee proverb
Our body is constantly sending us signals about our health, one way or another. The key is to learn how to listen.
So many people attribute chronic diseases to old age.
And when they eventually appear, our only solution is to see a doctor, get a prescription, deal with the side effects, and manage the symptoms as best as we can.
But what if chronic disease never happened in the first place?
What most people don’t realise is that 95% of all chronic diseases can be traced to a single root cause — an imbalance in our gut microbiome.
Fun fact — as humans, 95% of our behaviour is driven by our subconscious. And our body is our subconscious mind. Coincidence?
A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2022 links our gut microbiome to a range of different diseases.
Source: Vijay A, Valdes AM. 2022. Role of the gut microbiome in chronic diseases: a narrative review. Euro J Clin Nutrition.ens. 76:489–501.
To put it more simply, according to articles in Forbes Health and Frederick Health, symptoms of an unhealthy gut include:
Gas, Bloating and Other Stomach Issues. Frequent discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and heartburn could be signs that your gut is having a hard time processing food and eliminating waste.
Unintentional Weight Fluctuations. When your gut is imbalanced, your body may struggle to absorb nutrients, store fat, and regulate blood sugar. Weight loss or gain may be caused by bacteria overgrowth or lack of nutrients.
Skin Issues. Some skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis may be related to gut issues.
Moodiness, Irritability and Trouble With Concentration. Gut problems and inflammation in the nervous system can lead to anxiety and depression.
Fatigue or Insomnia. An unhealthy gut can cause insomnia or poor sleep, which leads to fatigue. The majority of your body’s serotonin, which affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. So, when there’s bacteria or inflammation in the gut, your sleep may be affected as well.
Sugar Cravings. Eating too much sugar can cause too much “bad” bacteria in the gut. High amounts of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, are linked to inflammation in the body and put you at risk for other diseases.
Food Intolerances. Food intolerances may be caused by poor quality of bacteria in the gut. You may have a food intolerance if you struggle to digest certain foods. This can cause bloating, gas, diarrhoea, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Autoimmune Problems. Some “bad” gut bacteria may trigger autoimmune conditions like thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.
Understanding our own microbiome better can not only help us heal existing conditions but prevent disease in the future.
My body had been on the decline for far too long before I truly understood it was trying to tell me something. Emotionally I was at zero, and what I thought was a healthy diet was only harming me more.
My American and South African heritage are both heavy meat-eating cultures, so that’s how I was nourished as a child and I naturally continued eating that way into adulthood.
Yet, just to list one example, it turns out that beef was contributing to ammonia and methane gas production in my gut, too much of which causes not only gastrointestinal discomfort but reduced motility and damage to my gut lining.
What’s interesting to me is that looking back to my childhood, I remember often not wanting to eat meat. I believe, to a large extent, we intuitively know what works for us and what doesn’t, but our body is so amazing that if we feed it something long enough, it adapts as best it can — the most basic survival instinct kicks in. Sooner or later, however, its limits show.
Nourish Your Body“Changing your physiology changes your psychology.“
— Jim Kwik
The trillions of microbes that make up our microbiome are constantly interacting with one another, and most importantly, our food — and can either move us towards health or illness.
Chronic diseases like the ones listed above can take years or even decades to manifest.
Meaning, that the food we’re eating right now, even the ones we’re told are universally healthy for everyone, could be triggering widespread inflammation in our body because they’re incompatible with our unique microbiome.
This was the case for me. After analysing my microbiome I learned that some foods, like turmeric, which is well known as a superfood, were, in fact, causing me harm.
Turmeric stimulates the production and release of cholic acid, a bile acid important in the digestion of fats. However, if our microbes show increased bile acid-related activity, then excessive cholic acid may contribute to a pro-inflammatory environment in the gut.
In my case, my microbiome also informed me I should avoid foods like cashews, pistachios, cauliflower and artichokes, to name just a few. This was important for me given I’m now a pescatarian and consume tonnes of vegetables and fruit and look for non-meat protein sources.
Nuts and beans are common food staples for vegetarians and are advised by most nutritionists as good meat-alternative protein sources. Cashews, in particular, are also used to produce many dairy alternatives such as milk and cheese.
However, cashews are high in fibre and can over-ferment in our microbiome. The analysis of my data indicates that foods high in certain types of fibre or sugar may be over-fermenting in my microbiome and contributing to discomfort. Temporarily removing cashews from my diet was therefore recommended.
Similarly, pinto and black beans, for example, contain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which is a carbohydrate that can be fermented by gut microbes. While fermentation of FOS can result in the production of beneficial metabolites such as butyrate for some individuals, for others (me) it can also contribute to methane gas production, as are best avoided.
The point is that nothing is just good or bad. It’s that we are all bio-individuals, and that means one size never fits all.
So while we may feel healthy right now, if we were to look at our microbiome, we may find that our body is incurring massive amounts of stress without even realising it. And, if left unchecked, will reach a breaking point that will inevitably manifest itself as a chronic disease.
Here are two ways to get to know your unique microbiome:
One way to better understand our unique body is through an elimination diet. The elimination diet removes common foods that may be causing physical symptoms and, with reintroduction, helps us identify the foods that may be triggering our symptoms.
I wrote about how to do this in “Our Genes Do Not Determine Our Destiny. We Do.”
The first time I did an elimination diet was before I did plant medicines. The retreat I went to was very strict about cleansing our bodies pre-ritual. By the end of the process, I felt more in tune with my body than I ever had before.
But of course, I wasn’t exposed to certain seasonal vegetables during that time and, let’s be honest, most of us tend to stick to the foods we know well and like to cook.
So, whilst I learned more about which foods don’t serve me, the list was not extensive.
A more accurate way to understand our unique microbiome is through Viome Health Solutions.
Viome has developed a simple, efficient and effective way to decode our microbiome and guide us to better health through identifying our personal superfoods, foods to enjoy, foods to minimise and foods to avoid, as well as personalised supplements, probiotics and prebiotics.
This is how I analysed my microbiome and, since applying the results have noticed the following improvements in my health: no more bloating or gas, stronger nails, thicker and healthier hair, no more brain fog, and more energy.
Image: Veronica Weedon
In full disclosure, given my results, I am now a Viome affiliate so receive a small commission from any sales that come through my link.
As a certified integrative nutrition health coach, I’m always looking to learn more about my body and for ways to improve how I nourish and nurture it, and I’ve yet to come across another company doing anything like Viome. Their process is easy, efficient, and affordable.
The biggest advantage to me here was learning about my superfoods. An elimination diet doesn’t give us this information.
Jackfruit and guava are two of my superfoods. Both are sources of protein which is essential for me as a non-meat eater, and jackfruit is high in vitamin B and guava in vitamin C. As less common and well-known fruits, neither had a place in my diet before analysing my microbiome. And yet they are delicious, versatile, and affordable.
Having a list of superfoods makes grocery shopping easier, meal planning more interesting, and most importantly, ensures I’m consuming foods that support my microbiome and overall well-being.
Nurture Your Body“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.”
— Jim Rohn
I remember when I began to understand the mind-body connection — so many lightbulbs went on in my head.
Looking back throughout my life I could begin to make the connections between my emotional state and the physical ailments I struggled with for so many years, even in childhood.
The role of the human emotional system is to let the good in — love, nurturing, affection, etc — and keep the bad out.
The immune system has the same function. Its job is to let the good bacteria in and keep toxins out.
But when we suppress one, we repress the other.
Louise Hay, best-selling author and speaker, has written about the mind-body connection extensively and I address some of her examples of how specific emotions link to specific physical conditions in “Why We Feel Like We Are Not Enough.”
My grandmother gave me her book “You Can Heal Your Life” many years ago and I refer to and reference it more today than ever before.
Meditation is a wonderful way to understand and process our emotions — to nurture our mind and body.
Our conscious mind is where there is logic and reasoning. The purpose of meditation is to get beyond the analytical mind and tap into our subconscious, where our habits and behaviours reside.
When we slow our breathing, we slow our brainwaves and can move from beta (our conscious analytical mind) to alpha and further to theta, a hypnotic state where we are open to suggestions. This is where we are conscious in our subconscious mind.
Meditation means “to become familiar with”.
The alternative is sticking our heads in the sand and blaming others when things go wrong. Ignorance is a powerful side effect of pain. #askmehowiknow
But once we’re willing to take back control over our health and happiness, life becomes a whole lot easier.
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Our everyday choices matter. And they have a domino effect on our health and happiness.
So I continue to learn about my mind and my body. And I continue to change. For the better. Striving to always become a healthier, happier version of myself as I continue to move through this journey called life.
Wherever you are on your healing journey, always remember that YOU ARE ENOUGH.
