Gut Brain Relationship
Gut health is definitely receiving a lot of attention at the moment, and there’s pretty good reason for it – it all comes down to the bacteria in our gut.
Now bacteria strikes fear in the hearts of many of us and have us reaching for the Dettol to eliminate it. However, in this case we want to increase the amount of good bacteria in our gut through balanced eating of the right foods.
Good Bacteria - aid food digestion, the immune system function, production of serotonin (the feel-good hormone), metabolic health and the flushing of toxins from the body.
Good bacteria help us sleep better, by working together with your circadian rhythm our 24-hour internal clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. One major player in this cycle is melatonin; this helps us feel alert and sleepy during the same time each day. Healthy bacteria can increase the production of melatonin by increasing tryptophan in your blood. Tryptophan is an amino acid which helps produce and regulate different hormones in the body.
Tryptophan can also convert to serotonin in the body. This is another hormone which has been shown to help regulate our sleep-wake cycle, among other elements, which also has a considerably influence over our mood. Serotonin is also a vital neurotransmitter, which can help lower our stress levels and make us feel more at ease.
Furthermore, having a healthy and balanced microbiome also helps lower cortisol, a well-known stress hormone. During periods of high stress, cortisol is elevated and this can wreak havoc on your entire body.
Below are some tips on ways in which we can improve and increase the levels of good bacteria in our guts:
1. Provide your body with enough probiotics through food. Foods which are rich in probiotics include; kombucha, dark chocolate, yogurt and kefir
2. Provide your body with enough fibre, which promotes a healthy gut and proper digestion. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and whole grains are great options
3. Exercise regularly, cut out junk and processed foods from your diet as much as you can, limit the intake of trans fats and very salty foods, avoid the use of antibiotics as much as you can and generally avoid foods that your gut doesn’t tolerate well
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