The Mind-Gut Connection

#thebestisyettocome2021

"A stressed out mind and body usually leads to a stressed out gut." 

If you've spoken to me over the last 2 years, I've probably told you all about how I've been experiencing odd "stomach" problems. 

Despite the fact that I look completely normal on the outside and can perform all of my daily tasks, including working out, unfortunately these persistent "stomach" problems I have been experiencing have taken a toll on my sleep quality and quantity as well as on my overall sense of wellbeing. 

At this point, I've seen several doctors, I've done many tests, I have cut out numerous food items, I have invested in a long list of supplements and I have changed some of my daily habits, all of which have sadly led to very little relief. 

I've just recently finished reading a book called "The Mind-Gut Connection" by Dr. Emeran Mayer and though I couldn't quite grasp and retain all of its contents (it was quite wordy with scientific terminology that was slightly beyond my scope), I was still intrigued to learn more information about how powerful the relationship is between our emotions, our brain, our gut and our microbiome (inside the digestive track). 

From our genes, to what our mothers eat and experience before our birth, to our family members microbes, to our childhood experiences, to the stressful events we face throughout our lives, to the emotions we feel, to the food and medicine we intake, to bodily events such as infections and surgeries, to environmental conditions...it seems there are several key elements that can contribute to making up the thoughts in our mind and the composition of our gut and subsequently affect the communication between the two. 

After speaking with several individuals, listening to various podcasts, and reading articles along with this most recent book, it's become clear to me that we should all be more aware and careful of what we put into our bodies, but even more importantly what we allow our bodies to endure, such as physical, psychological and emotional stress. When the internal communication between our mind and gut is out of balance, we can begin experiencing a range of health problems which could eventually lead to more serious illnesses and diseases; it's actually quite worrying! 

I don't know for sure what has been causing my gastrointestinal issues, but the start of them does coincide with some stressful events I experienced back in 2019. Of course, since then, I've faced life's regular stressors (e.g. job, relationships, social interactions, high intensity workouts) and most importantly I have been put through the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, which I can only assume hasn't helped my situation. 

Now, the big question remains, where do I go from here and how can I heal myself from this dysbiosis (imbalance of the gut microbes)? 

Well, based on everything I have been learning, firstly I believe I need to continue to implement some lifestyle changes and practice simple stress reduction techniques that will help with healing my mind, such as journaling, breathing, meditation, yoga, regular exercise and potentially cognitive behavioural therapy, hypnosis and other mindfulness-based stress reduction. 

Secondly, I should likely stick to some diet changes to lower the inflammation and improve my gut health such as intermittent fasting, smaller portions, eating naturally fermented foods and probiotocs, less animal fat, less processed food and more plant-based meals (think Mediterranean and Asian cuisines), all while being more mindful of my emotions at meal times. 

My journey to living in a state of optimal health is far from over, but I think that in gaining a deeper understanding of how the mind and gut are connected, I am now in a better position to get to the root cause of my current digestive problems, regain stability and resilience and protect myself from similar issues in the future. 

“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.”