The root of the gut-brain connection is strong. So strong in fact, it's the determining factor in how depression, anxiety, insomnia, moodiness and even dementia play a role in our lives.
I bet, you assumed that those "feelings" or states of being were natural or normal, but research shows us they're not. 'It really doesn't make sense anymore to differentiate between the gut and the brain because they really are very similar functionally speaking.'
There's this highway between the gut and the brain and the microbiome in the gut (there's thousands of them) are directly communicating with the brain and then the brain communicates to the body.
Now, the question you should be asking is- What affects the microbiome in our gut? Well, the short answer is lots of things. The long answer is everything from the food we eat to the water we drink.
Now, if you've noticed that you need a lot of coffee ✋🏽(that used to be me) and/or you are anxious and​ moody (also me), then you may want to take a look at what your eating, even if it's considered healthy.
In order to create good microbiome or gut flora, you'll want to start by eliminating 1 food a week. So for example, if you eat eggs every day​, try eliminating them first. Then move on to things like soy, dairy, and corn. These here are the biggest culprits because they are used as additives in everything from packaged foods to deli meat to dessert to bread. This is because they act as preservatives and filler to make the bread taste good and have a longer shelf life.
Ideally, you want to eliminate the top 8 allergens: But I say 9!
Wheat
Dairy
Corn
Peanuts
Soy
Eggs
Shellfish
Tree Nuts
White Sugar/Artificial Sweeteners​
Here's what you can do to turn things around immediately. Our bodies are so efficient that changing something now will produce immediate results- more energy, clear thinking, restful sleep, even keel moods, faster thinking and better elimination (đź’©).
Add This:
Coconut Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic
As many​ green veggies as possible
Nuts
Legumes
herbs, Spices, Seasoning
Quinoa
Optimal protein choices include:
• Pasture raised chicken and eggs
• Grass-feed meat (beef, lamb, bison, buffalo)
• Wild or sustainably farmed, low-mercury seafood (like sardines, salmon, herring, flounder, clams, crab, oysters, perch, pollock, shrimp, sole, squid, trout, whitefish, etc.)
Check labels! Anything that has these ingredients below or ingredients you can't pronounce is definitely bad for gut flora.
Maltodextrin (Sugar)
Agave (sugar)
Xylitol (Sugar Alcohol)
Corn Syrup (Sugar)
Dimethicone​ (Preservative)
There are trillions of bacteria in our gut which means that bacteria has a trillion different genes in them, which definitely outnumbers our own genes!
So you can imagine, having​ a balanced gut flora promotes healing by lowering inflammation and better brains!
The idea isn't to kill the bacteria or ecosystem in our gut, but rather feed the good ones and just let the other types of bad bacteria die off on there own.
Now, let's​ not ignore the other obvious- exercise! Yes, aside from altering the foods you eat, exercise is key in activating thefeel-good​d endorphins and allowing the uptake of the foods we eat to be better absorbed!
In addition to eating better and adding in exercise, there are natural supplements to take that can also aid in helping produce good gut flora. They include- EPA (fish oil), Probiotics (make sure dairy, corn and wheat free), vitamin B-12, Magnesium Tartrate.
I always recommend speaking to a doctor about supplements, as I'm just a mom who does her research. However, it's known that there are ways to be optimal without taking prescription meds. Do yourself a favor and give the above dietary suggestions a try and in 3 weeks come back and comment on how you feel!
When I began this journey, I swapped out eggs for a collagen​ protein from Bulletproof. I added 2 scoops protein, 1/4 avocado, 1 cup spinach, and 1 cup blueberries​ with 1/2 cup almond milk. This was my staple for 2 weeks.
For lunch and dinner was anything from Wild caught Salmon to ground beef, side of spinach (or cauliflower, bok choy, zucchini, etc), and a sweet potato.
If I'm craving dessert, I will consume 2 squares 90% dark chocolate with 2 tbsp almond butter (salt and sugar free).
I would love to hear from you guys to know what you found has helped your well-being after eliminating it or incorporating a thing or food in your life?!