Tuesday Truths – “We have TWO BRAINS.”
August 23, 2022
The GUT-BRAIN Connection. I love this researched science-based stuff!
When you go to your “gut feeling” to make a decision or have felt “butterflies in your stomach” when nervous, this is your second brain.
Some medical experts call our gut the “second brain” because the communication with the brain in our head plays a crucial role in certain diseases in our bodies and our overall mental health!
Anxiety and stress conditions are examples of how these concerns create gastrointestinal (GI) and visa versa.
The enteric nervous system (ENS), the little brain, extends from the oral cavity, esophagus, through the stomach and intestine, and down to your butt hole. Therefore, these two brains are in constant communication.
The “gut brain,” hidden in our digestion system, is revolutionizing medicine’s understanding of the link between digestion, mood, health, and even the way we think!
For decades research and doctors thought anxiety and depression contributed to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), including constipation, diarrhea, bloating, pain, and stomach upset caused by the ENS, the primary role of controlling digestion.
However, Dr. Jay Pasricha, director of the John Hopkins Center for Nerogastroenterolgy, studies are finding evidence that it may be the other way around.
These findings are significant because 30-40% of the population has functional bowel problems.
In addition, cutting-edge research investigates how the second brain mediates the body’s immune response; at least 70 percent of our immune system is aimed at the gut to kill foreign invaders.
You know the saying “you are what you eat,” but let’s take it a little deeper as Andrea Nakayama of the Functional Nutrition Alliance states; “you are not what you eat. It is what your body can do with what you eat.” In other words, it is what your body can break down and absorb.”
“The digestion system is the highway among which microscopic nutrients travel, and your cells are the final destination.”
Meaning our diet is fundamental to the health of our digestion.
According to Andrea Nakayama (FxNA), “It is important to understand that the gut affects the health of many, if not all, organs in the body.”
AH…….I have a simple and best tool for you to see if you are digesting and assimilating what you are eating……. And it is the FOOD, MOOD, and POOP Journal!
That reminds me of the cute TV commercial about pooping. Of course, they don’t say the word, and I can’t even recall what they are advertising, but I found it humorous and can’t get it out of my head.
Journaling is a great way to step back and understand how you’re feeling, and your POOP (there, I said it!) provides excellent clues.
Along with your food intake, it allows a clinician to connect the dots, which intern helps you to determine which patterns are serving you and which ones are getting in the way of your health goals.
For us, POOP can be an indicator of overall health and an essential focus in restoring our body pH and balance.
No judgment or self-criticism here, just a starting point for self-awareness.
Digestion begins at the thought or smell of food before it enters our mouth and ends with eliminating waste. Top to bottom!
You can buy fancy FOOD, MOOD, POOP Journal on Amazon, or I can send you a FREE Handout, and we can discuss this on a more personal level. LOL
There is so much knowledge you can learn from our second brain! Learning to address the ROOT cause and, with a bit of coaching, applying diet and lifestyle modifications is a benefit.
So, please DM me if you would like a copy of the F/M/P journal, and please share this video with someone you know who would find this helpful information.
That’s all I have for you today. Until next week…….Trust your Truth; it’s in your GUT, and you want to keep your head sharp and gut healthy!