If you've ever been told that mental health issues have nothing to do with your physical health, you're not alone. But I'm here to tell you that the connection between the two is all too real and couldn't be more relevant to your health and healing.
This physical-emotional connection is insidious because it's often ignored by the conventional healthcare world, which treats mental health and emotional health as if the brain exists completely unconnected to the rest of the body. And yet it seems like every single day, mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or chronic stress are connected to physical health factors, like diet, inflammation levels, or the status of the gut microbiome, further proving that the physical and emotional world has always been connected.
The dance between our gut and brain is fascinating as it shows nature's interconnectedness. In fact it highlights one of the biggest issues in western medicine, which is a lack of understanding of how connected the body is. Instead of treating root causes, we tend to treat systems, which continue to progress.
But, this also shines light on a new realm of empowerment and control over one’s mental health. A world where you are empowered to control your mental health instead of passively having to deal with a symptom that can wreak havoc.
Groundbreaking research reveals that a staggering 90% of the communication between the gut and the brain originates from the gut, underscoring the gut's pivotal role in our emotional and psychological state. This connection lays the foundation for a transformative approach to anxiety management: nurturing our gut health
With that much of the communication between the gut and brain being sent by the gut, it becomes all the more important to improve gut health for the sake of mental health.
The beautiful thing is there are free solutions and simple lifestyle changes you can make in your life right now.
Decrease Anxiety Naturally Through Food to Improve Gut Health
What we eat is important. This simply cannot be understated. The worse our diet is and the more processed the food we eat the harder it becomes to be healthy mentally, let alone physically.
If you, like nearly 1 in 4 people globally, struggle with forms of anxiety, depression, or chronic stress, you cannot afford to eat an unhealthy diet. This alone can increase mental health symptoms and wreak havoc on your life.
A recent study outlines the importance of diet, which put together participants who had diagnosed issues with mental health such as anxiety, depression and chronic stress. The study showed that by healing the gut through diet and incorporating probiotics leads to reduced mental issues. In fact 56% of studied participants had measurable decreases in anxiety, depression and stress.
Adding probiotics and prebiotic-rich foods to your diet can help you take care of your gut. These foods can help influence the balance of good bacteria in your microbiome, otherwise known as gut flora.
Probiotic foods can help add diversity to your gut, whole foods high in prebiotics help feed your good gut bacteria.
Try adding some of the following foods to your daily diet:
Probiotic foods
- sauerkraut
- kefir
- kimchi
- kombucha
- apple cider vinegar
- kvass
- high-quality yogurt
Prebiotic-rich foods
- jicama
- asparagus
- chicory root
- dandelion greens
- onions
- garlic
- leeks
Hydrate to Improve Gut Health & Reduce Anxiety Naturally
Water is required for digestion, acting as a lubricant that facilitates the movement of food along the digestive tract. From the moment food enters the mouth, saliva, which is primarily water, begins to break down complex carbohydrates.
As the food travels through the digestive system, it needs adequate water to maintain the right consistency for smooth movement. In the stomach, water combines with stomach acids to help break down proteins and aid in the digestive process. Water also softens the stool, preventing constipation and promoting regular bowel movements.
Hydration is essential to our health. This doesn’t mean just drinking a beverage. Soda, coffee, tea, while liquid is not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about water specifically.
Additionally you can make the water more beneficial by adding trace minerals to the water. We use these from Amazon.
Use Mediation & Movement to Reduce Anxiety
When you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or stressed there are hormones and chemical imbalances that are occurring that are linked to these feelings.
By controlling these hormones, you can control the symptoms. We utilize 2 specific tools to improve these hormone imbalances.
Meditation
Mindfulness meditations and breathwork can help calm the body and lower cortisol levels within minutes. Breathwork is known for its anti-inflammatory nature and its ability to reduce cortisol in the body. Taking 10 minutes a day can have a dramatic effect on the way you feel. We like Peter Sonnenberg's meditations, especially his Guided Relaxation Meditation and his Guided Breathwork Meditation.
Regular Exercise.
Physical activity is another cornerstone of gut health and anxiety management. Regular exercise, whether through daily walks, yoga, or more vigorous forms of exercise benefits both our physical and mental well being.
We live sedentary lives with conveniences for everything. You HAVE to get yourself to move. If you struggle with this, lower the barrier of entry. Do a 10 minute walk during a break from work. A 10 minute yoga session at home. Anything to get moving.
The journey to manage anxiety through better gut health is a holistic one. This is not another Rx to manage symptoms. This is getting to the gut cause of an issue and taking control of your health.
By understanding and nurturing the gut-brain connection, we can take proactive approaches toward mental health. Empower yourself with knowledge and get to work. Your health is in your hands.
Tell us in the comments how you’re working to reduce your anxiety through better gut health.