BLOG 112 GUT vs BRAIN
Well that good old Amazon Prime account of mine led me to
the movie, “The Gut: Our Second Brain” (2013) by Cecile Denjean. This
documentary was fascinating as so many clients suffer from stomach issues. I’m
sure we can all relate to our bellies trying to be the almighty ruler of our
day. So I’d like to share some of the research this movie explored.
Dating back to the cave man, our bodily features and
functions were developed as needed mechanisms to seek and find food. Think of
the “raw” diet that used to be consumed compared to our digestive systems now
that have undergone quite the change in the types of food we eat. Even when
cooking from “scratch”, realistically the flour or spices have been through some
type of manufacturing process already before our purchase of it. The stomach
cannot physically be the same as it was thousands of years ago.
The brain and the stomach use the same neurotransmitters.
Serotonin is the “well-being” chemical found in both the brain and stomach. 95%
of serotonin is produced in the gut. So if serotonin is said to dictate our
mood stability, no wonder the stomach is impacted when we feel stressed or
uneasy. Adding to this, 1 in 10 people are said to have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
digestive pain problems. The brain and gut have communication issues. I was
surprised to learn that Parkinson’s disease originates in the gut.
Different approaches are used to help with gut problems.
Recent holistic type methods and Chinese medicine suggest hypnosis and
acupuncture. This has also been shown to help with depression (again the brain
and gut communicating better). Chinese medicine believes in the finding the
source of the problem, which most times is the stomach.
Bacteria helps with digestion and we need it in our system.
Having this good type of bacteria date back to when we are babies and are
building immunity. Obesity and bacteria have been closely studied. Some
research has revealed that obese people have more of a certain type of
bacteria. Obesity boils down to 10% genetic, 10% bacteria and 80% lifestyle. Antibiotics
kill bad bacteria. Probiotics help develop the good type of bacteria we need
which can be found in yeasts and yogurt. There isn’t a clear understanding yet
of how probiotics work, but in a test that gave women yogurts, they were less
reactive to situations, meaning they were in a better stable sense of mind. The
images of the brain were in a calmer state.
The more we know, the better we set ourselves up for success
on our fitness journeys. This documentary help make sense of a lot of the
stomach issues clients face. There is more to that growl in the belly than we
think. Feed the mind and stomach as best as possible and listen to what your
body is trying to communicate.
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