What does the gut have to do with your mood?

Hi there!  Hope your halloween was so much fun!  Ours was different this year, it was so much faster!  My girl just ran from house to house, she was so excited.  My boy was just trying to keep up with his sister and kept telling her to slow down.  So funny :)  We finished in 45 minutes!

 But now that everyone has so much sugar in the house I thought I would talk about your gut.  I know at this time of year it is hard to say no to all the sugary goodness that is surrounding you.  Halloween is especially hard when you are overwhelmed with the many choices of all the deliciousness.  I am sure at all the other times of the year it is much easier to deny yourself by just not buying those tasty little evil treats but, when they walk into your house carried by those cute little faces it's all over.  Believe me, I can stay on track most the time but tis' the season for a few extra pounds wrapped in tiny little bite sized packages.  My personal faves are Reese's peanut butter cups and I don't even eat peanuts anymore!  I love those things though!

So here starts my thoughts on my gut and how to keep everything in balance.  First of all if you are going to treat yourself don't over do it.  Chew them slowly, savor them, I am all about allowing yourself these kinds of things but use good judgement.  If you go for the 90% good food 10% fun, be realistic about how much is 10%.  Secondly, keep moving!  Keep up the exercise during this crazy season it will definitely help you keep the pounds away.  And this will help your digestion too! Lastly remember what sugar can do to you, the highs, the lows, this season is crazy enough without you getting burned out early because of sugar over load.  

This leads me to the ups and downs during the holidays and sugar does play a big part in that.  Your gut, aka "inside your belly", has been proven to be your bodies literal "second brain". For years, the medical world has been trying to figure out what causes our moods to change and what causes common problems that most of us face like stress, anxiety, and even depression. These are common problems, and we know they are linked to serotonin, but did you know that 95% of serotonin isn't even produced in the brain? Serotonin is actually produced in the gut.

What we put inside of our bellies is directly related to our emotional health. Our gut consists of bacteria and we need that bacteria to have a healthy balance or the rest of us will not be balanced including our mood. Your gut and your brain work together, so if one is out of balance the other will be also. Have you ever had an upset stomach because your mind was stressed? Well, think about it, if it works one way it works both ways. There have been many scientific studies that have linked mood problems to gut problems and vice versa.

Is your gut balanced with 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria? That is the recipe for a healthy gut and a healthy mood. The best way to make sure your body has healthy bacteria for your gut is to feed your gut healthy bacteria. Some symptoms of an unhealthy gut include gas, bloating, nausea, sugar cravings, and more. The best way to make sure that your gut is getting the healthy nourishment it needs is through probiotics. Probiotics can be in pill form, (my fave is Garden of Life Raw probiotics, but everyone is different so you may have to try a couple of kinds to see what works for you) or you can get them right through your diet. Excellent sources of probiotics include kefir and fermented or cultured foods and beverages.  Two things I have added recently are kimchi and kombucha, I love both!
 
Keeping a healthy gut in check will help you to digest food properly, absorb vital nutrients, and maintain a healthy state of mind aka your mood. And with all the stress of the holidays we need all the help we can get!  Not to mention it would be nice not to be bloated in those new outfits you bought for those fun parties coming your way, right?!  

​Thanks for reading and have a great day!