Our gut is our second brain! Don’t believe it? Do you recall your little one saying, “Mummy, I feel butterflies in my tummy!” when they are feeling nervous or anxious? How about the recent feeling of discomfort in your belly, bloating, or flatulence when you are stressed or overwhelmed?
Have you ever wondered how does your brain know what you’re feeling or experiencing? A lesser-known part of our nervous system, the Enteric Nervous System (ENS), is located in our gut. This system relies on the same neurons and neurotransmitters that are found in our central nervous system. Your brain is sending signals to your gut every micro million seconds. So is your gut sending signals to your brain. This communication between the brain and gut now helps us better understand the connection between gut health and our overall well-being.
How does gut health affect your physical health?
Our digestive system, also known as our gut, is where the digestion of food takes place. A healthy gut is needed for effective and efficient digestion, which in turn allows us to get all the nutrients we need from the food we eat. In each digestive system also lives both “good” and “bad” bacteria. Our unique gut microbiome is responsible for the production of enzymes that helps to break down food, regulate our immune system, produce certain vitamins and protect against pathogenic bacteria. Together with the complex network of signals in the form of hormones and nerves in the ENS, our gut manages and controls the process of digestion making sure that every cell in our body is taken care of (or not).
- Cohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
How is your gut affecting your mental and emotional health?
As we know it, or feel it, poor digestion affects physical health. More than often, we feel unwell after regrettably bad food choices. We experience pain, lethargy, brain fog, hyperactivity, and other forms of physical discomfort. If a disrupted gut is left untreated, these unpleasant symptoms may slowly manifest into long-term issues affecting your mental and emotional health.
An imbalance in your gut microbiome diversity can proliferate the “bad” bacteria and lead to inflammation. Besides physical suffering, depression, anxiety, and other mental health condition may set in. Poor gut health can also trigger negative emotions in your brain like sadness, anger, or irritation, which could affect your relationship with others, and yourself.
Signs and symptoms of an unhappy gut
Now that we know that our gut is responsible for our overall well-being, how do we spot an unhappy or unhealthy gut before we can better treat our body?
We learned that we have numerous bacteria in our gut and we are also aware that there is a crosstalk between our gut and brain. A disruption of microbiome imbalance can disrupt nutrient absorption and increase the permeability of the intestines, allowing bacteria to escape. This is commonly referred to as a leaky gut syndrome. If left untreated, increase permeability in an inflamed gut can affect the immune and nervous system as shown in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and depression.
Studies have shown that if you have an unhealthy balance of bacteria in your gut, you are more prone to having:
Ö Crohn’s disease
Ö Ulcerative Colitis
Ö Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Some signs and symptoms to be aware of:
Ö Food intolerances
Ö Skin irritation
Ö Upset stomach
Ö Nausea
Ö Lethargy
Ö Trouble sleeping or poor sleep
Ö Extreme food cravings
How can we help?
Shane’s Kitchen is a home-based business serving healthy home-cooked dishes in Singapore. Our food products contain 100% natural ingredients and no nasties. We are big on health. With no added salt, refined sugar, MSG, additives, or preservatives, our food products are suitable for babies, young children, growing adolescents, and adults too! Below mentioned are a few healthy meals that will surely benefit your gut:
- Original Fish Stock: Good quality fish bones ensures that our fish stock is not only packed with lean protein and fatty acids, it is also full of collagen which has been said to support and maintain gut health.
- All Veggies Chicken Broth: Here you have the healing properties of a broth and the benefits of vitamins and minerals from at least seven different kinds of fresh produce. Not only does our All Veggies Chicken Broth soothe your gut, but it also serves to boost immunity and calms the mind.
- Simply Seafood Broth: Haven’t you heard that seafood is the next superfood? Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA found only in seafood support brain function and behavior by positively influencing the gut microbiome, guaranteeing you a happier gut.
Trust your gut. We have a wide variety of stocks and broths in various packages to suit your needs and preferences. Check out many more nutritious home-cooked meals on our website https://shaneskitchen.sg/
The complexity of food science leaves us with ample room to ponder what is good for us. The food you eat and the lifestyle you lead affect not only your physical but also your emotional and mental health. The vital connection between these relationships is your gut health. To maintain good overall health, be sure to keep your gut healthy and happy.