Discovering the Gut's Power

After so many years of chronic issues with gluten, the sudden realization that this tiny molecule was destroying my gut, and thus my health overall, pushed me right away into a new search for learning about this functioning. How could my gut have such an influence on my path to mental clarity and overall wellbeing? It turns out it’s more obvious than we think. In the end, when was the last time somebody told you to “trust your gut”? You know, that weird feeling you have when you can’t really explain something rationally but you know, deep down, that it’s right?

This journey opened my eyes to a much larger picture—the profound impact of our gut health on our physical and mental state. Dr. Will Cole in "Gut Feelings" describes it best:

The Gut-Brain Connection: More Than Just a Feeling

The brain is traditionally viewed as the center of intelligence, but it's not the only organ capable of profound thought. Our gut, often referred to as the 'second brain,' contains an extensive network of neurons and plays a crucial role in our mental and emotional health. The gut is not just a secondary brain though, but a central hub of activity that affects every aspect of our health and wellbeing. Recent research has illuminated how our gut microbiota—trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes—play a critical role in communicating with the brain through the gut-brain axis. This microbial galaxy communicates directly with the brain, often dictating our mood and stress levels through biochemical signals.

Cortisol, Stress, and Pro-inflammatory Proteins: The Unseen Influence

Our stress response is also intricately linked to our gut health. Studies have shown that mental stress, such as solving complex problems or public speaking, can significantly increase levels of pro-inflammatory proteins like interleukin-6 (IL-6), which directly impacts our overall health. This reaction underscores the vital role of gut health in managing our body's stress response and maintaining mental wellness. If you are interested in learning even more, Gut Feelings by Dr. Cole is a must-read!

If like me, you have ever felt so stressed before a critical activity, like an investors’ meeting and pitch - founders’ initial nightmare! - to feel your stomach completely “locked and twisted”, this is because you were transmitting all the stress to this organ, and by response, the bacteria were starting to panic.

Seems stupid, but most of our innate behaviors as human beings still derive from that ancient time when we were living in the savannas and constantly having to deal with nature’s unexpected challenges, such as fighting with or flying from a lion. Our hardwiring of the body is somehow still stuck there and unless we work our way out of there, it will keep firing unuseful stress signals, even when nothing seriously harmful is happening in front of us…

Independence vs. Influence: Are We Governed by Our Gut?

Are we truly independent thinkers, or are our decisions heavily influenced by the billions of microscopic inhabitants of our gut? If your answer is “totally independent”, you are wrong!

And science confirms we are deeply influenced by our gut bacteria. They can dictate anything from our food cravings to our emotional well-being. Are we thus independent thinkers or are we governed by something else?

Getting smarter about this topic can make us develop useful tactics to understand when a certain feeling or decision is actually worth our “attention” or not. Ever heard the saying “do not make decisions when you are angry”? Or “do not make groceries when hungry”?

Mental Health and the Microbiome: A Critical Link

The relationship between the gut microbiome and mental health is becoming increasingly recognized. Our microbiome plays a substantial role in regulating mood and could be pivotal in treating mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Food plays a huge role in this as well, and we can touch much more deeply into it in coming articles.

Since I quit gluten in my life, I feel less anxious and negative feelings less and less constant. I can now even understand when a certain food makes me feel a certain way. I discovered there is even such a thing as “histamine food anxiety” which is that weird feeling of stress and increased blood pressure you have right after eating something with high histamine content such as aged meats or cheeses, some types of shellfish and even alcohol.

My Suggestion? Listen to Your Gut

It’s easy to fall into despair when we feel uneasy, and have so many inputs and “things I should know” before starting to take action. I feel you as I have been there for more than 15 years of my life, at least!

Starting to focus on gut health and “listening” to our body is key to start making the first steps. Do you listen to your gut? What methods and foods do you use to feed it? Share your journey and discoveries, and let's spread the word about the powerful gut-mind connection.