listening to your gut... bacteria

I am very passionate about gut health and the benefits that it can have on your mental health.

You may say to yourself at this point, “okay that’s cool, but why does gut health matter?”

I’m so glad that you asked! Well first off, did you know that bacteria in the gut manufactures 95% of serotonin in the body?

YES! You saw that right, 95% of all serotonin is produced in the stomach. That alone is a reason for you to start listening to your gut.

The next question you might ask yourself is, “okay, but why does serotonin matter?”

Once again, thanks for asking! Serotonin is a little chemical in our body that helps with:

• Sleeping

• Eating

• Digesting

• Reducing depression

• Regulating anxiety

• Healing wounds

• Reduces nausea

• Maintain bone health

WHAT? A NATURAL CHEMICAL IN OUR BODIES THAT DOES ALL OF THAT?

It is crazy to think about, but yes! Our bodies naturally want us to feel good and healthy.

So now you might be saying, okay now I’m interested! But how do I make sure my gut is healthy?

I thought you would never ask!

The best way to maintain a healthy gut is through exercise and eating a well-balanced diet. Try to find foods that have prebiotics or probiotics in them that naturally occur like, Greek yogurt or kombucha. Both of these are important to gut health because prebiotics provide “food” meant to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, while probiotics are live good bacteria.

Okay, okay, okay. By now you might have one last question before you start this journey into working on your gut health. This question might be, “Well what happens if I want to eat out for the night or go to that new brewery?” Or “Do I have to cut out the things I love?”

Well, you’re in luck! You don’t have to follow a strict diet or cut the things that you love out of your life. It’s more about listing to your body and replenishing those bacteria along the way—Making small steps to an overall healthy lifestyle.

So let the wild funky bacteria grow and your body will thank you later!

—Nick Holdcroft LPC-A Lic. #86218 |supervised by Marie Gray Lic #76149