There is a bidirectional link between the gut and the brain known as the gut-brain axis, meaning emotions affect the gut and the gut influences emotions. Your gut and brain send messages to each other through the enteric nervous system (located all the way along your gastrointestinal lining) to your central nervous system (brain) and when one underperforms, so does the other.
Much like a garden needs nourished healthy soil to grow beautiful plants, the environment inside our gut known as the microbiome (an abundance of bacteria or “belly bugs”) needs love and nourishment for our brains to blossom. When our gut is nourished it allows for greater nutrient absorption from the foods we consume as well as proper toxic waste elimination (hello, daily bowel movements!), which directly influences mood and energy.
Cultivating Mental Wellness: Nourishing the Gut-Brain Axis for a Flourishing Mind
Creating a beautiful mind begins with nourishing your gut which can be achieved by eating the right foods and using food as medicine ! Fibre is something that’s constantly being referred to and is a wonderful component of carbohydrates that helps feed and fuel the beneficial bacteria in your belly helping to make sure there is more good than bad bacteria for proper belly and brain functions.
Women require approximately 25-30 grams of fibre per day whereas men require approximately 30-35 gram per day which is predominately found in plant foods like vegetables, legumes and beans, and wholegrains.
There are many more foods and nutrients needed to support your mind and keep you feeling mentally apt including: magnesium known as nature’s very own chill pill, B vitamins, Vitamin C, Omega 3 essential fatty acids, tryptophan, glutathione and glutamine, L-theanine, zinc and more!
Find out how to implement good mood food into your every-day life, without fuss by booking an appointment with our Nutritionist where you will find compassionate and caring guidance and education to help support your mood and individual needs.