bodymind connection is real: 3 examples of the gut-brain axis
read time 5 minutes
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. This is intended to educate, inspire and support you in your self healing journey. Speak to your functional medicine doctor or holistic psychologist. Some content might be sensitive; I invite you to practice self-harmonizing.
For most of my life I was very constipated!
I pooped a couple times per week… and it sucked!
I constantly felt backed up, bloated and so uncomfortable… I knew I should be pooping everyday, but I wasn’t.
I didn’t realize the arthritis, acne, anxiety, ADHD, PMS and constipation I suffered from for decades were all related until my late 20’s!
Now I understand that stress plays a major role in these ailments…
The gut-brain connection plays an important role not just in digestion and gut health, but also mental health, immune health and more!
here are 3 examples of how the gut and brain are connected
1 — enteric nervous system
Your nervous system is more than just your brain and spinal cord. Your gut is the enteric nervous system!
The gut is often called the “second brain”. Neurotransmitters like serotonin (happy hormone, mood) and dopamine (pleasure, reward) aren’t exclusive to your brain! 90% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine are in the gut!
Additionally, the gut and brain developed at the same time! So not really sure we can say one is first and the other second…
The gut (enteric nervous system) is part of the autonomic nervous system, where stress happens along with the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).
How to Support your Enteric Nervous System
Reduce things like sugar, ultra processed foods (with additives, preservatives, dyes, artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, etc.), alcohol, pesticides, BPAs (plastics), NSAIDs (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, etc.), birth control, “fragrance” which can harm the gut-brain connection.
Add in things like probiotics, fiber, fermented foods, diversity of colorful plant foods, herbs, prokinetics like ginger, marshmallow root for mucosal lining, bone broth, collagen and organ meats.
2 — vagus nerve
The Vagus Nerve is the super highway for gut-brain axis!
Vagus is Latin for “wandering”, and it wanders throughout the body connecting the medulla (part of the brain) with the face, ears, throat, into the chest and abdomen innervating heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder.
All of this is really important for digestion, gut health, and brain health. But also for immune health, breathing, mood, mental health and more.
If your organs aren’t working properly, it sends signals of danger (stress) back to the central nervous system.
Supporting the vagus nerve is a good way to support nervous system health including gut health, digestion, mental health and more.
How to Support your Vagus Nerve
Breathwork and chanting are two of my favorite ways to support vagus nerve health, also called vagal toning. Sunshine, grounding/earthing and getting good sleep also support vagus nerve health.
3 — psoas
Psoas, diaphragm, and iliacus are 3 muscles that come together to form a muscular chain located within the largest network of sympathetic nerves (remember sympathetic nervous system is the “fight or flight” stress reaction).
The sympathetic nerve plexus (nerve plexus is a large bundle of nerves) is located in the abdomen, also called the abdominal brain or gut.
Releasing tension out of the psoas is really good way to support nervous system health including gut health, digestion, mental health and more.
How to Support your Psoas
One of the best ways to support releasing tension and stress from the psoas is with TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) which is a somatic therapy practices designed specifically to release stored survival stress out of the psoas and nervous system.
The psoas muscle is deep and very hard to palpate, so myofascial release isn’t very effective unless you know what you’re doing.
How has your gut healing journey been? Share in the comments. Or DM me on Instagram or Lemon8
infinite health & freedom,
Stephanie
