Abigail’s Book Chat: The Mind-Gut Connection
Welcome back to another installment of my book chats. In case you missed my previous book chat on Atomic Habits, read it here!
The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer gives a detailed blueprint of how the hidden conversations within our bodies, particularly the brain and gut, can have lasting impacts on our mood, our choices and behavior, and our overall health. Within its chapters, Mayer explains our body’s communication structure and its influences in 3 parts:
Part 1: OUR BODY, THE INTELLIGENT SUPERCOMPUTER
Part 2: INTUITION AND GUT FEELINGS
Part 3: HOW TO OPTIMIZE BRAIN-GUT HEALTH
With each chapter bringing to light new studies with astonishing results, this book allows you to learn not only how our systems are connected but also how these connections support our overall health.
Part 1: Our Body, the Intelligent Supercomputer
Mayer explains that until recently, the critical role of the most complex and crucial systems in our bodies—the gut (digestive system) and the brain (nervous system)—has been largely ignored when it comes to maintaining overall health.
Our digestive systems are much more delicate, complex, and powerful than scientists once assumed. There are 100,000 times more microbes residing in your gut than there are people on this earth! It is no wonder that the gut can influence basic emotions, pain sensitivity, social interactions, and may even guide many of our decisions.
Known as the “second brain,” our gut is the home to cells and hormones, including immune cells, endocrine cells, and serotonin, that allow our bodies to function and operate. When it comes to our immune system, most of our immune cells are found in the gut, and for good reason. The immune cells in our gut are exposed to potentially lethal microorganisms from what we consume and are able to destroy the harmful bacteria that make their way to our digestive system.
Our gut lining contains massive amounts of endocrine cells. Endocrine cells contain up to twenty different types of hormones that can be released when needed to ultimately regulate processes such as mood, metabolism, and reproduction. Serotonin, “the happy molecule,” plays a key role in various bodily functions such as sleep, appetite, digestion, and yes, even mood. It is no surprise that our gut is home to around 95% of the body’s serotonin!
When it comes to the mind-body connection, the French lawyer, physician, and author, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, was onto something as far back as 1826: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” To further illustrate Jean’s point, Emeran explains how the gut microbiota that connects our gut and our nervous system (brain) is in key positions to link our physical and mental well-being directly to what we eat and drink.
Part 2: Intuition and Gut Feelings
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Go with your gut”? Despite being a common phrase for important decision-making, it may have some scientific validity.
As a physician himself, Emeran Mayer has witnessed and drawn countless conclusions about the impact of past life experiences or trauma on negative health outcomes, especially when it comes to digestion. Part 2 of the book contains many of his personal experiences with patients, their different life histories, and their frustrating and exhausting digestive issues.
With emerging studies linking the brain and gut disorders, scientists have confidently determined that our gut microbes play a major role in determining the responsiveness of the brain’s stress circuits. The chemical norepinephrine is released when stress is present; it is what makes your heart beat faster, your blood pressure rises, and other commonly associated symptoms of your body’s innate “fight or flight” response. Interestingly, as research has pointed out, this chemical can directly communicate with gut microbes! Intense and chronic feelings of stress can lead individuals to heightened anxiety, depression, IBS, and other brain and brain-gut disorders.
Part 3: How to Optimize your Brain-Gut Communication
Now, it’s time to understand how we can optimize our gut microbiome and brain health to support their communication.
Here are the main takeaways to optimize the brain-gut connection:
Diet and increasing gut microbiome diversity
Regular intake of naturally fermented foods and probiotics
Reduce inflammation in the gut by making better nutritional choices
Cut down on animal fat
When possible, avoid mass-produced, processed food and select organically grown food
Eat smaller servings at meals
Be mindful of prenatal nutrition
Reduce stress and practice mindfulness
Avoid eating when stressed, angry, or sad
Enjoy the secret pleasures and social aspects of food
Become an expert in listening to your gut feelings
Ready to Learn About Your Gut Health?
My program, Master Your Microbiome, does a deep dive into the inner workings of our digestive function at a given time using the GI-MAP. The GI-MAP is an at-home stool test and functional testing option that provides insights into multiple aspects of gut health, from viral pathogens to bacteria (both beneficial and opportunistic flora), parasites/fungus, digestive function, immune function, and more. It can give us quantitative data about what is happening in the gut, so we don’t have to guess why specific digestive symptoms may occur.
I recommend gut microbiome testing for clients who suffer from:
Digestive problems: IBS/IBD, constipation, bloating, gas, reflux, poor digestion, food intolerances, stomach pain, SIBO
Mood disorders: depression, anxiety, PMS
Skin conditions: eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, acne
Autoimmune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, lupus, thyroiditis
Metabolic and hormonal issues: overweight, estrogen dominance, PCOS, or heavy and painful periods
Fatigue and brain fog
Chronic pain/inflammation
All of these conditions and symptoms are tied so closely to the health of our gut!
After getting your results, we work together to create a personalized protocol including:
Nutrition and food choices
Lifestyle and habits
Herbs and supplements