No matter what situation we find ourselves in, our health always comes first. Our emotional well-being is just as important as our physical health. Whether it's increased stress at work or within the family, isolation and existential anxieties caused by a pandemic, or worries about family and friends – stress keeps us awake at night or gives us restless sleep. But what exactly is stress? How does it develop in the body and how does it spread? And what do our gut feelings and our digestive system have to do with it?
Whether we have butterflies in our stomach or something is upsetting us, we all know situations where our gut feeling, or rather our enteric nervous system, dictates our actions. For several years now, the connection between our brain and our gastrointestinal tract—the so-called gut-brain axis—has been the subject of intensive scientific research. This research is increasingly revealing the influence our digestive system has on our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The gastrointestinal tract and our brain communicate with each other—very intensively and, above all, reciprocally! This means the gut not only receives instructions from the brain but also sends signals back to it. Therefore, the gut is often referred to as our second brain.
In this blog post, we explain how stress affects the body, what exactly this gut-brain axis is, and how you can support your mental health through your diet.
Stress - what exactly is it?
stress Stress is a part of everyday life for most people in our fast-paced world. Interestingly, individual, personal perception plays a key role in whether a situation is experienced as stressful or not. Early stress research already distinguished between eustress, or positive stress, and distress, the negative form. Eustress is associated with a predominantly pleasant feeling of being able to master certain challenges, of accomplishing something. This form of stress can even be invigorating and increase performance! Distress, on the other hand, damages people in the long run through constant overexertion – both psychologically and physically.
Often, it is our own personal thought patterns and attitudes that act as stress accelerators, for example, our own high standards, which can only be satisfied by top results, or even the pursuit of perfection. In a social context, the desire for widespread popularity and recognition can become a stress accelerator. Similarly, the attitude of having to do everything oneself and not being "allowed" to delegate anything can immensely intensify the experience of stress.
The gut-brain axis - Listen to your gut feeling
"Butterflies in your stomach," "listen to your gut," or "a punch in the gut"—all these phrases are commonly used to describe the physical sensation of emotions as they manifest in our bodies, and they are perfect examples of the power of the gut-brain axis. Also known as the GBA, gut-brain axis It's the connection between your brain and the gut microorganisms. Their job is to ensure that both the gut and the brain are kept informed about what's going on inside each of us, from emotions to digestive issues.
The gut-brain axis facilitates communication between the gut and the brain, which occurs in both directions via nerve pathways, hormones, or metabolic products of our gut bacteria.This is particularly true via the so-called vagus nerve, a kind of nerve highway that extends from the brainstem to the large intestine, sending signals back and forth between the central nervous system and the microorganisms in the gut. Surprisingly, 90% of this communication originates in the gut, and only 10% of the signals come from our brain. Due to the high number of nerve cells and the active exchange between the gut and brain, the gut is also called the "gut brain" or "second brain."
This is how easily you can manipulate your gut-brain axis.
The topic may sound very complicated, but there are simple ways to improve the health of both your gut and your brain. For this, you need to... microbiome Target your cortisol levels and keep them balanced. Here's exactly how:
The unique formulation of our Dailybacs® Dailybacs delivers 60 billion probiotic bacteria directly to where they are needed. The use of acid-resistant probiotic strains ensures that the bacteria survive the journey through the gastrointestinal tract and arrive unharmed in the small intestine. Dailybacs also contain prebiotic inulin from natural chicory root, which acts as a "fertilizer" for the probiotics, allowing them to grow and thrive when activated in the gut. Combined with vitamins, minerals, and the superfood pomegranate, they help maintain a balanced microbiome.
Happy Gut, Happy You - What to do?
It is important to pay attention to a healthy and balanced diet, because not only her body benefits from this. Intestinal flora! When your gut is healthy, it sends a positive signal to the brain, which benefits your mental health and overall well-being. Avoiding or reducing excessive stress through practices like meditation or physical exercise also benefits both your gut and your mind. Since integrating these measures into daily life can often be challenging, the following are also excellent supplementary options. Probiotics, with which we can support our microbiome.
Brain food for your body
In this blog post, we've already explained the important connection between our gut function and our stress levels. There are some foods that can particularly support your body during stressful situations. Here are our top 7 foods to help you cope with everyday stress:
- Nuts, kernels and seeds: Try placing a bowl of walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios on your desk. Nuts are true stress relievers and, in particular, help to balance your blood pressure. This is made possible by their many components, including vitamins E and B.
- Green vegetables: Spinach, kale, broccoli, and Swiss chard not only provide plenty of magnesium, but also numerous B vitamins, as well as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and iron. Iron supports cognitive function, which, for example, allows you to work with greater concentration without experiencing fatigue.
- bananas: This is true happy food, because it contains not only nerve-strengthening nutrients such as vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium, but also tryptophan. This amino acid is essential for the production of the happiness hormone serotonin.
- Cocoa or dark chocolate: Cocoa = chocolate? Not quite. Only dark chocolate with a high cocoa content or cocoa nibs are considered healthy brain food. Why? Cocoa also contains a certain amount of tryptophan, which is needed for the production of serotonin.
- oatmeal: A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast is the perfect way to prepare for a stressful day. The reason: these healthy flakes are packed with vitamins B1 and B3, as well as tryptophan, which is needed for serotonin production. Plus, the complex carbohydrates keep you feeling full for longer, so you won't get stressed out by hunger.
- Salmon: Your brain and nervous system are made up of almost 50% fat. Therefore, (healthy) fats are essential for strong nerves. Fish such as salmon, tuna, and herring are known to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These reduce the release of adrenaline, the hormone triggered by stress, and thus have a calming effect.
- Legumes: A meal rich in legumes makes you more resistant to stress. Lentils, chickpeas, and peas not only contain a large amount of potassium, but are also high in magnesium, iron, and zinc.
These 7 foods not only taste delicious, but they're also good for your gut and your mood! So, enjoy!
Happy Gut, Happy You!
