Gut Health and Anxiety - What is the connection? by Stephanie von Meeteren

SoulSpark Integrated Healing

Gut Health and Anxiety - What is the connection?

Stephanie von Meeteren | MAY 2, 2023

gut

anxiety

lifestyle

circadian rhythm

How does our gut health and diet affect anxiety? Is there a connection?

Today I'll talk about our gut health and the connection is has to anxiety.

Nervous system history

Our nervous systems are the same as they were 1000's of years ago. However, our lifestyles are not. Today a lot of us are out of sync with nature and nature's cycles. We have electronics distracting us and the pace of life has gotten faster. Our food choices are often processed and not seasonal.

What does this have to do with anxiety?

Circadian Rhythm

Let's start with a little history: In the ancient science and art of Ayurveda (which means — How does our gut health and diet affect anxiety? Is there a connection?

Today I'll talk about our gut health and the connection is has to anxiety.

Nervous system history

Our nervous systems are the same as they were 1000's of years ago. However, our lifestyles are not. Today a lot of us are out of sync with nature and nature's cycles. We have electronics distracting us and the pace of life has gotten faster. Our food choices are often processed and not seasonal.

What does this have to do with anxiety?

Circadian Rhythm

Let's start with a little history: In the ancient science and art of Ayurveda (which means "life knowledge or life science") it is recognized that there are different cycles in the day, in the seasons, in our lives, etc. Being in sync with the natural rhythms creates a better balance in our bodies and nervous systems. This means better hormonal balance and less perimenopause / menopause symptoms!

Why does living in sync with the natural rhythms matter? Because by doing so, we are letting our nervous systems know it is safe. When our nervous systems feel safe, our body can work at it's best by residing in the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the rest and digest part of our nervous system. Our digestion can perform optimally when being in this state.

In 2017 the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm.

Now, how cool is that? I love it when Western Science proves what Ayurveda has known all along. The circadian rhythm are the times of the day and night when different bodily processes happen and are at their peak. They actually found a circadian rhythm gene.

So, by being in sync with the cycles of nature-sleeping, working, eating, playing, and resting when appropriate - our nervous systems will run more smoothly. (ie: less menopause symptoms and better well-being.)

Gut Hormones

How does our gut tie into anxiety? Our gut is also called our second brain. Our gut bacteria produces and responds to the same neurochemicals that our brain does to regulate mood and cognition. In fact, 95% of serotonin (the happy chemical) and 50% of dopamine (the feel good chemical) is actually created in the gut. Then, the enteric nervous system (in the gut) sends the messages to the brain via the vagus nerve.

To sum it up

So, by being in sync with the cycles of nature we enable our nervous systems to reside in the parasympathetic (rest and digest) part of itself, which enables our body to feel safe and because of this our gut produces the appropriate amounts of serotonin and dopamine, which gets sent through the vagus nerve to the brain. Thus, affecting anxiety. This is one important piece of the puzzle towards reducing anxiety.

To learn more ways of reducing your peri/menopause symptoms, please contact me for a free 15 min discovery call. Also, I have a quick quiz on the landing page with tips on how to balance your hormones. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Stephanie von Meeteren | MAY 2, 2023

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