When trying to get into shape, most people think this purely involves exercising, and that the whole purpose is to achieve a certain desired ‘look’. However, something that is often overlooked when it comes to our bodies is gut health and digestion. These are things that are so important not only to our physical health, but also to our mental wellbeing.
It has been shown that having good gut and digestive health can help to reduce our stress levels. This is because when you are under a lot of stress or if you are experiencing depression, your body releases more stress hormones, experiences more inflammation or even causes changes to your autonomic nervous system. This can then, in turn, lead to a change in the composition of bacteria in the gut which can change your eating habits by, for example, making you eat excessively, or eating too much unhealthy food. This can lower your mood further and can cause a range of gut issues such as stomach pains, diarrhoea, and even a leaky gut.
Altered gut bacteria, where there are more unhealthy bacteria residing there, caused by excessive stress can also lead to problems in the regulation of your immune system. This can leave you more vulnerable to certain illnesses and can lead to abnormal immune responses such as chronic inflammation.
Furthermore, with an altered gut microbiome your metabolism can also be negatively affected. When you’re stressed and the bacteria in your gut changes, one of the ways it can be altered is that bad bacteria accumulate until there is an abnormally high amount. This causes your body to turn fibre, which is something our body needs, into fatty acids. Excessive amounts of fatty acids can lead to fat depositing in the liver, which can then lead to a condition called metabolic syndrome. When left untreated this can lead to more serious issues including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
How to Look After Your Gut and Reduce Stress
Probiotics
Probiotics and prebiotics are foods that promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria. Having lots of good bacteria in your gut is extremely important as they help to aid in digestion, to make sure all the food you consume is being broken down properly and that all healthy nutrients are being utilised. The good bacteria also help to fight off any bad bacteria, which can be harmful to your body and put you at risk of different illnesses.
All of this action of probiotics helps to nourish your gut and relive it from any stress it might be experiencing, for example from bad bacteria. With your gut now being looked after and healthy, this will have a knock-on effect by making you feel less stressed mentally too. Furthermore, some studies have found that probiotics actually improve an individual’s mental health directly. Therefore, they can be great for helping you to cope with all different types of stress.
Meditation
Meditation is known for being amazing at helping you to clear your mind, gather your thoughts and spend a few moments just on yourself. Having this relaxation time can be really beneficial to your mental health and can help you to get a better headspace in order to relieve stress.
However, not only this, but meditation has actually been shown to help reduce inflammation in the body, which is something that can then alleviate any stress that the digestive system is under. So, your gut can relax with your body and be at a reduced risk of harmful inflammatory-related issues, which will in turn help to also relieve any stress you are going through mentally.
How can you meditate? Well, all you need to do is take a few minutes, or even seconds, to sit quietly by yourself and really focus on your breathing. Take deep, controlled breaths and clear your mind, making sure you are away from any distractions.
Yoga
Doing exercise is another great way to de-stress your gut and, therefore, your mind. Yoga is one of the best exercises for this. It has been found that if you regularly practice certain positions in yoga, it can help to stimulate and allow your organs to (please excuse the pun) breathe. By doing this, yoga helps to reduce any stress your gastrointestinal system might be under, and so will help to lower your risk of experiencing any gut-related health issues. And as already mentioned, a healthy gut leads to a healthy mind!
Furthermore, yoga also helps to de-stress the mind directly, in a similar way to meditation. Taking time to prioritise your body, to stretch and work on growing your muscles in a way that’s not too vigorous can work wonders on your mental health. It’s time your spending focusing on yourself and practicing some important self-care.
So, there you have everything you need to know about how stress and your gut can be related, and why it is so important to prioritise all parts of your health, both physical and mental. So, why not try some of these little destress methods to help ease your gut and ease your mind. I promise you will thank me (and yourself) for it after!
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