Gut Feelings
Your gut is trying to tell you something. Those butterflies in your stomach? Feeling nauseated before a big presentation? Feeling depressed or anxious while dealing with a gut-related disorder? Constant stomach cramps, gas, and bloating? Your gut is begging you to pay attention.
There are millions of nerves in your gut talking to your brain, and vice-versa.
And they influence each other.
Getting my gut healthy has made my mood, energy levels, immunity, and digestion healthy for the first time since early childhood.
The gut is now known to be a "second brain" with massive amounts of neurons that communicate directly with the brain between our ears, and houses more bacteria than we have cells in our bodies, also communicating with those neurons by releasing vast amounts of chemicals that transmit messages.
The bacteria in your gut can influence and impact those signals your brain is getting, and our mood can also impact the health of those bacteria! Basically, if your gut isn't happy, you probably aren't either, and if you're stressed out, you likely aren't doing your gut any favors.
The two are directly connected.
Growing up, I remember having stomach aches all the time.
As a teenager, I was frequently sick with colds and flu and took a lot of time out of school. I was tired a lot and took frequent "mental health days" to cope with the stress of my advanced high school curriculum.
After I was released from the hospital, the stress, feeding tube, painkillers, and antibiotics had wreaked havoc on my digestion. I was in the bathroom and in pain after meals pretty much daily. It took my gut getting to this miserable state for me to wake up and seek out a good probiotic. I didn't know it would make such a big difference, I just figured it was worth a shot.
Getting my gut balanced and healthy after my accident was the sun appearing after a dark, cold, thunderstorm. I felt happy. I felt like I could handle this whole recovery thing. I didn't get sick any more. I knew I could still create a life and career I loved not in spite of, but because of, my severe traumatic brain injury. Many people have commented on my positive attitude despite everything that happened to me, and while some of that is just my personality, I know I would not have found my way out of the depths of despair I felt for years without finding the magic of a good probiotic.
I'm not a scientist, but I felt so dramatically better in mind and body after I started taking probiotics, I know it has to be the reason. But it's not just my opinion.
The research backs up what I experienced.
If your gut or your mind are in turmoil, maybe a probiotic is the key to changing your life. No guarantees, but talk to your doctor about trying it. I have found that these small, simple things are what have made the biggest difference in how I feel and how I heal.
See more about the nutrition line I love HERE.