It is pretty clear that there is a very tight relationship between gut health and brain health. In fact, it’s safe to say that gut health IS overall health. The cool thing is that 80% of the pleasure-giving serotonin is generated in the gut. So if your gut health is good, you get those occasional shots of pleasure and well being.
The amazing thing is that even mental health is affected – Alzheimers, bi-polar disease and depression in general are addressed by gut health (and by exercise too). My favorite advocate is the Linus Pauling Prize winning neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, MD and I recommend his site for great information on the subject.
There is also the 2017 Food Revolution Summit is now going on. There are many movements in the US trying to address the various problems we are facing now: and increase from 2% – 25% childhood disease, obesity, allergies and the general rise in the chronic illnesses Americans are facing.
Another physician I greatly admire is Dr. Joseph Mercola. This site has tons (and I mean tons!) of information on all aspects of health. Once you start looking at some of the suggestions for increasing your gut health, really means just going back to a healthy diet, more like our great-grand parents ate. Vegetables, tons of greens, grass-fed and free-range animal protein (good for you and for them!), less grains (unless they are sprouted), and no processed sugars or processed foods.
Prebiotics and probiotics are also essential, as they ARE the gut flora that keep us not only healthy, but feeling extraordinary (serotonin). I’ve been enjoying Donna Schwenk’s Cultured Foods For Life website has really made all this information easy to follow and has lead me to some wonderful new foods! Since I’ve been making and incorporating the Trilogy (kefir, kombucha and cultured foods), my skin and hair have really improved. Also, the juice from my cultured foods (more about this in another post) actually healed a cold sore and a sty! It can be used topically to heal wounds since it is just friendly bacteria. Please have a look at some of this stuff, it can really enhance your life!
Karoline Wallace 