Understanding the role of nutrition on mental health

The adage “You are what you eat” is closer to the truth than one might think. Gut health is important to a person’s overall well being. In fact, it can be said that the gut is the body’s second brain as it is closely connected to the digestive, immune, and central nervous systems and it can affect both the physical and mental health.

“The brain and gut are intimately connected. Your thoughts and emotions can trigger symptoms in the gut, and the health of your gut can shape your mental well-being,” dietitian-nutritionist said in a forum sponsored by sanitary napkin brand Jeunesse Anion.

She said that one major factor that determines a person’s gut health is the gut microbiota, which is the diverse population of microorganisms that can be found in the intestine.

“Stress can cause more contractions in the intestines and increase sensitivity. If you don’t eat well, if you don’t eat at the right time, you abuse your lifestyle, and you don’t

Cheshire Que

get enough sleep, you decrease the number of gut bacteria,” Que said. “When your gut lining is destroyed, that is when toxins are allowed into your bloodstream and into your brain, making you more susceptible to exhaustion, nutritional deficiencies, inflammatory conditions, depression, or anxiety.”

To keep the gut healthy, Que said it is necessary to have a healthy lifestyle and consume a well-balanced diet. Here are some of her tips on how to heal the gut and bring back the balance in the body.

Remove the triggers

The first step to a healthy gut is to remove the triggers in the form of gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and soy. In the past, I would only remove gluten in the diet if my patients have