By Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri

Ever heard the saying, ‘You are what you eat?’ This signifies that the foods we consume directly impact our gut health and are linked to our physical and mental well-being; a healthy and balanced gut supports our body’s development, our mood, attention, and concentration, as well as our resilience when we’re faced with life’s difficult and stressful situations.

This helps us come to an understanding that foods rich in nutrients will impact our minds and bodies positively, while those which are unhealthy will cause damage.

Scientific research has also repeatedly shown that the gut is often referred to as the ‘second brain’ as it has many neurons, similar to the brain that function independently of each other. When we expose our bodies constantly to unhealthy foods in form of processed meats, sugary and carbonated drinks, fried foods, fast foods and even alcohol, our bodies start to show signs in different body systems that point to gut imbalance.

The gastrointestinal tract has most of the symptoms and these include: feeling worse after eating certain foods, bloating, excess gas, cravings for sugar or refined carbs, food intolerances such as to gluten or dairy, irregular bowel movements, frequent heartburn or gastric reflux, abdominal pain or cramping, as well as the appearance of undigested food in stool.

On the skin, gut issues reflect as: acne, eczema, psoriasis flare-ups, dry, flaky or sudden sensitivity to products while mental health symptoms include anxiety, depression or mood swings, brain fog, fatigue and poor stress tolerance.

Our immune system reveals a worsening of allergies and autoimmune symptoms, frequent colds or infections and difficulty recovering from illness.

In women, there is a worsening of the premenstrual syndrome, irregular periods, worsening menopausal symptoms and PCOS related issues.

To ensure optimal gut-health, it is important to:

• Eat for gut health with foods such as yoghurt, fibre rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and legumes.
• Ensure regular sleep as poor sleep disrupts the gut microbiome and allows for the release the hormone ghrelin which makes us eat more
• Use probiotics in times of increased stress and pressure
• Engage in meditation, deep breathing, exercise, yoga, journaling and practicing gratitude.
• Identify sources of stress and learn to manage your stress effectively
• Learn to ask for help as you avoid overwhelming yourself with everyday life demands.
  Now that you know that your gut is your second brain, ensure you pay attention to what you eat as beyond the mouth, it shows up in your whole body.
  Remember there is no health without mental health.