The Gut Brain Connection

    Stress happens to everyone, whether we like it or not. There are healthy levels of stress, and then, of course, there are unhealthy levels of stress. With the mounting load of school work, work-work, and house and overall life work, I feel as though my own personal level of stress is hitting a high point at the moment. I feel that the ebbs and flows of life make for getting through the highs of stress possible, because I know deep down that this too shall pass. In case anyone else out there is on the upswing of stress at the moment, what with the now ended government shut-down, worry about economy and rising national debt, etc. I thought it might be helpful to bring to light the gut-brain connection that exists and how stress has such a profound effect on the health and wellbeing of our gastrointestinal health, in addition to our overall health. The plethora of bacteria living in each of our guts at this precise moment not only has an impact on how we digest our meals and snacks, but also how we think, feel, and react to situations and stress.

     Harvard Health Publications published an excellent, albeit short, article on the gut-brain connection in which they go on to list common physical, behavioral, and emotional symptoms associated with high stress:

Physical symptoms:
-stiff or tense muscles, especially in the neck and shoulders
-headaches
-sleep problems
-shakiness or tremors
-recent loss of interest in sex
-weight loss or gain
-restlessness

Behavioral symptoms:
-procrastinating
-grinding teeth
-difficulty completing work assignments-changes in the amount of alcohol or food you consume
-taking up smoking, or smoking more than usual
-increased desire to be with or withdraw from others
-rumination

Emotional symptoms:
-crying
-overwhelming sense of tension or pressure
-trouble relaxing
-nervousness
-quick temper
-depression
-poor concentration
-trouble remembering things
-loss of sense of humor
-indecisiveness

    How many of these can you check off on your own personal list? It's almost startling to see the resemblance in my current state of being to some of the symptoms in this list, however, it brings about a bit of relief in knowing the cause of these problems. Knowing is half the battle, as they say, so now we're left with how we choose to react to this recognition. It appears the best known method of managing your symptoms is by learning the strategies to help you deal with stressors in life, then following through with utilizing those strategies. Again, knowing is only half the battle. As easy as it is to sit back and say, "Okay, I know the problem. I know what I have to do to fix it. Maybe I'll think about following through with what I need to do to help myself out when I have more time," more often than not I think people will choose not to follow through on practicing those stress managing strategies (least that's the game I know I'm playing in my head). When and if time ever allows for stress management is clearly not the answer- I need to make time for stress management. Make it happen, or the vicious cycle will continue on with no end in sight.
    Now, there is also the thought that providing your body with probiotics to support your gut bacteria could help. You can do a bit of reading about the "probiotic promise" here . It's possible, but the research has yet to be proven to a extent indicative of significant benefit. Perhaps it's worth a shot, but I can tell you with tried and true proof, it has been shown that finding time to de-stress, relax, and recover a non-stress related state-of-mind will help in dealing with overall stress and it's affects on your life. Give it a go- I will too. Make the time to de-stress when you need to. It will do you a world of good.




Read the rest of the Harvard article here: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-gut-brain-connection