How food impacts your mood

We have all seen the classic scenario of when kids are given birthday cake; and within 5 minutes they are running around going crazy!Then 1-2 hours later, it's all about the post party come down. Tears, inconsolable, melt downs and unreasonable are the nicer terms of when your child has hit their sugar low.Fast forward 30 years or so, and does it get any different for us as adults?Fortunately we might be able to contain our selves when we eat a little cake here and there. But how often do we rely on what we out in our mouth for a short pick me up?Coffee would be the first one that comes to my mind.I'm sure you have heard.....

Talk to me after I've had my coffee.

How about the snack draw in the office to appease the afternoon lull?There's nothing wrong with having a coffee or a quick little pick me up here and there......it's how often, and what with that can be the problem.Traditionally, food  can bring families, friends and communities together. It can involve joy, celebrations and connection. Food gives us energy and provides us with essential nutrients so we can function on a daily basis. But unfortunately in Western society, the abundance of choice and variety of food can often contain 'empty nutrients' that don't serve our bodies or mind.The over consumption of sugar has impacted the health of many people, causing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines and brain fog.Alcohol is a depressant.Wheat consumption can also lead to brain fog.Additives & preservatives can impact behaviour.So we need to start thinking of the LONG term effect of how food and drink impacts not just our physical being, but our mental being.There is enough evidence now that we know that the brain and gut speak to each other via the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system. And that the gut sends it's own messages via the enteric nervous system.We also know how high sugars can make our blood sugar levels go high and then crash not long after. If we keep feeding into this loop of quick fixes, the long term impact can effect your health in more ways than one.90% of serotonin (feel good hormone) and 50% of dopamine (your motivation hormone) are derived from your gut. So it would be fair to say that if your gut health is in poor shape, then these 2 neurotransmitters will be too.Making the right food choices can not only keep your blood sugar levels in check. But what if you were eating something on a regular basis and had no idea how it could be sending you down the road to poor physical and mental health?My tip for you is to keep a food and mood diary (and poo if your super keen). This way you can track what your have eaten, and see if there is any connection to your mood. I have a template that you can use here... Food_Mood_Poo_Diary.If you feel the food is effecting your mood, please get in touch below.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]

REFERENCES

Lerner et. al, The GUT microbiome feelings of the brain: A perspective for non-microbioligists, Microrganisims, 2017, 5, 66 pg. 1-24         

How to improve your digestion naturally...

Digestion is such an integral component of optimum health, and you would be surprised at how many people I see in my clinic that have low digestive function.Decreased digestion can occur for a few reasons:

• Medication (especially proton pump inhibitors)

• Inflammation - due to an infection or auto immune condition

• Auto immune disorder- Coeliac, Crohn's, Fibromyalgia, SLE, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

• Food intolerances- lactose, fructose, wheat/gluten intolerance (let's just call it carbohydrate intolerance)

• Age- Decreased nutrient absorption can decrease when you get older

• Low stomach acid

• Pancreatic malfunction

• Stress

• Parasites

• Gut dysbiosis- leaky gut, SIBO, IBS (you don't have enough of the bacteria that help you digest your food)

These causes can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable, but can also lead to nutrient deficiencies, brain fog, irregular bowel habits and lack of energy.Before we get stuck into what you can do to improve your digestion naturally. I would like to cover the basics of digestion, and what parts of the digestive system are needed for complete absorption.

The Digestive System Team

Mouth- The first portal of entry....food is chewed so you can make it smaller to swallow (duh!) and this process also helps your digestive system absorb it better.Your mouth has salivary glands which produce an enzyme called amylase. Amylase breaks down starch (a type of carbohydrate).

Stomach

I always think of the stomach as a big mixing bowl. Food and liquid is churned and made smaller by waves produced within the stomach cells, and lipase is released to start digesting fats. The stomach is also the home of hydrochloric acid and pepsin. These along with other gastric juices help break down protein.

Pancreas

The pancreas has such an important role in the digestion process. Pancreatic enzymes digest fats, carbohydrates and protein (all 3 together are called pancreatic juice). Up to 1200-1500mL of pancreatic juice is released from your pancreas PER DAY! Your pancreatic juice is released into your small intestine.

Liver & Gallbladder

The liver has many jobs to do; but today we are talking about digestion. So I will keep it simple!The liver makes bile and the gallbladder stores the bile (and then releases it when needed). Bile is released to help breakdown fats and turns cholesterol into a soluble form.

Small Intestine

This is where all the action happens! Digestion AND absorption occur within the small intestine. The intestinal wall houses brush border enzymes, that help digest carbohydrates and proteins. Most of the enzymes mentioned earlier are released in the small intestine as well.The small intestine also house a small amount of gut microbes. These microbes assist with breaking down foods via fermentation and make much needed Short-Chain-Fatty-Acids (SCFA). 90% of absorption of nutrients occur in the small intestine; the other 10% occur in either the stomach or colon. Any unabsorbed foods left in the SI, pass onto the large intestine.

Large Intestine

The colon completes the rest of the food absorption and produces vitamin K and some B vitamins. The other key role of the colon is for defecation of your stool. Majority of your gut microbes live in your colon, and they help break down foods further and decompose bilirubin (which gives you the brown colour!)Obviously there is a lot more involved than this, but it does give you an overview of where enzymes and gastric secretions occur.

Natural Treatments 

I always suggest to use what you have at home first, or try and incorporate some natural digestive support to assist with digestion. Let's take a look at what's on offer.....

Chew Your Food

This one if FREE! I know I very often don't chew my food enough before I swallow. How often have you worked during your lunch break or picked at food while in the kitchen preparing the main meal for the day (and not actually sitting down and taking rest while doing so)??Not only are you helping your digestive system by making your food easier to digest, but you're also slllllooooowing down.......digestions slows down when you're on the go!Mindful eating has gained some attention in the last few years. This is where you take note (no, don't get your note pad out), and appreciate the food that you are eating by being aware of the smell, taste and texture. This process definitely slows you down and will ensure that you aren't rushing.

Meal Timing

This doesn't really effect your daily meal times. This is only a problem if you eat late at night and go to bed soon after.

What Can Increase Digestion?

Pineapple

Pineapple contains the phytochemical, bromelain. Pineapple contains natural enzymes, by supporting the pancreas. Studies have shown that bromelain has anti-cancer properties, reduces inflammation, and inhibits the growth of the gram negative bacteria E.coli (which can cause diarrhoea).Recent studies have demonstrated that bromelain can relieve dyspepsia symptoms such as stomach pain and flatulence.

Herbs

There are SO MANY herbs that support your digestion. Here are just a few:

• Ginger

• Gentian

• Fenugreek

• Fennel

• Globe artichoke

• St. Mary's Thistle

• Peppermint

Many of these are available in a herbal tea form. Otherwise you can either find them in a capsule form or seek a naturopath that can make a herbal tincture up just for you!

Probiotics

As I mentioned earlier; bacterial microbes in your gut are needed to break down food in your small intestine and colon. If you have low levels of gut microbes, you can easily add probiotics to your diet. This could be as easy as introducing yoghurt to your diet or taking a probiotic supplement. Just remember not all probiotics will assist with your digestion. They need to be strain specific to match your condition.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics feed your gut microbes (so they grow happy and strong!). Prebiotics are found in the form of fibre. So by eating more fibrous foods you will not only assist digestion, but you will also be feeding the gut bacteria that helps you BREAK DOWN food. Prebiotics not only help with digestion; they also create short chain fatty acids. Studies have shown that SCFA's help with obesity, diabetes and non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Prebiotics are found in:

• Berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry)

• Asparagus

• Onion

• Legumes

• Flaxseeds

• Almonds

• Inulin

Reduce Stress Levels

Stress can work in a couple a ways....it can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and slow down the digestive process, because you are in 'flight' mode of the stress response. Or stress can stimulate the release of bile, which then can feed gram negative bacteria in your gut and cause an imbalance (dysbiosis).Knowing your stress triggers is beneficial; but also adapting mindful eating, using your breath and making time for you are essential.Of course, sometimes it's not so black and white. To find out if you have adequate digestive enzymes and short chain fatty acids, you can have a stool test done. If you would like more information, contact me below.       

Are you inflamed?

Inflammation is your bodies natural response to repair itself and to protect yourself from nasties!

It's also your body to say 'Hey! Stop! Slow down and take some rest!'

An inflammatory response involves a raise in body temperature (fever), fluid to the area (swelling), vasodilation (so you don't bleed to death) and unfortunately, sometimes pain. These processes are pretty standard and are needed to help you repair and heal. The down side of inflammation is that it can make you feel uncomfortable for the short term. When you have constant pain and inflammation, that's when it gets serious!

So what are some of the signs and symptoms of an inflammatory response?

• Headache is very common. This can happen for SO many reasons.....cold and flu, allergies, sinus, hay fever, food intolerance, environment, eye strain or hormones.
• Skin conditions- eczema, dermatitis, acne and rosacea are all inflamed conditions.
• Allergies- seasonal hay fever, sinusitis and even food allergies are caused by an over active immune system that causes an inflammatory response.
• Auto immune- Think celiac, Hashimoto's, Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, are all based on an overactive immune response. Most of the time it is genetic, but can be stimulated by environment and stress.
• Digestive system- stomach pain, food intolerances, diarrhoea and reflux would be coming causes of high inflammation.
• Pain- All of the above conditions can have pain associated with it. This can lead to depression, immobility, discomfort and decreased joy in life if left long term.

What can be done?

Knowing the cause of your inflammatory response is a big part of the healing process. Sometimes the source can't be fixed or eliminated, but reducing inflammation can happen by diet, movement and anti-inflammatory sources (will get to this later on).

• When did it start?
• What makes it worse?
• What makes it better?
• What are the symptoms?

These are simple questions that you can ask yourself to narrow down on what the cause could be.

Diagnostic Testing

When you get your bloods taken from your doctor, there are some key markers that inflammation is present.

• White Cell Count - these guys are your defence system. If they are up, that means they are busy fighting something.
• ESR- An acute inflammatory response marker. If raised=inflammation
• CRP- more of a chronic inflammatory marker. If raised, your body ain't happy.
• GGT- This is from your liver profile. If raised, it is busy detoxing you.
• Secretory IgA- This protects your gut lining against pathogens! Stress can decrease secretory IgA.
• Antibodies- These are tested mostly for auto immune markers.
• Immunoglobulins- IgG, IgE are common ones to get tested for allergies. IgG is used a lot with food intolerance panels.
• Anion Gap- This is a calculation found in your General chemistry section of your bloods. It should be between 10-12. the calculation is as follows: Sodium + Potassium - Chloride - Bicarbonate = ?
• Cortisol- This is done by request only and should be taken between 7am - 9am in the morning for accuracy.

What you can do to reduce inflammation!

• Eat a more alkaline diet. Acidic foods create inflammation. Grab your alkaline food list acid-base-foods-pral
• Glutamine is great for reducing inflammation in the gut.
• N- Acetyl Glucosamine is also fabulous for gut repair and anti-inflammation
• Zinc- Wound healer and used for over 200 enzymatic reactions within the body (also immune booster), great for skin too!
• Bioflavonoids- found in the white part of citrus fruit and other fruit and vegetables (Quercetin, Rutin, Hesperidin and Bromelains).
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D (especially with auto immune conditions)
• Probiotics- Vivomixx VSL#3, Saccharomyces Boulardi, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) and Lactobacillus Fermentum VRI-003
• Omega 3- fish oil
• Coconut oil- contains caprylic acid which is anti inflammatory
• Reishi mushrooms
• Turmeric- need I say more?
• Chamomile
• Calendula
• Ginger

Things to consider before you detox!

This time of the year always brings the need for a spring detox!But before you go out and buy your next 'detox' kit , I wanted to go over a few things with you that you should be aware of (in a mum voice).Firstly, your body is CONSTANTLY detoxing. We have 5 main organs that are involved in the detoxification process:

1. Your lungs- We breathe in toxins (air pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides etc. ), but we also breathe a lot of the bad stuff out too.
2. Kidneys- These little guys act as a filter system. If they are suffering, you will definitely know about it!
3. Your bowels- Regular bowel motions eliminate toxins. Our bile binds to these toxins and then we poop them away. So if your constipated....where are your toxins going? They are getting re-absorbed!!
4. The liver- Your liver is SO SO busy! Blood gets filtered through the liver and toxins are being constantly removed. things like: bacteria, hormones, prescription medication, fats, coffee, alcohol etc.
5. The skin- This is the last area that your body has to eliminate toxins. Sweat is the most common way toxins are released, but when your skin has rashes (if not from direct contact), acne, eczema and rosacea, this can be also due to a clogged detoxification pathway.

Generally when you embark on a detox, the standard is eliminated:

• coffee
• alcohol
• gluten
• refined sugar
• dairy

It can be quite a shock for some people. I am all for a good detox (don't get me wrong), but you need to take baby steps so you're not putting too much strain on your organs.Ensuring you have regular bowel motions is a start. There is no use supporting your detoxification process if your not able to excrete out the toxins. Usually this is rectified by the diet changes you have made, but sometimes by adding in some probiotics (strain specific for constipation) and even digestive support (such as pancreatic enzymes or hydrochloric acid), can help with regular bowel motion.Drinking filtered water not only helps your kidneys, but your also avoiding all of the little extras that are being added to your tap water. Chlorine and nitrate are some big factors here.Using activated charcoal in your regime can help bind the toxins for elimination. This can cause constipation in some people, so adequate water in take is needed.It might not be until a week or so later that you may add liver support. For some people, there genetic profile may mean they lack a few enzymes in the liver detoxification process, so caution is required. but liver support herbs such as:

• St. Mary's thistle
• Dandelion root
• Turmeric
• Fennel
• Fenugreek

Are all generally safe to consume. Amino acids are also a great addition for your liver too. As these are used in phase 2 of the liver detoxification process. Amino acids such taurine, glutathione, cysteine, glycine and methionine (to name a few) are all required for the liver to work efficiently.And a few extras?

• Dry skin brushing
• Epsom salt baths
• Sleep and rest
• Movement

I recently did a FB Live on the topic.