Today, we want to touch on the connection between one’s gut health and one’s mental health. All of the structures in our bodies are connected, which is why maintaining a strong gut requires one to take care of their mental health, and vice versa.
It is known that when one is experiencing gut health issues, it can lead to symptoms of anxiety or mood changes. On the other hand, if one is experiencing a decline in mental health, this can cause a decline in digestive health.
We all struggle with our mental health from time to time, but it is the ability to restabilize said mental health in times of need that truly matters. There are daily activities, healthy habits, and diet changes that can make all the difference. In addition, adding gut health habits to your routine can help to strengthen the gut-health connection in a positive manner.
Diet Changes That Can Help to Boost Your Mental Health
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’? This is definitely the case when it comes to our mental health. The foods we consume, and how we consume them, can negatively or positively impact our mental state. For example, eating processed foods high in fats and artificial sweeteners can cause us to experience mood imbalances and irritability. Instead, we should try eating whole foods rich in nutrients.
The way we eat can also impact our mental health. It is important to eat consistently throughout the day to avoid low blood sugar which can impact our mood and mental state. Have you ever experienced brain fog, irritability, and difficulty concentrating after going a long period of time without food? This is not a coincidence. Our body requires nutrients for energy and to be able to do its many jobs.
Nourish your body with the healthy nutrients that will allow it to thrive and support you each and every day. Eating processed foods can also negatively impact your gut health and the bacteria stored in your gut, which in turn will cause a decline in your mental health.
How to Strengthen Your Gut Health to Protect Your Mental Health
Strengthening your gut health can alleviate digestive ailments and help to support your mental health. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, supplements that help with bloating such as a digestive enzyme supplement and a probiotic supplement can help to strengthen your gut. The gut contains bacteria; this bacteria can be beneficial bacteria or harmful bacteria. Take a probiotic for bloating such as Probiotic Renu to minimize the potential for harmful bacteria, and to increase the amount of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Eating foods rich in probiotics can also be a great way to protect your gut. This includes foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and tempeh.
Constipation, irregular bowel movements, and abdominal pain can all be indicators that your gut is unstable. Be sure to look out for these different indicators as they can be a great reflection of your digestive health, and in turn your mental health.
Strengthening one’s gut is not a one-day process and requires dedication to healthy habits such as taking a supplement for bloating. Make the time to incorporate these digestive habits in order to reap their benefits.
Ways to Boost Mental Health Awareness
1. Take some time to evaluate your mental health.
Mental Health Awareness Month can be a great time to take a step back and evaluate your mental health and your daily habits. You might find that certain habits in your daily life are deteriorating your mental health. For example, some might find that spending prolonged time on social media is decreasing their mental health. As a result, these people can try to limit their social media consumption to better their mental health in the long run. Take this month to find what is helping your mental health and what can be eliminated.
2. Add a mental health activity to your routine.
Activities such as journaling, meditating, and yoga are all known to benefit your mental health. Adding these activities into your routine may help you to become more mentally stable. Take this month to try out new hobbies and activities that might become beneficial to you in the long run.
3. Check-in with your loved ones this month.
Having a strong group of individuals to whom you are close with can make all the difference when it comes to maintaining your mental health. Healthy, loving connections with family and friends are incredibly important, but sometimes maintaining these relationships gets pushed off to the side due to the nature of our busy lifestyles. This month can be a great time to act with intention in regards to connections with your loved ones. Reach out to them, make time for them, and allow them to be a part of your life. Not only will this help you, but can make all the difference in the life of your loved one. Let us raise mental health awareness, and support one another on our mental health journeys together.
4. Read books about mental health.
Increasing our intake of knowledge on mental health can help us to better understand how to treat ourselves and treat others. The way we view ourselves and the way we interact with others have a major impact on our mental health, and books can help us to better understand our actions and thoughts. There are several different forms of self-help and mental health books out there that can increase one’s knowledge on the subject. Pick one up this month and allow it to broaden your mind.