Stress and our Gut

Stress is associated with a range of disorders including obesity,diabetes,heart disease and anxiety.It can also worsen IBS and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.Stress alters our Gut microbiome.Exposure to stress can cause us to comfort eat and crave processed foods high in sugar and fat.This type of diet disrupts our microbiome diversity and can cause increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut,which may cause low grade chronic inflammation.When you are stressed,the body produces more cortisol,creating many changes in the body including our gut.Our second brain,the enteric nervous system resides in the gut and looks after the gut immune system,making up 70% of the body’s immune defences.So if you are frequently stressed,it is worth taking a serious look at how you can reduce it.Mind body exercises such as Tai Chi,Qi Gong,Yoga and meditation help us to manage and control our stress levels in a healthier way.Self Hypnosis can also help us to manage and reduce our stress.I will shortly be teaching Lunchtime Tai Chi on Tuesday’s on Eventbrite,I also talk about the mind body connection and stress in my book ‘Health and Weight Management Teachings From The East’ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Weight-Management-Teachings-East/dp/1913776077 If you would like to read more on how to eat for good microbiome diversity see Kristina Campbell’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Well-Fed-Microbiome-Cookbook-Recipes-Repair-ebook/dp/B01HQZZSIU