Have you ever had to make a “gut-wrenching" decision under pressure? Or were you ever so anxious that you had butterflies in your stomach? If so, then you know how stress can affect your digestive system.
The brain and the gut are connected and constantly in communication. In fact, more neurons reside in the gut than in the entire spinal cord and stress can affect every part of the digestive system!
The gut is controlled in part by the central nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. A system of nerves in your gut is so influential that many researchers consider the gut a second brain, so it's definitely worth listening to!
When presented with a potentially threatening situation, the sympathetic nervous system — which regulates heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure — responds by triggering a “fight-or-flight response,” releasing the stress hormone cortisol to make the body alert and prepared to face the threat.
And what does that mean for your gut?
It can affect your digestive system by:
Cause the oesophagus to spasm.
Increase acid in the stomach.
Poor indigestion.
Make you feel nauseous.
Give you diarrhoea or constipation.
In more serious cases, stress may cause a decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the stomach, which could lead to cramping, inflammation, or an imbalance of gut bacteria. It can also exacerbate gastrointestinal disorders, including IBS or peptic ulcers.
So, what can we do to help?
RELAX ..easier said than done right! Well actually I can help you with that part, through our purposefully named supplement 'Relax', to successfully down regulate cortisol and inflammation in the body. Of course, supporting your lifestyle with stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, therapy, journalling and setting aside time for quality sleep, rest, and fun are essential to helping your body recover from and eliminate stress.
Keen to know more?! Send me a little DM or book in for a chat through the website. Everyone needs a little 'Relax' in their life!
Intuition is an amazing ability to know something without having proof, but we question everything and more often than not, we ignore that ‘gut feeling’ and there is much reason as to why we refer to intuition as going with our gut. Our gut, you see, it is our second brain.
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