The Mind-Gut Connection

Bacteria and the Brain

The bacteria that lives in our gut influences our behavior and moods. Living organisms in our gut, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even yeast can communicate with the brain along the vagus nerve. Experts point out that most (80-90%) brain chemicals are made by the microbiome, or home of bacteria, in your belly. This is something important for all of us to pay attention to. Tender times like having a baby or recovering from a traumatic experience requires more attention to this process.

Creating Healthy Soil in the Gut

As I have been writing about in my newly revised and edited book, Speak Up for Your Health, we have to think of our body as a garden. The belly contains the core soil that’s used to grow the healthy “plants” or parts of your body. This includes our blood, organs, brain, and reproductive system; everything!

How can we create healthy “gut soil?” First, we need to consume foods and personal care products that are whole and made with quality ingredients. Additionally, it’s vital to create living environments for ourselves and our family that combat toxins.

Bacteria and Beyond

Another important point is that the bacteria in our belly is digesting most of our food. In order to have healthy bacteria in the gut, we need to consume a balance of proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates. A healthy variety of foods transmutes materials into vitamins and minerals for the production of healthy brain chemicals and more. Remember that there’s not just bacteria; viruses, fungi, parasites, and more make up the ecosystem in the belly.

Using Ancient Soil to Build a Healthy Gut and Mind

In addition to eating a whole-foods diet rich in healthy proteins, plants, fats, and nutrients, many people also need a supplement to help restore strength and function to their gut. GMOs, processed sugars, seed oils, and other inflammatory food products create inflammation and perforations in the gut lining. These injuries throw off the balance of healthy bacteria and other living organisms.

Probiotics always come to mind when considering restoring bacterial balance and gut health, but many of them don’t have the needed diversity of strains of bacteria. We need something more potent with a variety of strains. There are better formulations that have come out recently, and the one that we started using this winter is ION. I love it because it’s flavorless, and kids can just take a spoonful like it’s water. I usually add it to their drink. It’s the easiest supplement for anyone to take, and they have formulas for skin, sinus issues, and even a pet formula.

ION: Intelligence of Nature

ION stands for “intelligence of nature” and was developed by the passionate physician Dr. Zach Bush M.D., who describes ION as “a unique and proprietary blend of ancient soil extracts that works to fortify your gut membrane and optimize your gut-brain connection.”  If you wish to learn more about Dr. Bush and ION, you can click here.

Conclusion on the Mind-Gut Connection

We have the innate ability to heal, but conventional agriculture, industrialization of food, and lack of attention on food and drink affecting mental health have disrupted that ability. If we can live in ways we are intended to live, then we will activate healing. The gut is the foundation, and we have to start there.

From my heart,

Lindsay