Serotonin and the bathroom! Weird, I know.

I’ve been reading a book about the mind-gut connection, especially concerning psychological problems, and it has be totally geeked out!  I’m kind of a nerd anyway, but this bacteria and mind gut and digestive system relationship is so interesting to me.  (The book is The Psychobiotic Revolution by Scott C. Anderson if you want to check it out)

So, I’m loving the whole book, but the chapter I just finished made me think of several things and put some connections together that I didn’t realize.

So, if you’ve ever taken a prescription medication for anxiety and depression, the chances are that you were on a SSRI- serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor.  Common medications in this group are Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram) and many many more.  These work for anxiety and depression by regulating your serotonin balance- one of your “feel good” hormones.   A common side effect of these medications is stomach upset- I know every time I would start someone on these medications I would warn people it frequently happens but should calm down/go away with time. 

BUT- I never learned WHY these medications caused this problem!  In school we are often told side effects, and sometimes the why, but not always.    Now I know why!  It’s the Serotonin!    

90% of your serotonin is made in your gut- which I knew from other research into anxiety, depression, mood and probiotics.  That’s why gut health is important for anyone suffering from these problems and why people with gut problems are more likely to have mood problems.  It’s a balanced relationship.   

What I didn’t know is that serotonin causes peristalsis- the muscle movement along the digestive tract that moves our food through the system.   This is why prescription medication can cause a little extra gas and bowel movements and the same can be true with any probiotics that can lead to serotonin production like Lactobacillus species. 

I’ll eventually do a post on bacteria die off symptoms that can happen with healing your gut which can lead to diarrhea, but another reason someone may get diarrhea for the short term after starting probiotics is because of Serotinin being released.  At that point, it doesn’t seem like the “feel good” hormone it’s supposed to be, but it’s actually working and doing it’s job! 

Whether you’re needing prescription mood medications, you’re starting a probiotic, or a combination of both (and I FULLY believe if you need a prescription you should have a probiotic also)- do NOT be surprised if you have a few extra trips to the restroom at first! 

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Until next time....

Blessings in Health and Happiness

Gut Health- prebiotics

Gut health series continues!  Today is PRE-BIOTICs.  Not to be confused with PRO-biotics.  
Pre-biotics are not baby probiotics, but the things that probiotics eat to grow and flourish!

Our bacteria in our bodies will eat almost anything, but our health bacteria will grow exponentially with the right food!  Kind of like people- we can live off McDonalds, Burger King or other bad choices, but we will do amazing if we have fresh fruits and vegetables and clean foods.   Different bacteria also tend to prefer certain prebiotics according to science!  Getting the fibers that will improve the growth of beneficial bacteria will help people reach their health goals and get the most out of both their probiotics and prebiotics. 

Good news for all- most of these prebiotics foods are also healthy for us!  They are usually fiber filled foods that help with roughage and keep our digestive tract moving through the fiber and by feeding the good bacteria.   Some examples of prebiotic foods are bananas, asparagus, onions, and garlic.  Sometimes supplements will add specific fibers to get some of these prebiotic health benefits in their products.  Just like picking the right foods, picking the right prebiotic supplements will help you reach your health goals. 

Some of the potential health benefits include reduction of illness, reduce colon cancer risk, can help with healthy weight, and can help absorption of our minerals that we’re eating.   A happy, healthy digestive system can change our whole lives and make such a difference in disease and our ability to fight off illness. 

There are some people who need to approach prebiotics with caution.  Some people with irritable bowel syndrome must be careful to not start high doses of prebiotics all at once- their gut may not adjust well, and they could have some serious bathroom time coming!   This doesn’t mean they can not take prebiotics, they just need to be selective and start with small amounts and adjust to their body’s needs.  People with irritable bowel syndrome or other stomach problems need healing and could benefit from supplementation, but also need to listen to what their body tells them. 

In overview- if you take a probiotic, you want to make sure you feed it with prebiotics to get the best results!  Look for the right prebiotics for your stomach and what will feed the bacteria that you want to help.   Systems with scientifically studied ingredients can help this process be less complicated, but feeding it with extra, healthy food will also help.  There are some major health benefits to be reaped by probiotics and prebiotic use- just do some homework on making sure you get the best for your body. 

Blessings in Health and Happiness

Finding the Right Probiotic

To continue our gut health series- we will discuss shopping!  One of my favorite things!

Today- shopping for probiotics!  Even happier because it’s good for gut health and shopping all together!  

But the problem is…you get the pharmacy or health food store and it looks like this…

Or you google and get over 76 million results!  Oh my!  How to choose?

• ·     Company.  There are a few guidelines I recommend for supplements in general.  Supplement companies can (within limits) put what they want on the bottles and the FDA disclaimer and are not responsible if it’s not effective.   This doesn’t make every supplement bad- it keeps our costs down (to be FDA approved it would need significant tests like drug companies do- and we know how expensive new prescription medication is). But it is definitely a buyer beware system.   So look into the company you are thinking of buying from and see if they have any quality control system- it’s best if they send their products out for testing by a company not associated with their product.  If the company offers a guarantee that’s nice too, but it should be 30 days or more for any supplement as it would take at least that long, if not longer to really see differences. 
• ·       Strands of bacteria.  This is VERY important.  We want strands of bacteria that have proven to be effective in helping our issues.  For example- Bifidobacterium Longum has shown to help with mood problems.  If you have mood problems and pick a product that only has acidophilus you are unlike to reap a full probiotic benefit.  In general, you want a nice mix of a few bacteria that have good clinical studies.   Here’s a picture of the label of my probiotic that has 8 strains of good bacteria, all that have clinical evidence for help of gut health and moods. 

• ·       Number of bacteria.  You need to make sure your probiotic is potent enough to give you effects, but you don’t necessarily need 100 billion CFU (colony forming units).  Bigger isn’t always better because if they have large amounts of non-studied bacteria, you aren’t helping yourself at all.  Mine is 20 billion CFU.
• ·       Storage.  Getting live bacteria into our digestive system is imperative for probiotics to be helpful!  This includes storage bottles, where to store and the capsule.   Storage bottles should protect the probiotics from heat and moisture, which can kill your good bacteria.  Refrigeration does not make a probiotic better- this means the manufacturer couldn’t find a way to keep them stabilized at room temp or decided not to- and could lead to increased risk of you not getting what you paid for if anytime during transport from them to you it got warm.  The capsules should also be able to survive your stomach acid so more active bacteria make it into your intestines! 

Some people say they don’t need probiotic supplements because they eat probiotic foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, or other fermented foods.  While they have probiotics, there is no evidence to say that LIVE bacteria get into the digestive system.  Remember- if you don’t get the right live strains where they need to be, you are literally wasting money.

Some probiotics will have some extra helpers in them- for example I take a probiotic that has digestive enzymes in it.  My children take a chew-able multivitamin that has probiotics.  If it’s done correctly, this can help by saving extra supplements to take daily!

I personally recommend Plexus products- they have a 60 day money back guarantee, scientifically studied bacterial strains, a special capsule and bottle for storage, and do outside independent testing for quality control! I and my patients have tried multiple probiotics and never noticed as great results as we have with Plexus.  Send me an email if you’re interested!  Subscribe to my email for more information and to stay updated on sales!

Blessings in Health and Happiness!

The Down-Low on Probiotics

You may hear often that good gut health is important, but what does that really mean?

I’m going to start a series of several posts that explain all the different pieces of gut health, how they work together, and how you can fix yours!  It really is a more complex topic then one post can contain!  There are hundreds and hundreds of books written about the subject and more and more new we are learning every day!

First we’ll discuss- What is a Probiotic?

Simply put- a probiotic is a bacteria that scientists have found to be helpful in the human digestive system. 

To step back a few steps, you must know that we are constantly covered in bacteria and bacteria lines our entire digestive system all of the time- and that’s okay!  Most of the bacteria on our skin and in our bodies is working with us to protect us!  These good organisms help us stay healthy and well, and in return we feed them.  But our bacteria balance can be damaged by many things including medications (especially antibiotics), foods, drinks and stress.  This leads to dysbiosis and can lead to disease, inflammation and weight gain. 

The general idea behind probiotics is to put more good bacteria into our system to help regain balance of the system with more “good” than “bad” bacteria.  Unfortunately- just taking a probiotic is only scratching the surface- you need to do much more to notice any effects of taking these supplements which I will discuss in other gut health posts 😊

So good bacteria- makes sense, but are there studies about it?  Most studies have been done on mice when it comes to bacteria and probiotics, as they are the easiest host types to control in the scientific community.   These studies, however, can focus on specific bacteria species and give us ideas of which bacteria are truly beneficial.   Subscribe to my email if you want extra info on the bacteria studies 😊

How do you find a good probiotic?  Stay tuned for next week where I’ll walk through all the do’s and don’ts on buying a probiotic!

Blessings in Health and Happiness!

My Stressed-Out Life

Stress.  Anxiety.  Depression. 

I’m not ashamed to say that I battled anxiety and depression for years and was medicated at one point for it.  But at the time, I was.  I went to the doctor almost in secret (my husband knew, but no one else).  I wouldn’t go to counseling- then I’d have to talk about it.  I took a pill and continued trying to go on with life like nothing was wrong.   Grad school, motherhood, wife duties, work in the hospital, running the house, getting food on the table.  Medication helped, of course, but over the years I have found other things help much more. 

First- talking.  Back to being vulnerable.  I’m not the first mom who has lost her mind because of a sock on the floor on the wrong day and screamed at my child like a raging lunatic.   I’m not the first wife who imagined her husband being in an awful car accident to the details of planning what would happen after if it all happened today.  I’m not the first person who wished they could just sleep for 2 weeks and wake up and everything be “normal.”   For sure not the only one who has relied too much on chocolate or a few glasses of wine for a pick me up when things are hard.  Talk to your friends- they are there too!  You can help encourage each other to pick healthier ways and to forgive ourselves for the weak moments!

Second- take care of yourself.  Physically.  Exercise releases endorphins, and as we know from our friend Elle Woods, happy people won’t kill their husbands.   It gives you an outlet for stress and gives you energy- much needed energy!  Eating healthy also helps a lot.  Sugar/carbs is what we reach for in our various comfort foods but increases dysbiosis in our gut which can increase anxiety/depression problems! 

Third- take care of your gut!  Our gut health, as I discussed about eating healthy, has a LOT to do with how we feel.  Dysbiosis in our gut is the imbalance of good and bad bacteria in our digestive system that can lead to several common symptoms including moodiness, anxiety, bloating, bad breath, excess gas and bathroom problems.  Probiotics and prebiotics can help re-balance this system.  I personally use Plexus products to do this as they have scientifically studied ingredients and high-quality control measures. 

Fourth- take care of your mind.  Positive thinking, meditation, music therapy, counseling- all of these are possible tools to help your brain. Anxiety or depression aren’t as clear cut as, “go listen to music, it will help”, but it’s one of many tools to help!  There are certain songs I can’t help but dance or sing along to, no matter what mood I was in before!  Make a playlist and listen when you need some mental health time!  Find what works for you and make it part of your routine!

It’s all about hormone balance, so taking care of our guts and our physical balance can help naturally balance those hormones that determine if we feel good or bad. 

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Blessings in Health and Happiness!