holistic wellness

The Surprising Link Between Sleep and Mental Health

There are many (many!) reasons we might not sleep well—from scrolling on our phones in bed to stressing out about work to downing too much caffeine during the day. But regardless of the reasons, insufficient sleep can harm overall health and well-being in surprising ways. Beyond waking up tired and grumpy, not getting the seven hours of sleep per night that is recommended for adults can have a long-term impact on mental and emotional health, contributing to a heightened risk for anxiety and depression. There is a good reason that Sleep Deep is a pillar of a nutritious life. And while sleep problems have been steadily growing over the years, recently there has been a surge in sleep disorders, according to research that cites upended routines, more screen time, increased alcohol consumption and dissolving boundaries between work and private life as some of the key factors. “Once sleep is disrupted, it can impact mental and physical health, which may in turn cause further sleep disruption,” noted Athena Akrami, PhD, a neuroscientist at University College London. The Connection Between Sleep and Mental Health While we think of sleep as a time to power down our brains, they are actively performing essential tasks that contribute significantly to mental health and cognitive function. While you’re snoozing, the brain goes through a housekeeping process, employing the glymphatic system—a brain-wide waste clearance operation—to eliminate cellular waste, toxins, amyloid-beta and tau proteins (which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s) and more. Given this, sleep deprivation results in waste buildup and potentially, cognitive deficits. Research also suggests that this critical sleep-cycle decluttering helps with memory, learning, creativity, focus, decision-making, problem-solving, and concentration. Plus, getting adequate sleep helps with emotional stability and mood regulation. RELATED: Are Your Sleep Habits Messing With Your Mental Health? How Your Brain Picks Your Bedtime One of the critical biological processes that determine when you should go to bed is called the circadian rhythm. These 24-hour cycles correspond to exposure to natural (or intentionally induced) cycles of darkness and light. Everyone’s circadian rhythm plays a critical role in regulating bodily cycles, such as appetite, digestion, the release of hormones, and the regulation of body temperature. The brain also controls the release of two types of hormones that determine when you should sleep and when you should wake up. The release of cortisol induces a feeling of restfulness and alertness, while melatonin brings about a feeling of tiredness and sleepiness. The brain triggers the release of these chemicals depending on the amount of natural light or darkness that your retina is exposed to. Ideally, your overall health and lifestyle determine when you should go to bed. But in all cases, you should aim for a bedtime that allows you to get the minimum prescribed number of hours of sleep for your age group, typically 7-9 hours for adults. If you don’t consistently get that amount of sleep, you may develop a condition called sleep debt which happens when you consistently accumulate sleepless hours over time. If you are unsure when you should hit the pillow and turn off the lights, try using an online bedtime calculator to help you determine when you should turn in. RELATED: 5 Ways Your Bedroom Could Be Affecting Your Sleep 10 Natural Ways to Improve Sleep and Mental Health Quality sleep can benefit mental well-being, and good mental health can lead to better sleep. Here, tips for enhancing both: Clean Up Your Sleep Hygiene Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends; Make your bedroom conducive to sleep – dark, quiet, and cool; Avoid electronic screens (phones, computers, TVs) at least an hour before bedtime as they emit blue light that can interfere with melatonin production; Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows. Consume Sleep-Friendly Foods Limit caffeine and alcohol, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime; Consume sleep-promoting foods and drinks, such as almonds, turkey, chamomile tea and kiwi; Stay hydrated but try to curb fluid intake an hour before bedtime to minimize middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. Work Out Regularly Exercise: helps reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while improving sleep. However, avoid intense workouts right before bedtime. Yoga and Tai Chi are gentle forms of exercise that can promote relaxation and mental balance. Studies in postmenopausal women showed that even moderate-intensity exercise can go a long way in improving sleep quality. Try Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques Meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression; Deep-breathing exercises promote relaxation and stress reduction; Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then relaxing each muscle group, promoting physical and mental relaxation. Increase Your Magnesium Levels Many people are deficient in this hardworking mineral, which plays a crucial role in brain function and mood. (Low magnesium levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.) Additionally, magnesium helps with the regulation of neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and body —one of them involves muscle relaxation. It’s found in foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, but can also be taken as a supplement. *Always consult a healthcare provider before starting any supplements Limit Naps Avoid crashing out for long periods or late in the day, as that could interfere with nighttime sleep. Connect Socially Regular interaction with loved ones and friends can improve mood and provide emotional support. Exposure Yourself to Natural Light Daylight helps regulate sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day. Establish a Pre-sleep Routine Engaging in activities like reading, listening to soothing music or enjoying a warm bath can send a signal to the brain that it’s time to unwind. For some, soft music or white noise acts as a sleep-inducing agent, while others rely on the power of essential oils as their “sleep potion.” There’s scientific evidence to support this practice—some oils, such as lavender, have a calming effect on the olfactory nerve receptors in the nasal cavity, which transmit sensory data to the brain. When the

The Truth About Resetting Your Metabolism, and Tips From a Top Weight Loss Doctor

You don’t need an MD degree to know that weight loss results from burning more calories than one eats. But metabolism plays a big role here: After all, it’s responsible for regulating how quickly those calories are burned to create energy. As such, the more we can do to help our clients convert food into energy with speed and efficiency, the more we can help them. But it’s important to be realistic. After all, weight-loss experts agree that “resetting” your metabolism with a cleanse, keto diet, or fasting simply doesn’t deliver sustainable results. What’s more, when weight loss is the goal, focusing on minute metabolic improvements is less effective than zeroing in on excess caloric intake, according to Dr. Charlie Seltzer, M.D., a weight-loss physician based in Philadelphia. Here’s what else you need to know about how to “reset” the metabolism. What Is Metabolism? Metabolism is the series of biochemical reactions that occur within the body to keep it alive. It’s responsible for synthesizing carbs, protein, and fat from food into bodily tissues and fat (constructive metabolism). It’s also tasked with breaking down substances—including the calories we eat and sometimes body fat—into energy (destructive metabolism), thus fueling every process in the body. So how can metabolism impact your nutrition coaching client’s weight-loss goal? While dietary changes that provide sustainable solutions for appetite control will still be your best bet to help a client achieve success, Dr. Seltzer says, certain lifestyle factors can increase the body’s metabolic rate—at least a little—leading to greater caloric burn and potentially resulting in weight loss. What Is a Set Point? Some experts believe the body has a “set point,” or certain weight that it will try to maintain regardless of weight gain or loss. In some ways, this explains why yo-yo dieting is so prevalent: After losing a few pounds, the body turns up its hunger signals to “help” you return to your original weight, making it difficult to maintain the loss, Dr. Seltzer explains. “There’s still a lot we don’t understand about weight, metabolism, and appetite,” he says, “but it’s believed that we have compensatory mechanisms.” The thing about this theory is that it makes the future look bleak, especially among those who put in an honest effort to lose weight and expect metabolic changes to support that journey. If a client’s goal is to lower their weight, one way to adjust their set point is to encourage them to lose weight gradually—say, a 10 % weight reduction—and maintain it for about six months before attempting to lose more, Dr. Seltzer says. This way, your body can adjust and, in theory, create a new set point. What Factors Affect Your Metabolism? The rate at which the body burns calories to create energy needed to fuel basic functioning is known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Body size, muscle mass, gender, and age all contribute to BMR. While there are some mechanisms by which one can increase their BMR to promote weight loss, the truth is that it’s appetite, not a slow BMR, that typically contributes to weight gain, Dr. Seltzer says. (After all, the larger your body mass, the more calories your body burns at rest.) Besides BMR, which is the body’s primary calorie burner, two other factors contribute to overall caloric output. These include activity-induced thermogenesis, which covers non-exercise activity, like pushing a grocery cart through the store and exercise, and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), i.e., eating—that’s right, eating. See, when we consume snacks and meals, the body burns calories to chew, swallow and digest said food, leading to a temporary increase in metabolism that can account for as much as 15% of the calories we burn every day, according to Dr. Seltzer. ”Tucking in early (or sleeping in late) is the easiest thing you can do for weight control.” How to Increase Metabolism While certain behaviors burn calories by virtue of their energy requirements, there are many lifestyle factors that can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR) or calories your body burns at rest. 1. Fill your plate with protein. Different macronutrients have different thermic effects, or increase in metabolism due to the amount of effort it takes to digest them. Research suggests that protein has a thermic effect of 25-30%, meaning the body burns up to one-third of the protein calories you take in by simply digesting them. Meanwhile, carbohydrates have a thermic effect of 6-8%, and fat has a thermic effect of 2-3%. Simply put, protein is a good metabolic bargain. 2. Get ample sleep. Skimping on sleep lowers your RMR, decreasing your calorie burn in promotion of obesity, Dr. Seltzer says. Assuming you don’t struggle to fall and stay asleep, tucking in early (or sleeping in late) is the easiest thing you can do for weight control. 3. Strength train. Because it takes energy to turn amino acids into muscle tissue to recover from a strength-training workout, building muscle at the gym can increase the calories you burn after you leave the gym. 4. Do high-intensity cardio. “This raises the metabolism for a period afterward,” Dr. Seltzer explains, with a warning: “We don’t know whether this leads to weight loss since people tend to compensate by increasing their food intake thereafter.” 5. Drink water. Dehydration drops your metabolic rate, according to Dr. Seltzer. Rehydrating after a workout or simply sipping a non-caloric beverage throughout the day can counteract this adverse effect. 6. Drink caffeine. Sans cream and sugar, which could offset its effects, caffeine-containing beverages like coffee and tea both raise the metabolic rate to burn extra calories and act as a performance enhancer so you can work out harder, which can contribute to overall calorie output. 7. Spice up your meals. Research has linked intake of capsaicin-containing foods such as chili peppers to a lower prevalence of obesity—and researchers think they know why: The compound raises body temperature and oxygen intake, increasing calorie burn, though it’s not going to suddenly put you into a smaller dress size overnight.

Moon Water 101: Here’s What We Know

Do you believe in the power of the moon? If so, you’re not alone. For centuries, some people have thought that the moon can influence the way humans behave. The word lunacy comes from the Latin word lunaticus, meaning “of the moon” or “moonstruck.” But what about the moon’s effect on water? We know that the ocean’s high and low tides are caused by the moon through a gravitational pull, which generates something called the tidal force. This might partly explain the recent popularity of making moon water in the wellness world—a ritual that essentially relies on the moon’s energy to turn water into a salve, elixir and energizer. Liquid moon mojo? Sign us up. But whether there’s any truth to it remains to be seen since there’s no research yet to prove or disprove the moon’s ability to charge water with its energy. True or not, there’s really no harm in trying your own little lunar probe to see if moon water works for you. What is Moon Water? Moon water is a homemade concoction believed to be charged by the energy of the moon. Typically, its intention is to help with spiritual and emotional healing or transformation. The practice is said to have originated sometime during the 1800s, but the idea of leveraging the energy and power of the moon has been around for centuries. A full moon is thought to help with letting go of negative emotions and things that keep us from reaching our fullest potential. So moon water is typically created during a full moon, when the moon shines brightest, but it can be made during any of the moon’s phases. Some moon enthusiasts suggest you avoid making moon water during a lunar eclipse, especially if you’re doing it for the purpose of harnessing positive energy. But, like the science behind the power of the moon, there are some people out there that say any time is a good time to make moon water. It just depends on what you want to use it for. What Does Moon Water Do? In Ayurveda—an ancient holistic medical philosophy that’s based on the idea that health and wellness depend on finding balance between mind, body and spirit—there is a focus on living in alignment with nature. Ayurvedic philosophy puts special emphasis on the power of the full moon, believing it can impact emotions, thoughts and even your nervous system. Lunar energy, it’s believed, can calm and soothe the body, reducing inflammation and resetting imbalances, including hormonal imbalances, stress, and anxiety. Moon water is typically created during a full moon, when the moon shines brightest, with the goal of harnessing its positive energy for spiritual, mental or physical balancing. Some moon enthusiasts suggest you avoid making moon water during a lunar eclipse, especially if you’re doing it for the purpose of harnessing positive energy. But, like the science behind the power of the moon, there are some people out there that say any time is a good time to make moon water. It just depends on what you want to use it for. How to Make Moon Water Making moon water is easy and doesn’t require a lot of time or materials. Keep it super simple, with as few as four ingredients. One glass container (with or without lid) Water (from the tap, a lake, river, spring, distilled, etc.) Herbs, flowers, crystals (or other things to infuse it with) A writing utensil and a label Wait for a full moon, or try it out any clear night, with this 5-step process for how to make moon water: 1. Grab your glass container and fill it with whatever type of water you choose. If you’re planning to drink the moon water, just be sure the water is potable, meaning safe and clean. 2. Find a spot where the moon shines brightest. Put your jar of water somewhere it can absorb the light of the moon with the least obstruction. 3. Set your intention for the water. Before letting your moon water do its thing, think about how you want it to heal you or help you transform. Say it out loud or just meditate on it for a bit. 4. Infuse it with herbs, crystals, or flowers. If you have specific energy you want to bring to the water, using certain herbs or crystals may help increase these energies. For example, adding lavender—either in herb or oil form—may boost feelings of calm and relaxation. 5. Leave the container under the moon overnight. Use a lid or plastic wrap to keep it protected from debris. In the morning, take your freshly made moon water and use it as you please. How is Moon Water Used? Although it’s often used in various spiritual rituals, moon water can also simply be used as part of a daily beauty routine, for meditation practice, or just for fun. Once made, moon water can be used in endless ways. Here are just a few: Drink it Boil your moon water and drink it in your favorite tea to increase energy and/or heal any minor ailments you may have. Clean with it Add a little moon water to your cleaning spray to cleanse your home on a deeper, spiritual level. Add it to bathwater Amplify its power by making moon water and then bathing in it during a full moon. Make perfume/oils with it Make your own perfume that not only smells good, but also refreshes your spirit every time you use it. Spritz plants with it Spray your drooping plants with a little moon water to help revive them. Image: Shutterstock

16 Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies to Support Now and Forever

Since being diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases three years ago, I have slowly transitioned my everyday products to be clean, non-toxic, and non-irritating to my body. Anything with the potential to challenge my immune system has gone. As I was researching different companies and products, I must admit that ingredients were my main concern — who companies were founded or run by were not even on my radar. However, since the death of George Floyd, and the continual unfolding of the Black Lives Matter movement, I have given a lot of consideration about what it means to be an Ally and truly support the Black community, specifically in the wellness space. For me, it means ongoing commitment to education, donating to the cause, listening and learning, having hard conversations with family members, and supporting Black businesses. RELATED: 4 Simple Ways to Green Your Beauty Routine I have begun the process of transitioning all of my face, body, and hair products to those from companies run by Black women in support of Black Lives Matter. Here are sixteen of my favorites. Perhaps you can find one — or many — to try and make some of your own beauty brand changes. Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies: Face Ayele & Co Founder of Ayele & Co, Danielle Bahi was 21 when she started her organic, vegan, and cruelty-free line in her college dorm room in 2016. She told Forbes that her motivation was to make great skincare options that are still affordable. Try their crowd favorite Garden Serum. Epilogic-Skincare Epilogic Skincare was created out of Dr. Jeanniton’s philosophy that beauty is, above all, not just about looking, but about feeling your best. After years of working with a diverse array of patients at various ages, stages and aesthetic needs, Dr. Jeanniton combined ther knowledge with industry-leading research to create a different type of skincare line. Rose Skin MD Developed by Board Certified Dermatologist, Rosemarie Ingleton, M.D., each product in the ROSE Ingleton MD Skincare line is infused with a blend of natural fruit extracts native to her home island of Jamaica. Take their quiz to find out which products are best for your unique skin. Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies: Body Hanahana Beauty Hanahana Beauty is an incredible skincare and wellness brand committed to empowering women of color. They handcraft 100% all natural products + pay 2x the fair trade rate for shea butter sourced from the Katariga (Su an glo) Cooperative in Tamale, Ghana. In addition, they have created The Hanahana Circle of care, a social realignment that serves women from Katarigo, improving their economic health, environmental conditions and self sustainability within the shea trade. LIHA UK-based LIHA was born from the desire to create a luxe natural and organic skincare brand that blends the rich botanical life of West Africa with traditional English aromatherapy. Handmade in small batches in Cheltenham and Hackney, their products are natural, 100% vegan, cruelty free and free from parabens, sls and chemicals. Beneath Your Mask Suffering from an extreme case of Lupus, Beneath Your Mask founder and CEO Dana Jackson, created their line designed to restore, repair, and reverse the toxic effects of environmental hazards, health challenges, stress, and damage done from countless other unforgiving aspects of our lifestyles. Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies: Tea/Herbal Eleva Alma This small business in Northern California has become my obsession. Everything by Eleva Alma is handcrafted with Natural, Organic & Cruelty Free Ingredients that have been meticulously & thoughtfully created with the intention of offering an exclusive luxury healing experience. Their collection of holistic herbal teas offer support for both physical and emotional well being. Ivy’s Tea Co. Ivy’s Tea Co is owned and operated by first-generation herbalist and Tea Bae, Shanae. What I love about Shanae is that she is changing the way we see tea drinkers and is introducing more African holistic remedies into the health industry. Her goal is to make the industry as inclusive and reflective and accepting of all cultures as Hip-Hop. Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies: Makeup Blac BLAC stands for basic luxury for all colors. And that it is: a luxury makeup that is non-toxic and natural, something that founder Merced Boyce was searching for. Boyce’s company was created out of this need to find makeup that would stop irritating her face, while also supporting the unique beautiful shades of women of color. The Lip Bar Have you seen The Lip Bar at Target? Next time you are there, pick up a few as their brand is vegan and cruelty-free and exists to help change the way we think about beauty. Their beauty positive brand highlights the uniqueness in beauty, and spreads the message that we are all enough and deserve to be celebrated. Hi WildFlower Founder, Tanwi Nandini Islam created Hi Wildflower Beauty for women of color. The line features an all-natural range of lipsticks and nail polishes that are formulated with ingredients like sunflower seed oil, beeswax, and shea butter. Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies: SunScreen Unscreen After much frustration over the lack of options of clean sunscreen for women of color, Katonya Breaux founded Unscreen in 2016. The company provides clean, no-residue options that are kind to our skin as well as the environment. Their most popular product is their mineral tinted sunscreen for dark skin tones. Black Girl SunScreen With Black Girl Sunscreen, you won’t find harmful ingredients or that annoying residue. Rub it in, and just like lotion, it dries clear. Natural ingredients help rejuvenate your face and body while helping you to stay moisturized. Black-Owned Clean Beauty Companies: Hair My Sunday 2 Sunday My Sunday 2 Sunday designs their hair products around the active woman. Their unique blend of products are formulated to secure moisture loss due to sweat, buildup, and the environmental damage that takes place in between washes. Sienna Naturals Sienna Naturals is a clean beauty company whose main focus is the health and texture of your hair and scalp. What I love

Use this Natural Practice to Become More Grounded

Excerpted from Ritual Baths (2020) by Deborah Hanecamp, reprinted with author’s permission. Earth, North, Summer, Taurus Tea Pairing: Nettle, Red Clover, Rose, and Dandelion Tea Even if they live in the middle of a big city, people who have a green aura will always find a way to stay connected to nature. Because they are filled with so much empathy, they often need to escape into nature to ground and let the soft winds, water, and earth cleanse their spirits. Even a simple house plant on a windowsill of your midtown walk-up can remind you what you know to be inherently true: You are nature! The earth is your body, the wind is your breath, the water is your blood, and the fire is your spirit. The reason you may connect to crystals is because they speak to the minerals in your body and remind you that you, too, are a part of this beautiful Earth. We take care of our bodies the same way we take care of the Earth. When you are going through a phase of eating unhealthfully and skipping workouts, watch and see if you are also buying more plastic and engaging in other practices that harm the Earth. The more we can realize that we are nature, the more we can take care of her. RELATED: 5 Incredible, Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation When we talk about getting grounded, what we are really talking about is returning to the source, returning to the truth of where we come from, returning to the earth. This bath is designed to help us to remember the truth of who we are. Follow this bath with a walk outside. Ingredients Red clay, mixed with bentonite clay and graviola powder, nettle leaf powder, or matcha 1 cup black lava salt 1 cup pink rose petals 1 bunch of fresh rosemary 10 drops each of rose and rosemary essential oils All of your non-water-soluble crystals Ritual Mix clay and plant powders with spring water to create a thick paste. Cover your body head to toe with the mixture. If you have the luxury, go outside naked, covered in the mixture. Stand in the sun. When the paste begins to dry, rub it off your body. It will create a fine, very exfoliating dust. Notice how grounding and awakening this practice is. If you cannot go outside naked and covered in green mud because your neighbors will be convinced that the zombie apocalypse is here, then prepare your bath while you’re letting the mixture dry. Place all the other ingredients in the bath at a temperature of your choosing. Light a candle. Create a smudge using white sage by putting it in a nonflammable tray of some kind and igniting it. Waft the smoke around your body using a feather you have found. Step into the bath and dunk your head underwater. Place the crystals on your body wherever your intuition is guided to place them. Sing this song (original author unknown): Earth my body. Water my blood. Wind my breath. And fire my spirit. Take ten deep, grounding breaths. Sit and soak in the medicine you’ve created. Excerpted from Ritual Baths (2020) by Deborah Hanecamp, reprinted with author’s permission. Mama Medicine is Deborah Hanekamp – The author of the bestselling book Ritual Baths and widely known as “fashion’s favorite healer” (Vogue Magazine). Mama Medicine facilitates Medicine Readings all over the world. These ceremonies integrate two decades of experience. At the end of every Medicine Reading, Deborah prescribes a Ritual Bath. Her empowering work along with her unique aesthetic and approachable personality, have garnered Mama Medicine tens of thousands of global followers and features in major press outlets. In a world of gurus and self-help, Mama Medicine encourages us to be our own healer and helps us connect to the true master within us all: the power of love. Follow Deborah @MamaMedicine

How Yoga Star Caley Alyssa Follows an “Awareness Diet”

You may be surprised to learn that Caley Alyssa hates the gym or loves face massages. But this is something that probably won’t shock you about the influential yoga teacher, who inspires women all over the world on a daily basis during her classes, on Instagram, and via the monthly speaker series Women Catalysts. When we asked her to describe the habits that make up her Nutritious Life, a major theme emerged: mindfulness. Living consciously, she said, means being constantly mindful of “where the products you’re using come from and where they will go when you’re done, AND not just to know, but to care.” And that ethos seeps into all of her habits—from yoga and meditation to eating with awareness. Find out how, plus other fun facts about the superstar yogi, below. How does Caley Alyssa Live a Nutritious Life? If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? The awareness diet! It’s simple. Be aware of what you’re eating, how it was grown, how it makes you feel when you eat it, when you’re actually full and satisfied, anticipate thirst, prepare for performance, and recovery….I could go on! What’s the one thing you always have in your fridge? Kombucha. The one food you’d never buy? Meat. The snack you always have with you when traveling? Nut butter packets. Your favorite food indulgence? Honey Mama’s raw vegan chocolate. It’s basically healthy fudge. I’m obsessed. RELATED: 5 Healthy Reasons to Eat Chocolate How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? Every day! Other than yoga, rock climbing is getting to be on top of my list. I also really enjoy Pilates and hiking. How do you stay active outside of the gym? I never go to the gym! It’s my least favorite place in the world. What’s your go-to tool for managing stress? Meditation. RELATED: A 2-Minute Calming Meditation to Manage Stress How do you pamper yourself when you need it? I go to the Olympic Spa and get a massage and scrub down! It’s amazing. Do you have a favorite health gadget? I use meditation apps like Getting into the Vortex and One Giant Mind. How do you express and spread love? Touch, clear communication, inspiring confidence! What’s your weirdest healthy habit? Face massage! It’s changed my life. I get the massages from an amazing woman, Natalia Armonik. She’s trained in a very special method. Basically you never need Botox. It relaxes the tense muscles of your face and reduces wrinkles. It also tightens your skin and boosts collagen production. Which healthy habit do you wish you had more time for? Massages. I really need one a week. Lightning Round Meditation or massage? Both. A hot shower or a soothing bath? Bath. Almond butter or peanut butter? Almond butter. Coffee or tea? Tea. A long run outside or a dark spin class? Long run. “How Do You Live a Nutritious Life?” is a recurring column. Featured guests complete a questionnaire and select answers are then chosen and edited to share, here. Are you a wellness pro interested in sharing how you live a Nutritious Life? Email lisa@nutritiouslife.com to be considered.

The Gut-Brain Connection and How it Impacts Your Health

Next time you’re feeling down, instead of blaming it on bad Tinder dates, consider the gut-brain connection. Maybe you haven’t been giving the microbes in your digestive system enough of the veggie fiber they crave (or enough cred when it comes to their impact on your mood)? That may sound crazy, but actually, scientists have discovered that the microbes in your gut are engaged in a constant conversation with your mind. And that chatter could be affecting your emotions, moods, and behavior in major ways. Gut Health 101 First, a little review. Gut health has been building up steam as a trending health topic as more research points to the importance of the microbiome, a fancy word for the trillions (yes, trillions!) of microbes that live in your gut, on your skin, and elsewhere. (Feeling itchy?) Much of the attention has focused on how those microbes affect digestion and conditions like leaky gut, and therefore the immune system and chronic inflammation, which is linked to disease risk. RELATED: The Facts on Inflammation The Gut-Brain Connection Now, the gut-brain connection is also entering the picture in a bigger way. Turns out your gut’s got its very own nervous system, called the Enteric Nervous System (ENS), and it’s so influential it’s often referred to as “the second brain.” The ENS’ main job is to regulate digestion, but it also sends up regular signals to the brain via the vagus nerve. Think of the vagus nerve as a busy two-lane highway. Traffic is moving in both directions, but it’s much heavier headed north, to the brain. Who’s directing that flow of traffic? Your microbes, of course. How That Connection Affects Your Health Here’s where things get interesting. Since your microbes are sending so many signals to your brain, if your gut health is out of whack, they may send up some wacky signals that influence your moods in negative ways. RELATED: 4 Easy Ways to Improve Your Digestive Health Studies have shown changing the makeup of gut microbiota actually changed how mice behaved, affecting anxiety and cognition, for instance. Mice raised without beneficial microbes also have been shown to be less capable of managing stress. Another example: 90 percent of the neurotransmitter serotonin is made in the gut, and research has shown microbes play a critical role in its production. So, if yours are not doing their job well, your body could end up with inadequate serotonin. That’s a problem since it regulates sleep, appetite, mood, and more. How can you harness this info for better brain health? Probiotics could eliminate some of the barriers associated with traditional antidepressant medications and provide a new avenue for alleviating depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of probiotic effects and establish standardized protocols for their use in clinical practice. Maintaining a healthy gut through a diet rich in fibrous vegetables and incorporating fermented foods can promote a balanced mood and reduce anxiety. Eating as many fibrous veggies as possible is key (microbes feast on the prebiotic fiber); fermented foods are great for your gut, and taking a high-quality probiotic is a good strategy either way since it can also benefit your digestive and immune systems.