Gut Brain Axis and a Peaceful World
Back in the 90’s when I was voraciously reading books on wellness and healing, I came upon a book by Drs. Mark Hyman and Mark Liponis called Ultra Prevention: The 6 Week Plan that Will Make You Healthy for Life. It struck a chord with me since I’d been working in a medical school environment where I grew disillusioned about medicine in general since so much was about curing or managing disease rather than preventing it.
Drs. Hyman and Liponis infused their book with a key word that I’d not seen before in any books I’d read or course I’d taken: inflammation. The doctors stated that a body that became inflamed, whether by food, stress or the environment. would be a body that developed disease. Likewise, a person that ate mainly simple whole foods, got adequate rest, and had a lifestyle that nurtured rather than depleted one’s energy would prevent inflammation and remain healthy
I have embraced this philosophy ever since. It is central to the work I do and how I approach my health. This is why I am eager to share a concept I recently heard on Dr. Hyman’s podcast that digs even deeper into health and well being.
Brain on Fire
In this podcast episode Dr. Hyman’s guest was Dr. Austin Perlmutter. The conversation focused on brain health and an exploration of some root causes of the many brain related maladies so common today: ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, aggression etc. Each was defined as inflammatory conditions of the brain.
Gut Brain Health
There is a clearly identified pathway between the gut and the brain called the gut/brain axis. What it basically means is that messages are transmitted from the gut to the brain that influence brain function. If you look at the gut you will learn there is a huge colony of bacteria residing there, known as the microbiome. This colony is an outgrowth of the food we eat, making food choices enormously impactful as to the kinds of bacteria that will flourish. Other influences are medications, antibiotics. and possibly environmental pollution.
Dr. Perlmutter’s research shows an undeniable benefit to the brain when a person eats simple whole foods and a negative effect in a person whohabitually eats ultra processed foods. He conducted various experiments with young people in a detention facility for aggressive youth. Simply changing their diets from ultra processed junk food to a steady intake of quality foods lessened their aggressive behavior significantly.
Dr. Perlmutter described the implications for positive change as far reaching for individuals, but even more so for society as a whole. Going back to the microbiome, it became obvious that better food makes better bacterial colonies. Since these bacteria communicate impulses to the brain through the gut brain axis, it’s clear to see a healthy gut means a healthy brain.
Bad Food + Bad News = Trouble
This is where the podcast dug even deeper into our brain function. In their conversation the doctors spoke not only of the effect of poor quality ultra processed food, but also of the effect of negativity and exposure to violence. Think of it this way: there is a section of our brain that thinks logically and keeps us stable and positive ( they call it the adult in the room). This positivity generates a sense of calm, and allows us to feel generous and kind, open to making the world a better place. Another part of the brain, the amygdala, is on high alert, always ready to pounce and react. You can guess which part of the brain gets activated by quality food vs. the part of the brain that activates from ultra processed ultra processed foods..
But it’s not just food that provokes these positive or negative responses. It’s also the information we expose ourselves to. If you have been living on a news diet of negativity you are constantly reinforcing the activation of negative impulses like anger, frustration, cynicism, fear and helplessness. It’s important for all of us to be informed about the bigger world around us, but it’s easy to see the outcome when all we seek out is negative news. It leads o anger and aggression, perhaps toward those close to us or perhaps toward total strangers.
What Can You Do?
Aside from eating well and getting adequate rest, lower your stress by leaning in to good news.
Here are a few ways:
Social Media- use word searches to find positive posts: inspiration, positivity, laughter, compassion, kindness, heroes, healing, babies and puppies.
Make a daily intention to be kind to someone
Seek out positive people
Start a gratitude journal
Meet anger with “I’m sorry you’re upset”. Compassion is a great diffuser.
As more people nourish their mind and body we will see a vital shift in the energy of the planet.