Our gut and brain are connected through a network called the gut-brain axis. This communication happens in what is known as the vagus nerve, alongside neurotransmitters, and hormones. When we are stressed, our body goes into fight-or-flight mode, releasing cortisol and adrenaline. These stress hormones are known to disrupt digestion, slow down our gut motility, and can also reduce the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Over time, chronic stress can lead to gut inflammation, dysbiosis (imbalance of gut bacteria), and increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut).
Supporting our nervous system with tools like breathwork, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation practices can calm the stress within our gut and bring it back to balance from the top down.
Why Sleep Is Essential for a Healthy Gut:
Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you craving those carbs, it can actually disrupt our gut microbiome. Research shows that even just two nights of poor sleep can alter the composition and diversity of our gut microbiome.
Sleep is when our body shifts into rest-and-digest mode. Allows our body to detoxify and repair. Our lining repairs, our immune system reboots, and our microbiome balances itself. Without enough sleep, our bodies produce more of the stress hormone cortisol, which can throw off digestion and trigger inflammation within the gut. Lack of sleep also affects our appetite hormones like ghrelin and leptin, often leading to poor food choices that can further harm gut health (hello carbs cravings)
Aiming for 7-9 hours of quality sleep, reducing screen time before bed, and keeping a consistent sleep routine can all support your gut and your overall health.
Medications and Our Microbiome:
Many common medications, while necessary, can disrupt gut health. Especially when used long-term.
Antibiotics are the most well known culprits, wiping out not just the bad bacteria but also the good. But it is not just antibiotics. NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), acid blockers, and even the oral contraceptive pill also alter gut bacteria and increase intestinal permeability.
Why does this matter? The bacteria within our gut plays a big role in nutrient absorption, immune function, and mental health. When that delicate balance is disturbed, symptoms like bloating, brain fog, food sensitivities, and inflammation can follow, and the signs don’t stop there.
If you’re taking medication, it’s worth supporting your gut with probiotics (be specific, not just random ones), fermented foods, and a fibre rich diet.
Diet & Lifestyle: The Foundations of Gut Health
Our daily choices shape the health of our gut microbiome more than you might think.
A diverse, fibre rich diet feeds our good gut bugs. Think: vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods. These foods provide prebiotics, fuel for our microbiome, and support the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which reduce inflammation and protect the gut lining.
On the other hand, a diet high in processed foods, refined sugar, alcohol, and low in fibre reduces microbial diversity. When we think of our diversity, we want to think of a fish tank that is full and contains a lot of variety of fish. These impactors don’t feed all the fish and cause diversity and richness to be low.
Movement, hydration, and supporting our nervous system all play a role in motility, nutrient absorption, and microbial balance. Gut health isn’t just about what we eat, it’s also about how we live.