Your stomach might be causing you even more problems than you realise, according to specialists.
You probably already know that a bad gut leads to dodgy physical health and digestion, but did you know it affects your mental health, too?
Yep, former doctor and current productivity expert Ali Abdaal spoke to consultant dietician Sophie Medlin and found out how your gut health is linked to your productivity, ability to focus and just generally what goes on in your brain.
Speaking to Abdaal for his YouTube channel, Medlin explained: “There is a strong line of communication between your gut and your brain which we refer to as the gut-brain axis.
“Your chattiest organ between your gut and your brain is your gut.”
Similarly, Abdaal noted how the gut is often called the “second brain” – so if it’s unhappy, it’s no surprise that it’s having a knock-on effect for your mind, too.
He explained how there are three main ways for the two organs to communicate.
Firstly, there’s a chemical connection, because your gut microbiome releases neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which make our brain happy.
Then, there’s the hormonal connection – your gut bacteria can impact the stress response of various glands across the body.
And finally, there is the physical connection, through the Vagus Nerve, which transmits things like digestion, the immune system, and heart rate which are “outside of our conscious control”, according to Abdaal.
Luckily, there are ways to rectify what is going in your rectum in the hope of improving your productivity, which Medlin and Abdaal ran through in their conversation.
How to fix your gut health
1. Aim for 30 plants a week
More plants helps your gut health because it encourages more bacteria species to grow.
Don’t panic – this includes all fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains, milk from nuts or grains, nuts and seeds.
Abdaal said that the best way to do this was to break the number down into days over a week, making it four or five different plants a day.
2. Aim for variety over consistency
“When you have more variety in your diet, it encourages more diversity of the gut microbiome,” Abdaal explained.
3. Aim for 40g of fibre per day
Abdaal said that most people are consuming less than half of what they need in terms of fibre. It’s key for your body because it’s a carbohydrate which acts as food for the good bacteria in your body.
It’s pretty easy to increase your fibre intake though. You need five servings of fruit and vegetables per day and integrate wholegrain foods with two or three of your daily meals. That includes seeds, nuts and dried fruit for snacks.
You can also maximise your intake it by making easy swaps, such as trading white rice for brown rice.
4. Take a probiotic
In a tweet, Abdaal explained: “There have been studies to show a significant reduction in psychological stress. Such as a reduction of cortisol and other chemical parameters of stress and anxiety we can measure.”
5. Oily fish
The pair recommended aiming for two portions of oily fish per week to get in your recommended dose of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. This helps boost good bacteria and reduce inflammation in the body.
This includes salmon, mackerel, sardines – but if those don’t appeal, you can take a supplement instead.
6. Foods to avoid
If you want to have a happy gut, it’s worth reducing your intake of red meat, processed foods, artificial sugars, diet fads or detoxes – and make sure you stop counting calories, too. Prioritise your nutrition instead!