THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS
INFLUENCES
• DIGESTION
• NUTRIENT TRANSPORT
• GUT BACTERIA BALANCE
• BOWEL MOVEMENTS
• GUT TRANSIT TIME
• BLOOD FLOW
INFLUENCES
• STRESS/ANXIETY
• MOOD
• DEPRESSION
• BEHAVIOUR
• SLEEP CYCLE
• NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Looking after your gut could be the most important factor in maintaining long-term overall health and wellness. Have you ever felt butterflies before a meeting or had a ‘gut feeling’ about something? That’s the direct connection between your brain and your gut in action. This connection is powerful, and if stress isn’t managed properly, it can cause havoc on your digestive system.
Our stress response is still the same as it was in primal days. This natural instinct helped us escape from many life-threatening situations, but today we’re faced with more emotional and mental stressors rather than physical ones. And our stress doesn’t just come in short bursts; it tends to hang around for a longer time, leading to chronic stress.
Today, our lifestyle choices are more important than ever to help keep stress at bay. A lack of exercise, sleep or
