The Brain-Gut Connection and Anxiety: The Surprising Connection

By Jade Brownfield | July 28, 2015

Have you ever been uncharacteristically nervous? Or perhaps anxious for no reason–palms sweaty with impulsive thoughts? This uncomfortable feeling that can suddenly spring on you out of nowhere is never invited and can plague our happy days unexpectedly. Especially when that feeling is beyond your control… or is it?

Given the fact that the gut is referred to as the “second brain” medically speaking, it should come as no surprise that poor gut health has been linked to anxiety. The neurotransmitters that send messages back and forth between your brain and your gut (the brain-gut connection), are powerful and have the ability to control your mood/feelings/behaviors. Scientists have taken a specific interest in this link between the two, conducting specific studies as to see the truth behind the brain and gut bacteria.

Probiotics are steadily gaining popularity for their ability to repopulate the good bacteria inside your body, and help to eliminate the bad from endangering you. But what if you had the power to increase your good bacteria and multiply it—simply from the foods that you eat? This is the magic behind prebiotic foods, which work with your body’s chemistry to promote the production of healthy bacteria.

In recent studies to unlock the power behind the brain-gut connection, results were astounding. Results showed that the brain-gut connection serves as a two-way street. Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, the study’s lead conductor reported, “Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut.”

With the proven results of probiotics to heal our gut and promote the growth of healthy bacteria, prebiotics are gaining ground in the fight for gut supremacy. Probiotics provide the good strains of bacteria, while prebiotics act as the fuel for them to flourish. We want a probiotic environment in our gut to live better and be healthier. Adding prebiotic foods to our daily diet only elevates that standard. Prebiotics are the fiber that probiotics feed off of and are crucial in keeping your healthy bacteria thriving.

As studies suggest, by keeping a primary focus on gut health, you have the power to control your mind simply by the foods that you eat. Positive clear thoughts are arguably key to a healthier you and a happier life. Thankfully, through the apparent cohesion between pro and prebiotics, this is something that you have the power to achieve all on your own.

Gut Health Project recommends Perfect Biotics to ensure a healthy gut. Add this probiotic to your daily routine!

Also, add Perfect Flush as a cleanse and detox.

Featured, Health Tips

6 Healthy Foods That Kill Your Gut

By Jade Brownfield | July 11, 2015

When you think to reach for those “healthy” foods on the grocery aisle, you’d be surprised at the damage those foods may actually cause to your body. In an effort to be healthy we often purchase these foods that are sold to us as “healthy” products, tricking us into thinking we are doing good for our body. In this mass-marketed deception, our delicate gut health is compromised with each bite. For years we have been told that the following foods are safe, but it’s these “healthy” foods that wreck our gut health and sabotage our much-needed healthy balance of good bacteria in our digestive tract.

1. Farm Raised Fish

When you purchase fish, you think that you are doing your body justice by selecting a leaner choice of protein. But when you purchase fish that has survived on genetically modified corn and soy feed (GMOs that are nothing like their natural diet), this intrusion of science is toxic for your body and destroys your gut health. The farmed fish have a high risk of disease and infestation of parasites due to being crammed into close quarters and they are treated with antibiotics and pesticides to combat the disease and fish lice. The antibiotics and pesticides are extremely harmful to the beneficial bacteria in your gut. The beneficial protein and omega fatty acids you get from farmed fish can by reduced by 50% of the benefit you get from eating wild caught fish. The most common farm-raised fish are: atlantic salmon, tilapia, sea bass, catfish, and cod.

2. Margarine

Did you know that this butter alternative is one molecule away from plastic? Highly processed and created in a lab, margarine contains trans fats that are associated with heart disease. To keep the stuff from being liquid oils, margarine is super heated, pressurized, exposed to gas, and treated with a metal catalyst in a process called hydrogenation. Reach for grass-fed butter instead and skip out on the chemical spread that kills off healthy bacteria in your gut.

3. Non-Organic Produce

You may be thinking that you are reaching for the right stuff when shopping in the produce aisle, but selecting non-organic can cause you serious harm. It has been proven that organic food has more antioxidant compounds and lower levels of both toxic metals and pesticides. The conventional produce isle is stocked full of health hazardous GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). If these toxins get inside your body they can quickly cause you to develop leaky gut syndrome (LGS), which causes your body to suffer from a number of health issues.

4. Wheat

By adding “wheat” to the label or box, companies dupe us into thinking something is healthy. This is often the case with sugary cereals and starchy breads—which are full of gluten. Researchers estimate 40% of the population has some level of gluten intolerance. Be smart about labels and do your best to avoid products have been disguised as healthy by the terms “whole wheat” or “wheat grain”. Avoid wheat products that have lots of added sugars. Many wheat products have been treated by pesticides and other chemicals prior to harvest. Your gut health becomes in jeopardy when it it doesn’t have the ability to process gluten properly and becomes inflamed.

5. Orange Juice

Did you know that a single serving (12oz.) of orange juice has as much sugar as a can of Coke?! That’s 9 teaspoons of sugar! By separating the juice from the fibrous fruit and in some cases adding sugar, the body gets hit with a sugar rush similar to drinking a soft drink. Excess sugar immediately gets metabolized as fat and stored. Plus sugar helps promote the growth of bad bacteria in our gut! OJ may be a “staple” of the breakfast table, but it is causing serious harm to your gut!

6. Artificial Sweeteners

Do you think you are doing yourself a favor by reaching for the little packet of artificial sweetener? Wrong. Artificial sweeteners trick your body and trigger hunger! The confusing ingredients found in these packages alter the delicate balance of your gut bacteria and allow bad bacteria to take over. For future reference, anything with “artificial” in the name should be avoided like the plague.

It may be hard to believe, but nearly all foods that are processed, manufactured or have “artificial” ingredients are harmful to the delicate balance of bacteria in your gut. Food companies fool us into believing something is healthy with “health claims” on the packaging, but real healthy food doesn’t come with claims. If you consume any of these foods you should take our Gut Health Assessment now to see if you are at risk of developing gut dysfunction.

If you notice you are tired for no reason, suffer from mid-day work slumps, indigestion after a meal, skin irregularities, or even the sudden onset of mood swings, it’s important that you take our Gut Health Assessment to determine your current health state. It is very well possible that your current health could be at risk if you consume any or all of the foods on this list!

Gut Health Project recommends Perfect Biotics to ensure a healthy gut. Add this probiotic to your daily routine!

Also, take Perfect Flush to eliminate waste and toxins.

Health Tips

7 Signs Your Gut Is In Danger!

By Jade Brownfield | July 11, 2015

Gut health has emerged as one of the hottest topics in the health community, and recent studies have linked gut health to over 170 health conditions. Life-changing conditions like obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression can all be linked to poor gut health.

To understand “gut health,” we must first understand the gut!

The gut or gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) is home to over 100 trillion microorganisms that live inside of us. These microorganisms, including bacteria, form an extensive ecosystem inside our bodies, referred to as the gut “microbiome.”

In our microbiome, we have both “good” and “bad” bacteria that both play a vital role in our overall health. It is critical to our gut health to maintain a healthy balance between the two. To be in good gut health we need at least 80% good vs. 20% bad.

Aside from basic digestion, the gut provides protection from infections, regulates our metabolism, produces 95% of our body’s serotonin and comprises up 75% of our immune system!

Bottom line: When your gut is healthy, then you are healthy… and vice versa!

This then leads us to a very important question:

How Healthy Is Your Gut?

Take the Gut Health Assessment and discover how healthy you really are!

Click here to take the Gut Health Assessment!

If you experience or struggle with any of the following, it’s likely your gut is unbalanced and that you may be at risk:

1. Mood Swings, Anxiety & Depression

Do you suffer from mood swings, anxiety or even depression at times? Rebuilding the proper balance of healthy bacteria in your body will work to supercharge your mood and bring you back to happy days. 95% of the serotonin in your body is produced and found in your gut, so an imbalance can be to blame with changes in your mood.

2. Digestive Issues

This may be slightly taboo, but bowel movements tell us A LOT about our health. Did you know that the average person has 4-6 undigested meals inside their gut? Gross! Do you experience gas, bloating or indigestion after a meal? This is a sign that your gut is in serious trouble and you need to take action to rebuild a proper balance!

3. Skin Issues

Do you struggle with embarrassing skin conditions? Troublesome issues like acne, rosacea, psoriasis or eczema? It may seem counterintuitive but the first place our body begins to show signs of an unhealthy gut is on our skin. If you struggle with skin-related conditions, the first place you should look is your gut!

4. Weight Concerns

If you are not happy with the way your body looks and feels, you aren’t the only one! In a world where obesity for all ages is on the rise, an unhealthy gut can be to blame. The CDC estimates that 75% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight, with 35% of those individuals being obese! Multiple studies have shown individuals who struggle with their weight have less diversity in their gut bacteria than individuals who do not struggle with weight. A good probiotic supplement can help re-balance and diversify your gut.

5. Fatigue & Energy Concerns

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? If you wake up feeling groggy or suffer from that 3 o’clock curl up in a ball and quit feeling you are not alone! Did you know our digestion is one of the largest energy consumers in the body? If your gut is unbalanced and unhealthy, your body uses more energy to digest your foods—sending you into those sleepy crashes. Plus, if your gut is imbalanced your body struggles to absorb essential vitamins and minerals that energize you through the day. If you constantly feel rundown, rid yourself of the caffeine and focus on healing your gut!

6. Naughty Food Cravings

Do you crave junk food? Believe it or not, our gut bacteria can influence our eating habits! One of the biggest offenders we have is candida yeast (bad guy) and its favorite food source is sugar! Powerful cravings for super naughty foods that control your thoughts are a telltale sign that your gut isn’t right. If you find yourself succumbing to junk food you need to clean up your gut!

7. Antibiotics

Doctors prescribe antibiotics to help fight infections and kill the bad bacteria in our bodies. The problem is, antibiotics cannot tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys so they kill both! Having a healthy balance of bacteria is critical, but so is the diversity of bacteria. Researchers estimate even one course of antibiotics can permanently alter your gut bacteria unless you take specific steps to repair and replenish your gut after antibiotics. Even if you’ve taken antibiotics only once, it’s time to start supplementing a probiotic immediately!

If you experience/struggle with any of the 7 telltale signs your gut is in danger, you should take our Gut Health Assessment now to determine if you are at risk for gut dysfunction.

Ready End Painful & Embarrassing Digestive Issues?

Take the Gut Health Assessment test and discover how you can end painful and embarrassing digestive issues once and for all!

Click here to take the Gut Health Assessment!

Health Tips, Latest Gut Health Articles

Get An Understanding of Gluten

By Patricia ZelmEmmart | June 16, 2015

What is Gluten?

These days everyone is going gluten-free, but what really is gluten and why is everyone trying to avoid it in their daily diet?

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Another place it is commonly found is in pre-packaged foods as an additive to give flavor, as well as a thickener. You would be very surprised to learn what foods actually contain gluten. Some of the items are hot dogs, blue cheese, puddings and salad dressings.

No matter where you turn these days, it is common to hear about is who is going on a gluten-free diet. In Hollywood alone, there are many including Gwyneth Paltrow, Zooey Deschanel and even the famous weatherman from NBC Today Show, Al Roker, which all are gluten-free. Celebrity talk show host, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, wrote the book The G Free Diet, where she shares her personal story about battling with celiac disease. So, is it a fad diet? That’s what you might think after reading a number of comments on the articles about going gluten-free. Most people do not understand what it is or how it is affecting about 18 million Americans who suffer from gluten intolerance. That is at least six times more than those suffering from true celiac disease.

To totally understand what going “G free” means, first let’s answer the question: “what is gluten?” It is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley grains. Because of its physical properties, it is commonly found in pre-packaged foods as an additive to give flavor and thicken dough. You would be very surprised to discover what foods contain gluten.

Oats, which are commonly misconceived as being full of gluten, are not. Oats can become “contaminated” from processing on the same machinery that gluten-rich grains are. There are certain brands that are conscious of processing gluten-free grains, and those grains containing gluten are packaged separately and labeled accordingly. Those diagnosed with celiac disease are encouraged to research food companies and their processing techniques to avoid trace amounts of gluten in their oats.

There is a major difference between true celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is an inability to absorb the gluten protein and may be the result of having an intolerance that was undiagnosed. Being gluten intolerant is considered an autoimmune disease that comes from inflammation of all organ systems within the body. If one does not avoid gluten in foods when intolerant, damage can occur in the small intestine and will ultimately decrease nutrient absorption into the body among other possible health issues.

In some cases, intolerance or celiac disease has been overlooked or misdiagnosed due to the fact that symptoms can vary from person to person. Some of the common symptoms of gluten intolerance are:

Fatigue
Brain fog
Bone or joint pain
Abdominal pain and bloating
Diarrhea
Hair loss
Unexplained iron-deficiency Anemia
Depression or Anxiety
Acne
Itchy skin rash known as Dermatitis Herpetiformis

According to The New England Journal of Medicine, some of the diseases that could be caused by eating gluten and ignoring symptoms are:

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Crohn’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease
Autism – there has been a possible link to gluten.
Migraines – there has been a possible link to gluten.
Irritable Bowel Disease
Thyroid conditions
Multiple Sclerosis

All the research demonstrates that celiac disease and gluten intolerance are not just a fad diet. Some may turn to a gluten-free diet for weight loss, which may or may not be successful. If there is suspected intolerance, turning to a gluten-free diet may increase one’s energy and gastrointestinal comfort as a result.

Gut Health Project recommends Perfect Biotics to ensure a healthy gut. Add this probiotic to your daily routine!

Also, add Perfect Flush as a cleanse and detox.

Health Tips, Latest Gut Health Articles

7 Herbs and Spices That Are Essential to Your Gut Health

By Modi Ramos | June 16, 2015

Just as you are what you eat, your gut health can control more in your body than you can possibly imagine. By becoming mindful of the foods that you put into your body, you can do wonders to heal yourself from the inside out. Promoting a healthy gastrointestinal tract can directly resolve a number of troubling issues in your body, such as: bloating, gas, constipation and inflammation.

From the food that you eat to the life that you live, there are a number of factors that can take a toll on your overall gut health. Simply consuming these 7 essential herbs and spices can have you feeling happy and healthy in no time all while healing your body. Here is the list of spices and herbs that can change your life:

1. Turmeric

This commonly used Indian spice works to aid digestion while soothing your digestive tract as an added bonus. Turmeric has long since been used to settle the stomach for the reason being that its astringency works to maintain the balance of stomach acid. An anti-inflammatory spice like this is great for healing, but it’s important to note that too much of a good thing can also affect the body. Practice its use in moderation so that you can receive all the many benefits of this wonderful spice.

2. Cumin

This is a common spice in many Hispanic dishes that is excellent for eliminating bloating and gas after a meal. Cumin works to stimulate your digestion, and serves as a natural laxative to prevent constipation. Which if not relieved can lead to painful hemorrhoids.

3. Fennel

Originally found in Mediterranean cultures, fennel is used for a number of culinary and medicinal purposes. Fennel can be found as an ingredient in many popular antacids, prized for its ability in calming indigestion, along with relief of constipation and flatulence.

4. Ginger

Regarded by many for its abilities to relieve gastrointestinal distress, this healing spice is also trusted by many to cure nausea—especially in pregnant woman. For centuries people have relied on ginger to quiet their queasiness, but this amazing spice also works as an antispasmodic agent to calm your intestinal system and prevent diarrhea.

5. Coriander

Although many may confuse this seed with the leafy plant (cilantro) that grows from it, coriander contains powerful gut health benefits. In a recent study, after 8 weeks of use among subjects suffering from irritable bowl syndrome (IBS), coriander helped to ease the pain and discomfort of IBS sufferers three times as much compared to placebo users.

6. Cayenne

Contrary to the popular misconception that intensely spiced flavor can lead to indigestion, a spice like cayenne actually works to ease digestion. This digestive stimulant encourages healthy food flow, while activating the proper production of digestive acids, and can even help to repair a damaged gut.

7. Peppermint

This potent plant is known by many for its breath-freshening purposes, but it can also be used like an internal workout for your body. Peppermint works to tone and strengthen your liver, stomach and intestinal tract all while relieving the symptoms associated with indigestion.