In this day and age there are an endless amounts of self help books, videos, programs, coaches, and speakers that teach techniques on how to keep a positive mind set. In fact the majority of the blogs I write center around this very subject. By now we all understand that happy thoughts and managing stress are the key to a satisfying life and a healthy body. Yet despite the multitude of mindfulness resources out there, keeping a positive state of mind can be a struggle for many. I myself understand this struggle. As a self growth junkie I had read every book, attended many seminars, and still struggled with depression and anxiety. It wasn’t until I began to study functional medicine that I understood how many underlying physical issues affect ones brain chemistry. These factors for the most part are out of your control. That is until you educate yourself and are willing to do something about it. In this blog I will give a brief run through of all the physiological factors that influence your state of mind and how to change it.
Your Gut Thinks First
We’ve all had that feeling in our gut before when we know something just isn’t quite right. Call it an intuitive hit in your solar plexus. Or that punched in the gut feeling when you receive bad news. And I think everyone has experienced “butterflies in the stomach” before a nerve-racking event. These sensations are a very real physiological event between the gut and the brain. Scientists are referring to the gut as the “second brain” because like the brain, the gut has its own nervous system. Just as the brain operates within the central nervous system (CNS), the gut has the enteric nervous system (ENS). Similar to the brain, the enteric nervous system puts out more than 30 neurotransmitters. In fact 95 percent of the body’s Serotonin is produced in the gut. If your microbiome is imbalanced due to a variety of factors, your Serotonin production will be off as well. Low levels of Serotonin can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, negative thinking, and even chronic pain. So while your gut may not be actively thinking thoughts, it is certainly influencing your mood and emotions by altering your brain chemistry.
This connection goes even further as we now understand that certain microbiota in the gut directly influence the production of neurotransmitters. Your gut is home to a wide variety of bacteria. You have your good bacteria made by Short Chain Fatty Acids that helps to promote a healthy intestinal environment. But you also have several “bad” or pathogenic bacteria living inside your intestinal walls as well. This can be a combination of yeast and candida, parasites, and other not so nice microbes. Now keep in mind that all these different forms of bacteria are living beings. Just like any other living being they want to thrive and not die. This means that each bacteria has an incentive to create an environment in which they can live and multiply. Candida, for instance, loves sugar and alcohol. Feed it some dessert and a martini and candida will multiply and spread. When candida thrives it causes all sorts of issues in the body from bloating, to allergies, and yes even depression. If you have brain fog and are feeling unmotivated you may have a good amount of candida overgrowth interfering with the enteric nervous system in your gut.
Parasites and other forms of pathogenic bacteria have a very similar affect on your mind. For example, certain digestive disorders such as IBS are linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression due to their microbiota makeup. There are similar correlations found in conditions such as autism as well. When it comes to brain health, your gut plays a major role. More specifically the bacteria of the control the gut brain connection. As you read on we’ll discuss ways to balance your gut microbiome to create a healthier state of mind.
Hormones out of Whack?
For any woman that has experienced PMS or Menopause you understand what a profound affect hormones have on your mind. Men are not exempt here either. Low testosterone will lead to depression, and on the same token too much testosterone will lead to anger. A little too much estrogen can send you into anxiety and overwhelm for both men and women. Your hormonal pathway has a direct effect on your neurotransmitter signaling as well. At my clinical practice we do a saliva hormone panel to get an accurate read on all your sex hormones throughout the entire month long cycle. With all the panels we’ve run, we have never seen anyone come back with normal hormones. It’s no wonder everyone feels over emotional and out of control at times! Regulating your hormones is key for anyone suffering from depression or anxiety.
Metals on your Mind
One unfortunate outcome of the industrial age is that our environment, food, and water are all contaminated with Heavy Metals and Chemicals. When these metals are introduced into your body they attach themselves to neurotransmitters and various endocrine glands. The charge from all these metals literally scrambles your nervous system and will also affect your entire hormonal pathway. Sadly kids today have a higher amount of heavy metals in their system then adults. This is due to the fact that heavy metals and chemicals are passed through the umbilical cord. The Environmental Working Group did a study in 2009 that showed over 240 toxic compounds were found in newborns at birth! This means that children are already born with a heavy toxic load before they are even introduced to the environment. Not surprisingly one of the major areas that heavy metals affect are brain function and firing. Autism and ADHD are a direct result of this affect. Depression, anxiety, OCD behavior, and aggression can all be linked to heavy metals as well. It should be noted that Heavy Metals and Chemical Toxicity have a devastating affect on multiple functions in the body and are the root cause behind many different diseases. But the direct affect it has on brain function and mood is undeniable.
Adrenals in Overdrive
In the midst of an unhealthy gut, unbalanced hormones, and an overabundance of heavy metals, you have your poor little adrenal glands doing their best to keep up. Your adrenal glands help you regulate stress by releasing various hormones to allow your mind and body to adjust to whatever current stressor you are dealing with. One of the ways the adrenal glands does this is by releasing certain excitatory hormones to keep you on high alert. For instance if you were running from a wild animal your adrenals would be pumping out these hormones so that you can run and escape. It is the same rush of hormones that you get when you are about to give a speech or do a presentation. The problem in this day and age is that our adrenals are “on” too often. We simply have too many stressors and stimulants. Even a simple notification on your phone stimulates your adrenals. When the adrenals turn on full time you can feel constantly on edge and anxious. This is very common after experiencing a shock or major loss. Post traumatic stress sets in and the adrenals are in overdrive, reacting to any little thing. Often people suffering with over active adrenals feel anxious all the time. Many of these same people are put on anti-anxiety meds which is not fixing the underlying issue with the adrenals, it is simply covering up a symptom. On the flip side if your adrenals are burnt out from firing too much you’ll experience fatigue and depression. Keep in mind that your adrenals are responsible for releasing over 50 hormones in your body, including your sex hormones. If the adrenals are off, the rest of your hormones will be off too, which will alter your state of mind even more.
The Detox Solution
While understanding all the different underlying causes that affect our brain chemistry may seem overwhelming, it is fixable. At Healus we’ve developed and utilized a cleansing detox system for the past 25 years to treat a variety of conditions including depression and anxiety. By addressing your gut health and cleaning up your microbiome, you can optimize that gut brain connection and balance your neurotransmitters. Heavy metals and chemicals can be detoxed from your body by utilizing certain cleansing agents. Once you lower this toxic burden your brain can fire and wire together without interference, creating healthier neural networks. Hormones can be regulated through the cleansing process as well by reducing Xenoestrogens, and by supporting the adrenals with stress reduction techniques. A little clean up can go a long way when it comes to your state of mind.
Where to Start
The gut microbiome influences practically every system in the body, and is definitely the first area that needs to be addressed. Start with a simple 2 week Digestive Cleanse to begin to clean up and regulate the bacteria in your gut. A cleanse is a great way to reduce your toxic load, lower inflammation, and rid your body of pathogenic bacteria. By clearing these toxins from the body you give your gut a chance to heal.
Along with cleansing you’ll want to add in something called Butyrate in the form of our Complete Biotic. Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid and happens to play the biggest role in regulating your microbiome. In addition to lowering inflammation, destroying cancer cells, and boosting the immune system, Butyrate is also a key component to establishing a healthy gut-brain relationship. It’s been discovered that Butyrate helps protect the brain directly by improving nerve cell adaptability and helping to regenerate nerve tissue. Butyrate helps to protect nervous tissue from becoming injured in the first place, and can even enhance the mitochondrial function of the brain. It’s impact on the mind can do wonders with depression and anxiety, as well as Autism, ADHD, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimers.
You can continue to follow Healus Health’s Detox System and address Candida, Parasites, Liver toxicity, and even Heavy Metals and Chemicals. Each cleanse will gently detox your body and provide more clarity of mind as your brain chemistry begins to regulate. The more toxins you eliminate from the body the more balanced your hormones will be as well. Not to mention this cleanse system can address many other conditions and ailments. This full body detox combined with various mindfulness activities such as therapy, coaching, or meditation will change the way you think. .