How to Boost Your Mood with A Healthy Gut

Did you know that your gut health and diet can positively or negatively affect your mood?

The gut is home to trillions of micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic germs. Evidence shows that these micro-organisms produce hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate certain physiological and mental processes like memory, learning, attention, and our emotional state. This means that how we feed our gut may affect how we feel emotionally on a day-to-day basis.

Because gut bacteria are key players in your mood and mental health, you need to ensure that your body can produce as much “good” bacteria as possible. An imbalance of the “good” and “bad” bacteria in your gut can cause digestive issues and autoimmune problems, and, also - as you know no - ruin your mood. 

Here are some suggestions on how you can improve your gut health:

1. The first step in improving your gut health is to reduce or eliminate foods that harm good gut bacteria. These include sugar, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. You should be careful about the source of the water you drink. Tap water is treated with chemicals including chlorine, which kills good gut bacteria. Filtered water is the best option.

2. Eat whole foods and avoid packaged or processed foods. Processed foods are high in unwanted food additives and preservatives that disrupt the good bacteria in the gut.

3. Consume high-fibre foods like beans, legumes, berries, and whole grains. Fibre provides nourishment for your good gut bacteria and helps in keeping your digestive tract flowing.

4. Add a range of colourful fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. On top of being excellent sources of fibre, fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrients for a healthy gut. Additionally, research shows that leafy greens contain a specific type of sugar that increases good gut bacteria in number and kind.

5. Experiment with fermented foods. Packed with bacteria and yeast, fermented foods are natural probiotics that help the body digest food and keep bad gut bacteria from getting out of control. Start adding fermented foods to your diet gradually. Examples of these are kefir (unsweetened), sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi.

6. Include probiotic-rich foods such as plain yogurt (without added sugars) in your diet. Probiotics are known to enhance the good bacteria in the gut, but potential benefits of probiotics have also been seen in the treatment or prevention of diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis, among other things. Other examples of prebiotic-rich foods are artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, and radishes. Note: Be sure to talk to your doctor before adding probiotics to your diet or taking any probiotic supplements.

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