Eat Your Way to Happiness! (Low FODMAP)
If you have IBS, you’ve heard terms like “gut brain” or “second brain” before but you may not really understand what that means—and why it’s so important for those of us with IBS. Ordinarily, we talk about the gut-brain in terms of the response to food and FODMAPs. In this article, we’re focusing on the role of the gut in regulating mood. Did you know that your gut bacteria produce a whopping 95% of your serotonin (the primary “happiness neurotransmitter”) and about 50% of your dopamine (another “happiness neurotransmitter”)? In fact, your gut produces MORE neurotransmitters than your brain does!
It seems clear then, that when your gut bacteria are not happy, you are not happy either! So, let’s talk about eating your way to happy which means we will be focusing on “Psychobiotic health” a term used by researchers to refer to gut microbes that benefit mental health.
How do you promote healthy, happy, and flourishing gut bacteria? Read the full article, written by my amazing sister, Sarah Aitken, RN, MS, WHNP/FNP, NBC-HWC, to learn how to avoid going Psycho by going Psychobiotic!
When you’re ready to start eating your way to happiness, you can find over 100 plant-forward low-FODMAP recipes in my recipe club, perfect to expand your diet, nourish your gut biome, and support the production of your happiness brain chemicals.