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Tag: prebiotic supplements

5 Ways You Can Detox Everyday

Posted on by flourishweb

Detoxifying your body daily will give your organs and microbiome the boost they need to work optimally every day. By turning our favourite daily detox tips into habits, your body will feel noticeably lighter, brighter and ready for anything.

1. Eat natural anti-inflammatory foods

If your body is inflamed – whether due to injury, stress or inflammatory health conditions – it could definitely benefit from a detox.

Incorporating more natural anti-inflammatory foods into your diet will help to reduce the inflammation levels in your body. Foods that fight inflammation include tomatoes, spinach, avocado, blueberries, almonds and turmeric.

Having studied the health benefits of turmeric, we understand the power that this golden spice contains. That’s why it’s the key ingredient in our Turmeric Blend, a health supplement specifically formulated with natural ingredients to reduce inflammation within the body.

2. Take prebiotic supplements for gut health

Digestion and detoxing go hand-in-hand. Giving your gut the tools it needs to efficiently digest and remove harmful toxins from the body means packing it full of prebiotics.

Prebiotics feed the probiotics in your gut, an abundance of which helps to maintain a healthy and balanced microbiome. Eating prebiotic-rich foods like chicory root and green bananas will help to keep your gut healthy, cleansed and ready to digest.

If you don’t have any prebiotic-rich foods on hand, taking prebiotic supplements regularly – like our Prebiotic Blend – will give you the nutrients your gut and body need to detox and thrive.

3. Give your body a liver cleanse

As the body’s filtration system, the liver has a huge job to do in separating out toxins from nutrients and removing them from the body. In order to detox every day, you need to eat foods that support detoxification and give your body a liver cleanse.

Beetroot is a powerful source of nutrients that help to cleanse your liver by speeding up the body’s waste excretion process. We use beetroot powder in our Dailly Detox blend to target liver function and improve the organ’s filtration rate.

4. Drink water

We need water to survive. By staying hydrated, our body has a much easier time performing its natural functions and processes.

Drinking water regularly aids digestion, promotes smooth joint movement, regulates body temperature and removes waste and harmful toxins from the body – which makes it quite the detoxifying drink!

5. Sweat it out

Sweating helps to remove heavy metals and harmful toxins from the body – a process aided by water, so make sure you’re drinking lots of it.

There are many different ways you can sweat the toxins out, so simply choose your favourite. Try doing some intensive exercise, taking a hot yoga class or relaxing in a sauna. The choice is yours!

Get your detox on

Detoxifying your body reaps a myriad of rewards. By detoxing every day, you will have more energy, improved digestion, easier movement and a more upbeat attitude. Sounds like a detoxifying dream come true!

Healthy Eating Tips While Working From Home

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Working from home has become the norm for many of us and we’re experiencing a whole range of benefits as a result.

However, having our desk so close to the pantry can make it easy to fall into unhealthy habits. The good news is that maintaining a healthy diet while working from home is absolutely possible. We’ve shared our tips on how you can make healthy eating at home work for you.

Drink water

Water is an important part of your diet and many of us aren’t drinking enough of it in our day-to-day lives. Oftentimes, when people feel hungry or start to crave food, it’s actually because they are thirsty. So drink up your water!

Drinking water provides our body and mind with many benefits, including improving our skin, preventing dehydration-related headaches and aiding our digestion.

You don’t have to worry about measuring your water intake (unless you want to), but rather try to simply be aware of how much water you drink throughout the day. Always have a water bottle or full glass nearby so that you can take a few gulps before turning to food.

Caffeine-free herbal tea is a great alternative to water for keeping you hydrated. We recommend mixing in a teaspoon of our natural anti-inflammatory Turmeric Blend with your next lemon or ginger tea.

Stock your fridge and pantry with real food

By eating a healthy, balanced diet loaded with nutritious food, we feel more energised and are more productive in our work. Not only does plant-based food help to keep us full and satiated for longer, but it also produces the mental clarity we need to focus on the job at hand.

The food you eat can either negatively or positively influence your mental health, which is why it’s important to make the healthy food choice as often as you can.

Do this by keeping your fridge stocked with fruits and vegetables, your pantry packed with nuts, seeds and spices, and your Flourish health and prebiotic supplements front and centre.

Plan or prep your meals ahead of time so that when lunch rolls around, you’ve got a healthy meal ready to go.

Keep healthy snacks on hand

Working from home makes mindless snacking a very easy habit to fall into, but it isn’t a good one – especially when the snacks you’re munching on are sugary, fried, high in salt or carb-heavy.

Being so close to the pantry doesn’t help with the mindless munching. Take matters into your own hands and ensure that the snacks being stocked in your home are healthy ones. It’s much easier for you to reach for fruit, carrot sticks or protein bars if they are the only available option.

We love to have a mix of sweet and savoury treats on hand for snacking, such as almonds, apples and homemade sweet potato crisps. We’ve listed some of our favourite snacks below.

It’s all about making the right food choices

Staying healthy while working from home comes down to a simple choice. You can either eat food that helps you flourish or consume unhealthy food that doesn’t (we recommend the former!).

By incorporating these healthy food tips into your daily routine, working from home will be a much healthier and energising experience for all.

How Prebiotics Help Your Body Thrive

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Prebiotic supplements are all the rage right now, and you might be wondering why. While prebiotics and probiotics may sound the same, and while they both work in harmony with the gut, they each have two very different roles within the body.

Prebiotics play such an important role in helping your body to thrive because they are the food that the probiotics in your gut eat. There are many prebiotic foods you can eat to help balance your gut, including chicory root, green bananas and oats.

The health benefits of prebiotics

Prebiotics do more than simply feed the 1000+ species of bacteria in your gut – their influence is much further reaching. By taking plant-based prebiotic supplements like our Prebiotic Blend, you will be benefiting your body in more ways than one.

Promote digestive health

It takes a good balance of probiotics to maintain a healthy gut. By feeding prebiotics to the probiotics in your gut, you boost the presence of good bacteria living there and in turn, boost your digestive health.

A balanced gut may help to minimise the risk of diarrhoea, constipation and other digestive problems, as well as work to promote regular bowel movements.

Boost immune system

Boosting your immune system means preparing your body to defend itself against any harmful bacteria that may try to make a home in your microbiome.

Your gut teaches your immune system how to react to and manage any pathogenic bacteria that enters the body. When your gut microbiome contains a healthy and diverse colony of probiotics, your immune system may be better placed to fight infections and win.

Improve mental health

More and more studies are beginning to show just how significantly gut health affects mental health. By rebalancing the bacteria in your gut, your serotonin levels – 90% of which are produced in the digestive tract – may increase, improving your mood and your mental health.

Enhance absorption of nutrients

When the probiotics in your gut are thriving, they help nutrients be better absorbed into your body. With better nutrient absorption comes better overall health as your body reaps the powerful benefits of vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium.

Support your overall health with prebiotics

By incorporating more prebiotic-rich foods into your diet and taking our Prebiotic Blend daily, you can feed the probiotics in your gut, maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your digestive system, and help your body thrive.

Help your body thrive with our Prebiotic Blend

Natural Remedies To Help Aid Digestion

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An unbalanced gut microbiome can lead to all sorts of digestive problems, including constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, IBS and even depression. When it comes to rebalancing your gut, it’s all about supporting it with the right nutrients.

While whole food, plant-based prebiotic supplements like our Prebiotic Blend may help to aid digestion, there are a number of other natural remedies that can also work to get your bowels moving again.

It all starts in the mouth

A very simple but effective way to aid your digestion is by chewing. The average Australian chews their food 5-6 times before swallowing.

Interestingly, digestion begins with the brain, by first smelling, looking and breathing deeply before a meal.

Rather than 5-6 times, you should actually be chewing each piece of food 15-20 times, which then allows the digestion-brain feedback loop to kick in.

Activating this feedback loop causes a cascade of hormones and enzymes to be released and allow for proper digestion of your food.

Try chewing each mouthful food 15-20 times. Alternatively, if you really want to, try chewing until the food is liquid before swallowing.

Up your fibre intake

Fibre is good for your digestive system because it helps add bulk to your stool and keeps your bowel movements regular. If you’re looking to increase your fibre intake, start by incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts to your diet.

By eating foods high in inulin fibre – a soluble type of fibre classified as a prebiotic – you’ll feed the probiotics in your gut and help to balance the bacteria living there.

Chicory root

While it’s probably not the most readily available food on the supermarket shelf, chicory root is a great source of inulin fibre. Try adding it to your diet by switching out your morning cup of coffee with a chicory alternative instead.

You can also get your inulin fix from our Prebiotic Blend, a natural health supplement that’s packed with plant-based whole foods to load your gut with only the good stuff, including chicory root, green bananas and cinnamon.

Drink lots of water

To make sure that your bowels are moving regularly, it’s important to stay hydrated. Not drinking enough water makes you more likely to experience constipation. Often caused due to a dehydrated colon, constipation can be prevented by simply increasing your daily fluid intake.

Drinking water (and other non-caffeinated fluids like herbal tea) will help to keep your colon hydrated and make using the bathroom a much more pleasant experience.

Get your body moving

Regular exercise is good for you in so many different ways. Not only can it help with improving your mood, increasing your energy and facilitating weight loss, but moving your body on a daily basis can also help with digestion.

Studies have shown that moderate daily exercise can help to speed up the digestion process and get food moving through the body faster.

Natural health supplements

We believe that prebiotic supplements should contain only natural, plant-based whole foods – just as Mother Nature intended. That’s why our Prebiotic Blend is made with only natural ingredients and nothing else.

Specifically formulated to aid digestion and feed the probiotics in your gut, our Prebiotic Blend harnesses the power of chicory root and 8 other plant-based whole foods to balance your bowel for the better.

Help your body to help itself

By taking care of your body, your body will take care of you. If you’re having digestive problems, start looking at how you can provide your body with the nutrients it needs to better digest the food you’re putting in it.

Help your digestive system with our Prebiotic Blend

The Connection Between Gut Health and Liver Health

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Just like the gut-brain axis, the liver and the gut have a unique connection where one has the power to influence the other. While research on the subject is still in its relative infancy, recent studies are beginning to show just how significant the gut-liver connection really is.

Keeping both vital organs healthy is about eating the right foods and providing them with the right nutrients, like chicory root and natural prebiotic supplements for the gut, as well as beetroot powder for the liver. A liver cleanse could also go a long way in maintaining optimum overall health for your body.

How gut bacteria influence the liver

We already know that gut bacteria have a hand in influencing your brain and your mood. Some 90% of all of your serotonin – the feel-good hormone – is created by your gut microbes. But what about these microbes’ influence on your liver?

The reality is that the bacteria living in your gut microbiome can be just as influential on your liver as it is on your brain. Every two and a half minutes, 1 gallon (4.5 litres) of blood passes through the liver, about 75% of which comes from the intestinal tract.

If the gut microbiome is unbalanced with unhealthy or pathogenic bacteria, these can flow back to the liver via the portal vein, causing the liver all manner of problems.

In order to defend the rest of the body from any toxins arriving from the intestinal tract, the liver has to breakdown, filter and excrete them. This process can prove difficult when the body is already overloaded with toxins created by pathogenic bacteria.

Alcohol-producing gut bacteria

Surprisingly, gut bacteria can turn pathogenic. They can go through the same fermentation process as alcohol, producing high blood alcohol levels in your body even when you haven’t had anything to drink. This is known as Auto-brewery syndrome.

Emerging research has found there to be a connection between alcohol-producing bacteria and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study shows that 60% of participants – all with NAFLD – had the alcohol-producing bacteria present in their gut.

Because the alcohol being produced by this specific strain of bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae) in the gut filters through to the liver in much the same way as when you actually consume alcohol, it can cause fatty liver disease even in those who don’t drink.

With a healthy lifestyle comes a healthy gut-liver connection

Not only can bacteria in the gut cause NAFLD, but it can also produce a compound called phenylacetic acid that can help to identify the early stages of NAFLD. Preventing and reversing NAFLD is about making healthy lifestyle choices.

A plant-based diet paired with chicory root-based prebiotic supplements for the gut and beetroot powder for the liver will pack your body with the natural nutrients it needs to ensure optimal health.

The connection between the gut and the liver is a strong one. Our Prebiotic Blend and Daily Detox can help to keep both organs working together in healthy harmony.

Try our Prebiotic Blend and Daily Detox for your gut-liver health.

Probiotics and Prebiotics for Gut Health

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The relationship between probiotics and prebiotics is a close one, with each being a popular topic in their own right in today’s nutritional conversations.

While the two sound similar, it is important to understand their differences when embarking upon your new health journey and choosing between probiotic or prebiotic supplements.

The difference between probiotic and prebiotic supplements

Probiotic and prebiotic supplements perform two very different tasks within the body.

Probiotics

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in your gut and make up your gut microbiome which, much like a fingerprint, is unique to each of us.

Today, we know there are almost 1500 different probiotic species that call our gut microbiome home. We each have unique levels of bacteria in our gut, and the probiotic species’ that need topping up through supplements will vary.

Most probiotic supplements only contain a small number of probiotics – which means that by taking one, it is unlikely you will replace the specific species in your microbiome that needs to be restored.

When you take the same probiotic day after day, it is also very easy to overpopulate a species and throw the gut microbiome – and the healthy bacteria that live there – out of balance.

Prebiotics

Probiotics need food to survive, but they don’t eat just anything – and that’s where prebiotics come in. Prebiotics are the food that probiotics eat.

With over 1500 different species of probiotics in the gut, it can be hard to know which are running low and need topping up. By taking prebiotic supplements, you can rest assured that every species will be fed – and not just some of them.

There are many prebiotic whole foods you can eat including chicory root, green bananas and garlic that will all help to replenish the probiotics in your gut.

For a tasty treat your gut will love, try our Gut Blend Bliss Balls. Combined with 2x heaped teaspoons of our Prebiotic Blend, they make a sweet snack for you and an even sweeter snack for your microbiome.

Chicory root: a prebiotic whole food

Eating foods that your gut loves will help you to maintain a healthy balance of probiotics within it. Chicory root is one of those foods, and because of the inulin fibre it contains, it’s the key ingredient in our Prebiotic Blend.

The health benefits of chicory root are numerous, but the main reason we love it is because it’s a tasty source of food for the probiotics in your gut.

Caring for your health means caring for your gut

Emerging studies are showing that the gut is more important than we ever believed it to be. There is a significant connection between our gut health and mental health, and who knows? Maybe someday soon science will surpass folklore in telling you to listen to your gut.

Improving your gut health is imperative to improving your overall health. Our Prebiotic Blend will feed the probiotics in your gut to ensure a healthy, happy and balanced microbiome – and a healthier, happier you!

Improve your gut health with our Prebiotic Blend

Cooking For a Healthy Gut – Book Your Spot!

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Gut-healing foods

Learning what foods heal or harm the gut and then how to prepare those foods, so they taste super awesome.

About this Event

Do you suffer from bloating, decreased moods, sugar cravings, aches and pains?
Do you suffer from a leaky gut, constipation or diarrhoea?
Would you like a gut that feels calm, flat and happy?
Have you got a health challenge, thyroid maybe, autoimmune?

Then this cooking class is for you. Book your spot here

Medicinal Nutritionist Kathy Ashton – founder of Flourish Live Naturally – teaches you how to cook foods that help your gut microbiome flourish. All disease begins in the gut, according to Hippocrates, and this has never been more evident than today.

Most of us know that eating refined, processed, sugary, packaged foods is bad, but often it is these very foods that we crave. So how can you create healthy foods in your own kitchen, foods that are not only delicious but also allow your gut microbiome to flourish.

Kathy is a science nerd, and a passionate cook, who loves to impart knowledge about why you should and shouldn’t eat certain foods. Her goal is to educate and show you some tools that allow you to cook foods for a healthy gut with confidence.

After all what you eat today, walks and talks tomorrow.

This two-hour cooking class is more than just a cooking class, it is focused on educating you about your gut and the food you eat, as well as being interactive.

When you book your spot, the ingredients list will be emailed to you so you can cook along with Kathy, should you desire.

Alternatively, if you would like to simply watch and focus on what is being said and done and write down notes, you can do that too.

There will be time to ask questions, both from a cooking perspective or a health topic perspective, Kathy will be only too happy to answer these.

Kathy is often seen at the Mind Body Spirit Festivals cooking up a storm on the Soul Kitchen to very large audiences, but due to Covid-19, MBS has been postponed.

She is now bringing those cooking classes online and into your kitchen.

Best Plant-Based Proteins

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Why do we need protein?

The world is fixated on the word ‘protein’. But where do you get your protein from if you’re following a whole food plant-based diet?

Protein is a macro element found in food – both in plants and in animals. Despite what the influential dairy and meat industries might have you believe, proteins are not just found in animal products. In reality, all plants are made up of proteins too.

Proteins help to build and repair our muscles, skin and internal organs. They also produce enzymes and hormones and help our immune systems to fight off infection. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, the list of benefits that proteins provide is long.

How much protein do we need?

When following a plant-based diet, it is important to eat plants that are high in protein. By eating plants with a higher protein content, you won’t have to graze all day like a gorilla or a cow in order to consume all the protein your body needs to repair, rebuild and grow.

As a growing human (e.g. a child or an athlete building muscle mass), we need 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. However, to simply maintain and repair our bodies as an adult, we really only need 0.4-0.5 grams of protein per kilo of body weight.

Here’s an example for putting these numbers into your day-to-day: 1 bowl of porridge is 7-8 grams of protein, and 100 grams of potato is 100 grams of protein.

The best sources of plant-based proteins

It’s important to note that animal proteins are pro-inflammation, which means that the more you consume, the higher your level of inflammation. Stick to plant-based protein and you won’t have to worry about inflammation overload.

Protein can be easily obtained from an entirely plant-based diet. Some plant-based foods are much higher sources of plant proteins, such as the following:

Chickpeas

Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are the main ingredient in our Flourish hummus recipe, and they make for a delicious curry or salad.

A great source of plant-based protein, chickpeas also contain several vitamins and minerals including iron, folate, manganese, phosphorus and copper – all of which work together to keep your body in harmonious health.

Lentils

With up to 9 grams of protein per 100 grams, lentils are pretty high on the list of plant-based protein sources. These legumes are also packed with fibre, and like chickpeas, they contain numerous healthy vitamins and minerals.

Try incorporating lentils into your next veggie soup, or using them as the base for homemade lasagna. Both meals are perfect for keeping you warm this winter!

Vegetables

Vegetables are, and have always been, an excellent source of protein. There are a whole lot of tasty veggies that pack a protein punch, many of which are classics:

  • Green peas
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Bean sprouts
  • Spinach

Most of these veggies are easy to dish up with your favourite meals, but if you’re unsure or haven’t tried them before, it’s easy to look up a simple recipe for inspiration.

For example, brussel sprouts mightn’t be very popular, but sautee them with some pine nuts, sea salt and garlic, and you’ll wonder why you weren’t eating them sooner.

Nuts and seeds

Like vegetables, there are plenty of nuts and seeds around that are packed just as full of protein. These include:

  • Hemp seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Almonds
  • Pistachios
  • Cashews
  • Hazelnuts
  • Walnuts
  • Brazil nuts

Many of the nuts in this list can be made into nut butter, which makes a tasty treat when spread over some apple, banana or toast.

It’s also worth noting that chia seeds are exceptionally protein-heavy, as just one tablespoon contains up to 2 grams of protein. You can add chia seeds to smoothies, soups or salad, and there’s always the option to whip up a classic chia pudding.

Oats

Namely known for their vital role in the making of porridge, oats are a surprisingly high source of protein, with 10 grams of protein to every 100 grams of oats.

Oats are also a significant source of fibre, and studies suggest that they offer a number of health benefits including lowering cholesterol and promoting the feeling of being full after eating.

Protein is an important part of a healthy diet

Not only do proteins build and repair muscles, produce enzymes and hormones and boost our immune system, but they are also a significant energy source.

While too little protein can lead to shrinking muscle tissue, a build-up of fluids in the feet and ankles, and an iron deficiency in the blood, too much protein can be just as harmful. Finding the right balance of protein for any diet is an important element to be aware of.

There is a huge range of plant-based veggies packed full of protein, including nuts, legumes, vegetables, grains and more. To ensure you’re consuming enough protein whilst on a plant-based diet, all you need to do is eat the right foods to give you that boost.

Best Natural Anti-Inflammatory Herbs

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Herbs that help to reduce inflammation

When it comes to finding a natural anti-inflammatory, you might not have to look any further than the herbs and spices in your pantry.

While many of us already know about the health benefits of turmeric, there are numerous other common herbs and spices that have incredible natural anti-inflammatory properties.

By themselves, these herbs and spices aren’t likely to have much of an effect. However, when taken in conjunction with a plant-based diet and whole food, plant-based supplements, you may just start to see the symptoms associated with your inflammation – whether that be fatigue, pain, or infection, to name a few examples – improve with the use of these natural anti-inflammatories.

Flourish natural health supplements are made with premium, medicinal grade ingredients

Whilst the ingredients we use in our natural supplements are common to people’s pantries, the specific grade we use in our blends is less common.

Our ingredients are of a therapeutic nature and dose, which means that the grade of turmeric, cinnamon, chicory root and other whole foods we use is not the same as what you might find in your kitchen cupboard or on the supermarket shelf.

By using premium, medicinal grade ingredients, our health blends contain the highest quality nutrients that work together to effectively target and improve inflammation, liver function and digestive health.

Turmeric

The health benefits of turmeric are many, and the ancient spice is well known for its natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, is the component that allows the spice to act as a natural remedy to reducing inflammation.

Our Turmeric Blend is a natural anti-inflammatory that harnesses the power of turmeric’s curcumin, as well as 12 other plant-based whole foods, to target, reduce and relieve inflammation in your body.

Ginger

Ginger is another spice known for its natural anti-inflammatory properties, having been used as a folk medicine for hundreds of years.

Studies have shown that ginger acts in much the same way as COX-2 inhibitors, which are a type of drug used specifically to treat and relieve inflammation.

Cinnamon

Often used in baking or sprinkled over a cappuccino, cinnamon is a popular spice that doubles as a natural anti-inflammatory.

These natural anti-inflammatory properties come from the polyphenol antioxidants that cinnamon is packed with, which may help to protect against disease and keep you in optimal health.

Try adding cinnamon to your next smoothie, bowl of porridge or hot drink – ideally, black tea, coffee or hot chocolate. A woody spice with a sweet and spicy aroma, it tends to work best with sweet dishes.

Cloves

While research on the natural anti-inflammatory properties of cloves is rather limited, one study shows that the spice does contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial and anticancer properties.

You can infuse whole cloves into warm drinks like tea, or use powdered clove in baked and savoury meals.

Green tea

Renowned for its myriad health benefits, green tea has been used in China for thousands of years – and has since been shared with the rest of the world.

Green tea is another herb containing the antioxidants polyphenols, which have strong natural anti-inflammatory properties, and can also help to improve and treat digestive issues and diseases including diabetes.

Black pepper

Black pepper is a popular spice that can be found in most kitchens in Australia – and in other parts of the world, too. Piperine, one of the chemical compounds of black pepper, may help to fight the early stages of inflammation.

Not only does it contain natural anti-inflammatory properties, but black pepper also has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. When used with turmeric, it helps to enhance the spice’s anti-inflammatory effects.

Garlic

Closely related to the leek, onion, shallot and chive, garlic is another spice (technically, it’s actually a vegetable) whose medicinal properties have been used for thousands of years.

Research has shown that not only does garlic have natural anti-inflammatory properties, but it also has additional benefits – garlic is well known for its ability to fight the common cold by acting as an immune system booster.

It also contains antioxidants that may help to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as active sulfur compounds that can help to reduce blood pressure.

Incorporate these herbs and spices into your diet

Not only do these herbs and spices have natural anti-inflammatory effects on the body, but each of them is also a healthy (and delicious!) addition to any meal.

Fighting inflammation in your body is about embracing a diet filled with natural-anti inflammatory foods. Here at Flourish, we know that adopting a whole food, plant-based diet can significantly improve your health.

Our all-natural health blends – and more specifically, our Turmeric Blend – can help to boost your health and relieve inflammation throughout your body.

Fight inflammation with our Turmeric Blend

How Gut Health Affects Mental Health

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The global conversation around mental health

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 450 million people worldwide currently suffer from mental health disorders. In their lifetimes, 1 in 7 Australians will experience depression, and 1 quarter of the country’s population will experience anxiety.

Mental health disorders have become a global conversation, and there is a lot of research being done to identify the cause. Studies are beginning to show the significant connection between gut health and mental health, and how the two are intertwined.

The gut-brain connection

Also known as the gut-brain axis, the connection between the gut and the brain is a strong one. There is a bidirectional link between the two, which means that communication goes both ways – the gut can send and receive messages to and from the brain, and vice versa.

Interestingly, we can often feel emotion in our gut. Whenever you experience “butterflies”, or the feeling of being “sick to your stomach”, your brain and your gut are actually communicating with one another.

The gut microbiome refers to the community of bacteria in your intestines. When these bacteria are healthy and balanced, they work in harmony with the rest of your body.

However, when your gut microbiome is unbalanced, it has the power to negatively influence your brain – and thus, your mental health.

Food and mood go hand-in-hand

Research is making it clear that the food you consume can directly affect your mood. Foods that are high in sugar can give you a quick high followed by a crash, and carb-heavy, processed foods can put you to sleep.

It is no surprise, then, that certain foods can either boost or lower your mood.

Signs that your gut health could be affecting your mental health

Gas and bloating

If you are experiencing gas and bloating after a meal, it could be because your gut microbiome has become unbalanced and the bad bacteria within it has taken over.

This unbalance can be caused or worsened by excessive alcohol consumption, medication, antibiotics, external stress or a poor diet.

People who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are likely to have associated mood disorders and anxiety. With a whole-food, plant-based diet, you can replenish the good bacteria in your gut, rebalance your microbiome and ease any IBS symptoms you may be experiencing.

Food intolerances or allergies

Allergies or intolerances to food can cause your stomach much discomfort, and can often lead to other afflictions like brain fog and fatigue.

While you might not be aware of any intolerances, it is important to determine whether certain food types may be harming your gut. By removing any foods from your diet that cause your body distress, you can boost your gut health and improve your mental health as a result.

Constant fatigue

When Candida albicans (a naturally-occurring yeast found within our bodies) overruns the gut, fatigue is just one of the many ways it can affect you – and your mental health. Because Candida albicans live off sugar, they cause intense sugar cravings.

These cravings, when succumbed to, will cause an initial spike in energy, followed by a crash that will only leave you craving more sugar for another energy boost. Poor quality sleep can also be a factor, as studies have shown that the gut microbiome can affect sleep regulation.

To help fight fatigue and give yourself an uninterrupted night’s sleep, ensure that your diet contains all of the necessary nutrients to keep you feeling energised and healthy – both mentally and physically.

Your gut health may be affecting your mental health

The food you eat has the power to take over your gut microbiome, which can bend your brain and your body to its unbalanced will. Our Prebiotic Blend feeds the good bacteria in your gut, strengthening your microbiome and improving your overall health and wellbeing.

By opting for a whole-food, plant-based diet, you can take one step further to restoring a healthy balance to your gut microbiome and improving your mental wellbeing along the way.

Improve your mental health with our Prebiotic Blend