11/20/2025
Do you or someone you know get stuck in the grocery isle unable to choose a tube of toothpaste? Experiencing difficulties paying attention? Are you overstimulated by thoughts or the environment? Do you cry easily, or get upset by everyday conversations? This type of overwhelm is not a matter of toughening up. It's a nervous system issue.
These struggles reflect what's going on inside our bodies and minds. When our gut health is less than optimal, resilience and focus may be lowered. Many of us have experienced brain fog and overwhelm. Why now? Why in such large numbers? Part of the answer is what's in our food!
Lately, experts are discovering that ADHD, focus, resilience and depression problems are in affected by the way we grow and prepare our food. The Standard American Diet, Abrreviated SAD, is just that! It is highly processed, highly pesticide treated, and therefore highly unhealthy. Worst of all, these foods are grown using pesticides, and our diets of fried food, sugary drinks, alcohol, fast food, processed grains and low quality meats actually damage our stomach lining and intestines, making it hard to absorb any nutriton we get. Nutrition can not be absorbed when our digestive stystem is damaged.
Our brains and guts are connected via the vagus nerve, the largest nerve in our bodies, forming gut-brain axis. Our guts and brains communicate all day long, but if the ability to digest food and get rid of toxins is hindered, we can not get the nutrients we need forour bodies and brains. Brain health, and our ability to think, plan and reason can begin to deteriorate.
"Leaky, gut, leaky brain, leaky mouth." Nothing happens in isolation. When one system breaks down, it affects all of the other systems too. Leaky gut is a breakdown in the digestive system, so proteins that should remain in the digestive system get into other parts of the body and cause inflammation and pain. A leaky brain is when the brain blood barrier leaks, causing brain inflammation and possible infection. Leaky mouth is a phrase I use to explain that when a person has leaky gut and leaky brain, they and do things they otherwise would not, and speak without boundaries or rational thought. All of these leaks begin with poor gut health.
Why does a leaky gut hurt our brains? Mental health is health; everything that affects the body also affects the mind. When people struggle with temper, decision-making, or nervous system malfunctions like anxiety, stress and depression, it can be helpful to get curious about what 's going on with the digestive system. Symptoms like irritability, non-compliance, brain fog, and anxiety are often linked to problems with the mind. Many medications, diet deficiencies, physical health issues, infections, nutrition and lifestyle issues affect the gut, which affects the mind! So getting curious about gut health is a great way to help figure out what's going on when facing new emotional and physical health symptoms.
Healthy words and thoughts are also an essential part of a gut and brain healthy diet. What we allow into our heads, hearts and minds has a big impact on our wellness. Our nerves wire straight into our gut and brain. We must choose to turn on the news, headlines, music, books, tv, magazines and social media that are good for us, and turn off the bad.
Great news! Gut health can be greatly improved for most people! Steps include completing a mail-in Gut Health Kit, reviewing results, and creating a customized food plan for a nutritious diet, probiotic support, adding movement and committing to small habit changes to improve overall health.
I teach resiliency through life coaching, functional nutrition and brain training. Life coaching helps people deal with everyday challenges and functional nutrition guides a person through diet and lifestyle habit changes to improve their health. Brain training teaches people how to maximize their brain function by adapting new behaviors.
New ACTIVATE™ Elite COACHING blends life, health, nutrition, gut and brain coaching for maximum wellness. GUT HEALTH REVIEW available upon request.
Do you or someone you know get stuck in the grocery isle unable to choose a tube of toothpaste? Experiencing difficulties paying attention? Are you overstimulated by thoughts or the environment? Do you cry easily, or get upset by everyday conversations? This type of overwhelm is not a matter of toug
