MindCheck is the Weekly Wednesday Kids Mental Health series with Dr. Ray Pataracchia N.D. MindCheck provides in depth information on the orthomolecular approach to coping with mood, behavior and psychotic disorders. The MindCheck Health Series is endorsed by the Mindful Network – ‘A Better Future for Children’s Mental Health’.
The terms ‘Gut Feeling’ or ‘Upset Stomach’ imply that mood is linked to digestion.
This blog describes why mood (depression, anxiety), thinking, and behavior are associated with digestion.
Digestion & Mental Health
Mental Health is associated with Optimal Digestive Functioning
Without proper digestive function we cannot absorb nutrients that help maintain healthy brain function.
Eating high quality food and having efficient bowel movements are two clear signs of digestive and mental health.
Movement of Nutrient-Rich Food Into the Body
Regarding food In:
The general food guideline endorsed by many Naturopaths maintains that optimal food intake involves eating three square meals a day with 40% protein, 20% fat, and 40% carbohydrate. Foods that make us sick are important to avoid, gluten and dairy being among the top food allergens affecting mental health. There are many ways that we can include high-protein and gluten- and dairy- free recipes into our lifestyle.
Efficient Removal of Waste Out of the Body
Regarding waste matter Out:
If we have 2-3 bowel movements a day and we eliminate 6 to 12 inches of stool per movement (6 inches for the average 90lb kid), then we are clearing waste optimally.
Anatomically Correct
There is little nutrient value in matter that stays in our digestive tract longer than 3 days. The small intestine should be exposed to nutrient-rich food matter for no more than 3 days before transferring it to the large intestine for elimination. The large intestine is 9+ feet long in an adult. For our body to extract nutrients from the food that you eat today, we therefore need to pass close 3 feet of stool per day.
When the bowel wall gets congested and/or impacted with nutrient-poor matter, the surface area for healthy nutrient-rich food absorption is dramatically reduced.
Many adults have just one bowel movement a day and some less than 1 foot per day and this leaves nutrient-poor ingested matter in the small intestine for days before it gets eliminated.
With longstanding constipation, the absorptive surface area can be dramatically reduced leaving room for toxic buildup, diverticulitis, and leaky gut syndrome.
Pork can take up to 4 days to pass through your digestive tract so Naturopaths often recommended avoiding it or eating it in moderation every 3-4 days.
The Immune-Gut-Mental Health Connection
Inflammation in the digestive tract is an immune compromised state. Often we see puffy weight in those with food allergies that dissipates when they remove food sensitivities. Our previous blog on the Immune System in Mental Health discusses the role of the gut in immunity and mental health. Food allergies are similar to autoimmune states (Rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, etc.) where we see a weakening of the immune system.
Practical Steps to Achieve Gut Health
Eat fresh and whole versus processed foods.
Eliminate food sensitivities – for example, elimination dieting with gluten and dairy is often pivotal in achieving/maintaining mental health.
Regular exercise – this helps to maintain strong abdominal muscles to support efficient bowel movement.
Consider Probiotics – Probiotics are good gut bacteria (bacteria that are a natural component of the gut environment; 100 trillion microbes lend 3lbs of body weight to an adult human) useful especially for those that have had significant exposure to antibiotics or digestive tract infections.
Foreign microbes that are infective agents (e.g. viruses/bacteria) often breach immune defenses which can be better defended by upping the number of good gut bacteria.
Probiotics work synergistically with the digestive immune environment to bring about appropriate responses to infections (suppression, induction, and enhancement). Probiotics digest otherwise indigestible carbohydrates such as sugar, starch, cellulose, alcohol, and fruit pectin). Often we see significant improvement in bloating symptoms with probiotics. It is important to supplement probiotics that are naturally occurring in humans.
Vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D are helpful in times of infection. Vitamin D supports immune system responses. Often winter months are when we see depletion of immune responses and greater incidence of upper respiratory infections.
Echinacea and Astragalus are also excellent immune supporting herbs.
If your body’s toxic load is high then this weakens the immune system and leaves it compromised when a foreign microbe enters the picture. For that reason, the digestive health is best supported by also supporting organs that have the job of removing toxic metabolites and carrying waste out of the body — that is the liver, kidneys, and skin. The skin is that last organ of elimination that gets hit when the other detoxifying organs fail to do their job.
Immunoglobulins are proteins so there is great demand for protein during infection. Loading up on protein and fluids and soup is essential.
Also drink plenty of water is important to flush out toxins and warm fluids are better received and utilized by the body.
Hot-cold alternating showers (ending with cold) can be done daily to keep your immune system strong, wet sock therapy (a Naturopathic technique) done at night can draw circulation away from the upper body and enhance the immune response.
Natural honey can also help in your body’s defense against foreign microbes.
Disclaimer: Content herein is intended as a provision of information not advice, and is not intended for self-assessment or self-prescription.