Start eating prebiotics to reduce stress levels

When we are under pressure, stressed or anxious our bodies react, for some people this means they develop tension in the neck & shoulders, for others they get butterflies in their stomach or their digestive system becomes more sensitive.

Stress messes with your they bacteria in your gut and creates a viscous circle that makes stress and anxiety attacks even worse.  While we are all familiar with probiotics or good bacteria which you can buy in tablet form in health food shops or are added to yogurts.  What you may be less familiar with are  prebiotics which are the “food” for the good bacteria in your gut.  Prebiotics can undo the impact stress has on the gut.  They are found in plant fibers like

  • raw chicory root
  • raw Jerusalem artichoke
  • raw garlic
  • raw leeks
  • raw asparagus
  • raw and cooked onions

Researches from the University of Colorado discovered eating prebiotics has a protective effect and can help to safeguard good bacteria in your gut during times of stress.  They also discovered eating prebiotics can even help reestablish good sleeping patterns.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28119579

 

Related Posts

  • How to treat heartburn naturally – part 2

    In my last blog post, I shared some tips on natural way to trear hearburn, below are more tips: 1. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Because acid reflux actually occurs due to having very small amounts of acid in your stomach,  raw apple cider vinegar may actually help keep it from occurring. Simply dissolve a tablespoon of it in a glass of water and drink it to improve your acid levels.  However, more research still needs to be done on this. One study found that apple cider vinegar alleviated heartburn symptoms for some individuals, but the effects only lasted between 60 and 75 minutes. 2. Ginger Tea  If you know that you're going to be consuming a huge meal, it may be helpful if you drink a cup of ginger tea at least 20 minutes before you start eating. Simply steep a 2-inch piece of ginger root in two cups of boiling water for five minutes, and then drink. Ginger not only has an anti-inflammatory effect, but also tightens your lower esophageal sphincter, thus preventing acid from refluxing. 3. Papaya A study found that the enzyme papain may help promote better digestion, providing positive effects for people with heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation References https://repository.asu.edu/attachments/166181/content/Yeh_asu_0010N_15671.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21990307 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420113 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622  

  • Can tackling the big questions in life make you less depressed and anxious?

    Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain,and it estimates to cause one fifth of days off from work. Well according to researches if you prepared to tackle big questions in life e.g.

    • Is there a God?
    • Does life have a purpose?
    you will be less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and better able to cope with emotions. Researches surveyed 307 people about their recent life experience and found those who wouldn't engage in the big questions of life suffered "more intense" bouts of depression and anxiety.  People seem to be more emotionally healthy if they're able to accept troubling insights. Looking at spiritual doubts in an objective way seems to help.  You may or may not work through them but you can at least tolerate having them.  Also ignoring the big questions could be symptomatic of a more general problem of avoidance and escapism, which can be harmful or even self-defeating when trying to achieve goals. So maybe now is the time to start tackling the big questions in life. References NICE (2011). Common mental health disorders | Guidance and guidelines | NICE. [online] Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg123 Das-Munshi et al. (2008) cited in McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016) Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital [Accessed 5 Oct 2016] Available at: http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf  Carmen K. Oemig Dworsky, Kenneth I. Pargament, Serena Wong, Julie J. Exline. Suppressing spiritual struggles: The role of experiential avoidance in mental health. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 2016; 5 (4): 258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2016.10.002  

  • The low down on natural sugars – part 1

    We all want to reduce the amount of sugar we eat, and and there are loads of alternative "natural" sugars to pick from.  When I go to the supermarket and read labels I am bombarded with terms like

    • fructose
    • whole can sugar
    • barley malt syrup
    • agave
    and the list goes on.  So which is the best? First its worth remembering there is no defintion of what is "natural" or regulation around how the term "natural" is used.  So basically anything can be termed "natural".  So how do you decide what is the best alternative to sugar and what are the ones to avoid? Firstly where ever possible rely on the natural sweetness of foods themselves rather than using sugar or artificial sweetners.  When cooking or preparing food consider adding
    • carrots
    • raisins
    • beetroot
    • dates
    • figs
    • roast parsnips
    • bananas
    as natural sweetners. Over the next two weeks I will give my thumbs up or thumbs down to a variety of "natural" sugars.