This video discusses the concept of the „second brain“ located in the gut, known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). It explains that the ENS is connected to the brain through nerves in the nervous system and plays a role in cravings and mental health. The video highlights the connection between gut health and mood, and how an unhealthy gut can lead to digestive problems and anxiety. It provides techniques to reduce stress and improve gut health, such as practicing equal breathing and consuming probiotic foods. The video emphasizes the importance of taking care of both the gut and the brain for overall well-being.
Key Insights:
- The gut contains a second brain called the enteric nervous system (ENS), which has an estimated 500 million neurons.
- The gut and brain are connected, and the state of your gut can affect your mental health and physical well-being.
- An irritated gut can lead to anxiety, depression, and other digestive problems.
- The gut helps with intuitive decision making and can sense threats faster than your conscious brain.
- Reducing stress and negative thoughts can help improve gut health.
- Lifestyle habits that can negatively affect gut microbes include high stress levels, lack of sleep, poor diet, and overuse of antibiotics.
- Eating a carrot daily, avoiding sugary and spicy foods, consuming probiotic foods, and including a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains in your diet can help improve gut health.
- Improving gut health can enhance focus, memory, and productivity.
- Both the brain and gut constantly communicate with each other, so taking care of both is essential for overall well-being.
Transcript
Did you know that you have a second brain? Yes, you have another brain located inside your gut called the enteric nervous system, or ENS. This system has an estimated 500 million neurons which are connected to your brain through nerves in your nervous system.
It is this gut system that could be responsible for your cravings for chips, chocolates, and cookies when you feel stressed or depressed. Studies show that the gut and brain are connected. That is, if you are constantly stressed, depressed, or upset, then the environment inside your gut will change. The microbes living inside the gut change, and this affects your mental state and physical health directly.
Similarly, when your gut is irritated, it can also be the cause of anxiety and depression or inflammation in your body. Have you noticed that if you eat something, sometimes you begin to feel low? This is your gut affecting your brain. When your gut health is affected, it may cause mood shifts and even anxiety and depression.
Another thing your second brain does is help you make intuitive decisions. This system becomes activated sooner, sensing threats faster than your normal brain. That is why the stomach or gut area feels different or activated when you are in danger or when you feel upset or threatened.
But an overstimulated gut can lead to several problems, especially of the digestive system. Stomach problems like gas, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and heartburn can all be caused by an unhealthy gut. Let’s help our gut by reducing our anxious or negative thoughts. This will reduce the irritation of your gut and reduce your need to relieve your bubble repeatedly.
When you are stressed or anxious, you can follow the „yedra pram“ technique to reduce stress. Sit comfortably and breathe in and out equal breaths. That is, both your inhalation and exhalation should be equal for a duration of 3 seconds. Do this whenever you feel stressed or anxious, and it will help calm your mind down. It will help your both brain and gut.
Now, let’s understand that a number of microbes live in your gut, and these release chemicals that affect both your brain and your body. Lifestyle habits that affect your gut microbiome include high stress levels, too little sleep, eating high processed and sugary foods, and excessively taking antibiotics.
It is vital that you have good bacteria growing in your gut. Some food tips that can help good bacteria grow are: eating a carrot every day, avoiding sugary, processed, or excessively spicy items in your meals, having a healthy gut by eating a variety of fibrous fruits and vegetables, eating probiotic foods like yogurt, kimchi, curd, and kombucha (probiotics work best on an empty stomach), and including at least five different fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains in your diet every week.
Try these techniques to improve your gut health and see how much your focus, memory, and productivity will improve. Remember that your both brains are constantly talking with each other, and what happens in one directly affects the other. So take care of both of them with lots of love. Namaskar.
