How to Heighten Your Healthy Gut-Brain Connection

The gut-brain connection is at the core of our overall well-being . . . when there's stress at one end, there will be stress at the opposite end as well.

Your gut is totally in cahoots with your brain. There truly is a gut-brain connection. Have you ever noticed how when you're feeling angry or anxious, it can throw your body into complete chaos with a digestive disaster such as  acid reflux or diarrhea?

Or on the other side of the spectrum . . . an agitated emotional state stops you in its tracks, leaving you constipated, sluggish, and feeling stuck.  According to the ancient science of Ayurveda, if you are suffering from constipation, for example, you may be experiencing a vata dosha imbalance in mind and body. (Vata is one of the Ayurvedic Stress Types known as the Restless Stressor.) Symptoms of vata imbalance include constant mind chatter, flightiness, spaciness, restlessness, anxiety . . . and other ailments that relate to the elements of space and air.

Neurologist and Ayurvedic practitioner,Dr. Trupti Gokanistated in a recent interview with Dr. Oz,When in balance these {vata} people are full of creativity and vitality. When they have accumulated too much of these elements {space and air}, they get restless, unfocused, anxious, and worried.Take preventive action against the "Restless Stressor" and its digestive issues by eating a vata-balancing diet. This involves choosing warm, moist, and oily foods and beverages over cold, dry, and crisp ones.

Here are some effective remedies for vata types with constipation:

• Drink warm lemon water: The heat will enhance digestion and help internal flow; the lemon will increase the body's alkaline levels . . .

• Take triphala: An herb trio used in Ayurvedic medicine to promote good digestion and colon health.

• Drink milk + ghee: 1 to 2 teaspoons of ghee in a cup of hot milk at bedtime can be a very effective (and gentle) means of relieving constipation.

• Eat figs, black raisins, or dried plums/prunes: Soak overnight and consume first thing in the morning. They can be a gentle and effective solution for morning elimination.

• Yoga postures: Practice standing Mountain Pose followed by 12 cycles of sun salutations each morning and evening.

• Drink senna tea (warm herbal beverage that is a natural laxative).

A harmonious mind-gut relationship is the gateway to health. If your gut is healthy, chances are you're doing great. Keep your digestive health at the center of your awareness and you will begin to notice the profound connection your mind and gut have when it comes to either wellness or disease. Ayurvedic wisdom has created natural cures and preventive measures for many common ailments . . . but being conscious of your own unique constitution/dosha, as well as your lifestyle choices and the environmental factors you are exposed to, can be even more effective in getting the most from the science ofAyurveda. Through the practice of Ayurveda and the awareness of your own unique body type, you can heighten your healthy gut-brain connection.

Sources: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-gut-brain-connection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18000484