Sometimes anxiety arrives with no obvious cause. Nothing is wrong, and yet your chest feels tight and your mind will not settle. For some people, part of that feeling may begin in the gut.
Your gut and brain talk all day
Most of the body's serotonin is made in the gut, and your gut and brain are in constant conversation through the vagus nerve. When the gut is inflamed or out of balance, it can send signals that the brain reads as unease.
A calmer gut can mean a calmer mind.
Blood sugar plays a part
Skipped meals and sugar crashes can trigger the same stress hormones that make you feel on edge. Steady meals often mean a steadier mood.
Three places to begin
- 1Eat steady mealsProtein and healthy fat at each meal help prevent blood sugar crashes.
- 2Feed your helpersA spoonful of fermented food daily supports a balanced gut.
- 3Breathe out longerIn for 4, out for 6, a few times a day.
Anxiety has many causes. If it is affecting your daily life, please reach out to your provider or a mental health professional.
Brittany Bash
Functional Medicine Practitioner · PhD · BSN
Founder of The Whole Healing Method, helping people restore gut, metabolic, and cognitive health at the root. I am with you.