Did you know the first symptom noticed by people with Parkinson’s is often constipation? Other disabilities with connections to gut dysbiosis (imbalance of the gut flora or the ability to absorb nutrients) are: Alzeheimers, autism, MS, and depression.
I’ve been in the deep end of “real food” for over 13 years now. Many people arrive in these waters because of health issues left unresolved by modern medicine. Some are here because of unwanted behaviors in their children. Making better food choices is never a wrong decision. Keep going, wherever you are on the journey!
Recently on a personal level I experienced how a healthy gut brings about greater mental clarity. Let me explain.
Third grade is the year kids go from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” My daughter Caroline is bright and loves learning. Yet school is a real chore and has produced fountains of tears over the years, especially when Mom was the teacher. My husband and I decided mid-third grade to remove the familial influence of stress and sent her to school.
Two years later, Caroline was officially diagnosed with dyslexia. It was a relief in many ways and answered questions. Her confidence is actually rising since the diagnosis.
Since then, I’ve learned much about learning challenges, how to advocate, and what is going on inside her brain. Well, I’m just at the tip of the iceberg on that! Lol
One of the main surprises of her dyslexia diagnosis is understanding that it is common for anxiety to accompany a learning challenge.
Looking back, my husband and I have playfully called her “Nervous Nellie” behind her back, as long as we can remember. We don’t joke about it any more. Anxiety is very real for Caroline and I want to alleviate it any way I can.
This summer she and I started reading a book together for elementary girls called Braver, Stronger, Smarter: A Girl’s Guide to Overcoming Worry and Anxiety. It has given us a common language and most helpful: weapons to fight the Worry Monster. Sissy Goff is the author and she has written several books. I recommend checking her out if you or someone you love suffers with anxiety. She has a book for teens and one for moms who experience anxiety.
When I shared this picture on Instagram another mom reached out and said her dyslexic daughter also suffered from anxiety. She said, “She takes a probiotic and I can tell if she skips it within 24-36 hours.”
Anxiety can be battled with a probiotic?!
You better believe I got the same probiotic for Caroline. I almost felt panicked to get it in her hands because my husband was out of town with our oldest at a swim meet. His absence usually means negative behavior as a result of Caroline’s anxiety, plus school started the next week - which she was dreading. It was a perfect storm for the Worry Monster.
By the second day I noticed she was doing better than normal but I didn’t say anything. The third day she went to a large group gathering (youth group) for the first time. This may not seem like a big deal for you, but sometimes she doesn’t want to go to birthday parties because there “are too many people.” So on the fourth day I asked her as unbiased as I could muster, “What do you think of that probiotic? Do you think it is helping your anxiety?”
Definitely yes. She’s eleven and I do not have to remind her to take it everyday. That is a big deal. Last year she took supplements and I was dosing them everyday for her. Since she started this probiotic, she has been faithful.
I shared this success with a like minded friend, who has taught me much about eating nutrient dense foods, and she said something like “...oh I see it has a couple strains of psychobiotics in it.”
I had to look up this new word: psychobiotic. There are certain strains of probiotics that have been proven to alleviate or reduce anxiety, stress and depression. One of these strains can be found in lacto fermented foods. Since that conversation I’ve done a deep dive on the gut-brain connection, learning again about food as medicine. If you’re super nerdy and want to know more ASAP, I read (part of) a transcript yesterday for a psychobiotic gut-brain webinar and it blew.my.mind. This won’t be the last you’ll hear from me on this topic.
Please hear me: a pill will not fix you. Not even probiotics. We have an arsenal of weapons to fight to stay healthy. And even then, you can do all the things and still live in a broken body. That said, I feel like Caroline taking this probiotic has been a tipping point for her journey.
Practical Tips: Eat these Foods
With the onset of cooler temps the inevitable cold and flu season is rapidly approaching. Consider incorporating these foods to your diet to help your gut-brain connection:
Eat soup made with gut healing homemade broth (learn to make it here.)
Fermented foods of any kind. You can make or buy these: sauerkraut, Bubbies pickles, kefir, kombucha.
Saturated fats from animals raised on pasture: local meat and eggs, raw milk, deep yellow butter.
Avoid these in labels:
High fructose corn syrup or any corn/derivative that is not organic
Artificial colors or dyes
Artificial sweeteners
Hydrogenated oils or trans fats, basically anything in a package that is shelf stable - like crackers, chips and cookies
Soybean or canola oil, or anything with soy except if traditionally fermented
From IG this Week
Classes
I’ve had several inquiries recently to teach classes again. In particular, I’ve considered a soup class - which would definitely cover broth. Also kombucha has been requested. Cost would be about $30. Reply to this email if you’re interested.
Tell me 1/ which class and 2/ preference: in person or Zoom.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be,
Julie