Gut- Brain Connection- Improve your Mental Health -The Hidden Link

When Your Second Brain Cries for Help

Gut- Brain connection- improve your mental health, you will know this is you, when you wake up anxious for no reason. Brain fog clouds your thinking by afternoon. That familiar knot in your stomach appears whenever stress hits, and you reach for comfort foods that only make everything worse.

Your gut, your body’s “second brain” is trying to tell you something profound. Connected to your mind through the vagus nerve and producing over 90% of your body’s serotonin, your digestive system holds the key to your mental wellbeing.

But here’s what most people don’t realise: that depression, anxiety, or mental fatigue you’re experiencing might not be starting in your head at all.

The Invisible War Inside Your Belly

Your gut is under siege. Years of processed foods, antibiotics, stress, and environmental toxins have created chaos in your intestinal tract. The protective barrier that should keep toxins out has become permeable “leaky” allowing harmful substances to flood your bloodstream and trigger widespread inflammation.

Your beneficial bacteria are outnumbered by harmful microbes. Old waste matter clings to your intestinal walls, putrefying and releasing toxins that your liver struggles to process. Food sensitivities you’re unaware of create daily internal battles, with your immune system in constant attack mode.

Meanwhile, your brain receives distress signals through the gut-brain axis. Serotonin production plummets. Inflammation spreads to your nervous system. You feel anxious, depressed, or mentally scattered, but conventional medicine only treats the symptoms whilst ignoring the root cause festering in your gut.

The cycle deepens: stress worsens digestion, poor digestion increases stress, and both create more inflammation. You’re trapped in a pattern that feels impossible to break, wondering why nothing seems to work long-term.

Although far from exhaustive, below are some of the symptoms of digestive problems:

•    Stomach bloating
•    Nausea
•    Flatulence/ wind
•    Diarrhoea
•    Constipation
•    Stomach pain
•    Allergies
•    Heartburn
•    Pain or aches in joints
•    Itchiness
•    Dizziness
•    Weight loss/ gain
•    Nervousness
•    Brain fog
•    Poor memory and attention
•    Headaches/ migraines
•    Skin problems such as rashes, eczema, and psoriasis
•    Pins and needles
•    Brittle nails
•    Recurrent urinary tract infections
•    Fatigue
•    Health conditions – gastrointestinal problems can increase the risk of a range of health conditions including thyroid diseases, certain cancers, anaemia, iron deficiency, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, plus many more

Improving the Gut Brain Connection
Below are some of the common causes of digestive problems that require assessment and treatment if someone presents with mental health problems and digestive complaints:

•    Food allergies/ intolerances: Many of us regularly eat foods that trigger sensitivity or intolerance. While this may be fine for some people, for others the consumption of these allergic/intolerant foods can lead to significant physical and mental problems. For many people, a specific food allergy and depression are strongly interlinked.

•    While identifying major allergies can be simple (peanut allergies) for other food intolerances, identifying the problem food can be more difficult. This is because for many people, the effects of the ‘intolerant food’ may not occur for up to 72 hours after the food is eaten.

Common intolerant/allergenic foods include: wheat/gluten, milk/dairy, corn, soy products, eggs, and nuts. Of specific concern is the link between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease/ gluten intolerance and depression / anxiety.

•    Medications: Many medications can cause digestive problems. For example, prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs medications containing ibuprofen) and aspirin are common culprits.

Oral contraceptives, antidepressants, cholesterol lowering drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs, diuretics and blood thinning drugs can also cause gastrointestinal problems. When used for prolonged periods, many medications used to treat digestive problems can also cause digestive problems.

In particular, medications that reduce acid levels in the gut (proton pump inhibitors e.g., Nexium, Zoton, Losec, Pariet) and over-the-counter antacids are major culprits.

•    Parasites and other pathogens: Many people can contract certain parasites and other intestinal pathogens which can cause havoc on the digestive and immune system and can have ramifications throughout the whole body.

•    Digestive enzyme deficiencies: In order for our body to digest food, it requires a range of digestive enzymes. For many people with digestive problems, digestive enzyme levels may be deficient, resulting in poor digestion.

For example, a common enzyme that is lacking for many people is the enzyme lactase which is required to absorb lactose in milk. This results in ‘lactose intolerance’. However, there are other enzymes required to break down fats, proteins and starches and when lacking will affect our digestive system and ability to absorb crucial nutrients.

•    Stomach acid problems: Stomach acid (hydrochloric acid – HCl) is excreted by specialised cells to help our body digest proteins and minerals and sterilise foods. For many people, levels of HCl can be low resulting in poor protein absorption.

Protein provides us with amino acids which are the building blocks of brain neurotransmitters important for mood (serotonin, dopamine).

Heartburn is a symptom experienced by many people and it is commonly believed that it is caused by too much stomach acid. However, for at least 50 percent of people suffering from heartburn, it is actually caused by not enough stomach acid.

As a result of stomach acid deficiency, food remains in the stomach for too long which leads to heartburn. The irony of the situation is that antacids are then used to reduce stomach acid and symptoms of heartburn, and while effective in the short term in reducing heartburn, in the long run prolonged use of antacids further exacerbates digestive problems.

•    Bacterial imbalances (dysbiosis): Our digestive system contains billions of bacteria (gut flora) that have many crucial roles in our body including pathogen defence, digestion, and synthesis of vitamins. There are many species of gut flora and when in healthy balance work in harmony.

However, when imbalances, deficiencies or overgrowth in certain species of bacteria occur, digestive problems result. Dysbiosis is also associated with yeast overgrowth (often termed Candida). This bacterial imbalance is termed dysbiosis and can be caused by intestinal microbes, ageing, diet, drugs (especially antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors) and stress. To optimise digestive health and therefore, one’s mental health, gut flora levels needs to be in balance.

•    Intestinal permeability (leaky gut): Our gastrointestinal system has a mucosal barrier that protects our internal system (heart, lungs, brain) from ‘outside world’ pathogens. This mucosal barrier consists of tightly joined cells (tight junctions) that allow certain nutrients to be absorbed.

When a disruption in these tight junctions occur, many dietary and bacterial substances and other toxic by-products can get ‘leaked’ into the bloodstream leading to an ‘immune reaction’ causing an array of symptoms, some of them mental.

Leaky gut can be caused by poor diet, NSAIDs, food intolerances/ allergies, medications, Coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, stress, aging, excessive alcohol use, malnutrition and many more.

•    Excessive, prolonged stress: Research shows that stress can have a negative effect on our digestive system and can impair rates of healing. Excess stress can also lead to poor lifestyle and dietary habits (increased sugar consumption, alcohol use) that can exacerbate digestive problems. A cycle then develops where digestive problems exacerbate stress. This increased stress then further worsens digestive problems, continuing the cycle.

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Healing

Your body holds profound wisdom for healing, passed down through generations who understood that all health, physical and mental begins in the gut. By working with your body’s natural intelligence rather than against it, you can restore the sacred connection between your belly and your brain.

Gentle Intestinal Cleansing

Begin with a supportive colon cleanse using herbs like psyllium husk, bentonite clay, and slippery elm to draw old waste and toxins from your intestinal walls. This isn’t harsh purging it’s loving restoration that allows your gut lining to heal whilst creating space for beneficial bacteria to flourish.

Add bitter herbs like dandelion and yellow dock to stimulate bile flow, supporting your liver’s detoxification whilst encouraging healthy elimination. Your body knows how to heal; it simply needs the right support.

Food as Medicine

Identify and eliminate foods that trigger inflammation in your unique system. Common culprits include gluten, dairy, and processed sugars, but your body will guide you to your specific sensitivities through gentle elimination and mindful reintroduction.

Embrace gut-healing foods: bone broth to seal your intestinal lining, fermented vegetables to restore beneficial bacteria, and anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and ginger. Each meal becomes an opportunity to nourish both your gut and your emotional wellbeing.

Nervous System Support

Support your vagus nerve, the primary communication highway between gut and brain, through breathwork, cold exposure, and gentle yoga. These practices strengthen the connection whilst reducing the stress that disrupts healthy digestion.

Consider adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and holy basil to help your nervous system respond more gracefully to stress, breaking the cycle that keeps your gut-brain axis in chaos.

Your Journey Back to Wholeness

Healing the gut-brain connection isn’t just about better digestion, it’s about reclaiming your birthright to mental clarity, emotional balance, and vibrant energy. As you restore harmony in your belly, you’ll notice anxiety lifting, brain fog clearing, and a deep sense of wellbeing returning.

Your gut has been holding wisdom about your overall health that your mind couldn’t access. By listening to its messages and responding with gentle, natural support, you honour the intricate intelligence that connects every aspect of your being.

Trust your body’s capacity to heal. Trust the ancient wisdom that recognises your gut as the foundation of wellbeing. Trust that you can break free from the cycles that have kept you struggling and step into the vibrant health that is your natural state.

Ways to Cleanse the Intestines

In order to clean and detoxify the colon, it is mandatory that you address multiple key areas.

•    Help bring the colon back to life by stimulating the muscle movement of the colon, encouraging matter to move forward through the system and halting putrefaction.

•    Draw old mucoid plaque and fecal matter off the walls of the colon and out of any bowel pockets.

•    Disinfect.

•    Draw out toxins, leach out heavy metals such as mercury and lead from the intestinal walls, and remove chemicals, and drug residues.

•    Soothe and promote the healing of the mucous membrane lining the entire digestive tract.

•    Help stimulate the body to begin the healing and repair of herniated areas.

•    Increase the flow of bile to help clean out the gallbladder, bile ducts, and liver.

•    Optimise the growth of beneficial bacteria, which are a fundamental component of intestinal health.

•    Destroy and expel parasites and inhibit Candida albicans overgrowth.

•    Maintain regularity.

•    Decrease straining.

•    Speed up the transit time of faeces through the large intestine.

Ready to Transform Your Gut-Brain Connection?

If you’re ready to address the root causes of your mental and digestive struggles, you don’t have to navigate this healing journey alone. I work with clients to identify their unique gut-brain imbalances and create personalised protocols that honour their body’s wisdom whilst addressing the underlying dysfunction.

Book your consultation today and discover how healing your gut can transform not just your digestion, but your entire relationship with mental and emotional wellbeing.

You can go ahead and book your session here.

Live on Purpose, Make a difference!  ❤️

Mariangela Parrodi  BAppSc, ND

Award-winning alchemist, transformational medical intuitive healer, naturopath,
wellness leader, author, teacher, spiritual coach, and shaman. #1 International best-seller of The Mystic Woman’s Compass.

For 30 years, I have practised in the fields of energy medicine, biomedical science, naturopathy, holistic health, and meditation. I am the Founder of the Alkymia Energie Healing ™, a spiritual system that eliminates limiting beliefs, removes blocks and reprograms the mindset, creating connection, integration and transformation that awakens sacred power and destiny. Using my sacred alchemy process to bridge the gaps to move clients through their challenges and accelerate them onto their next level of joy-filled passion, purpose and prosperity.

I help healers and heart-centered leaders who are clear about their embodied mission and want to make a difference, to positively champion and impact others, animals, and nature, by guiding them to activate and master all their multidimensional abilities and gifts, so that they can live a life of joy, freedom, and unwavering commitment to their path.

 

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