Did you know that your gut produces a neurotransmitter called serotonin?
In fact, your gut produces NINETY PERCENT of the serotonin in your body. Serotonin is one of the 7 major neurotransmitters. A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that allows your brain and body to talk to each other. Neurotransmitters do everything from telling you when you’re thirsty to when you need to pee!
Serotonin is used to help you feel calm and relaxed, as well as a precursor for making melatonin, a hormone you need to help you fall asleep. An unhappy gut affects your serotonin production, which in turn can affect sleep! Did you know that chronic anxiety can impact gut health? And that one in three women struggle with anxiety?
It’s literally ALL connected.
Well now that we see the loop, what can be done about it?
There isn’t just ONE thing we want you to address here. We want you adding in a few different things and working on them synergistically (altogether) so that you can help a bunch of things at once.
ANXIETY: Things like meditation, taking 10-15 minutes for yourself, getting sunshine, journaling, eating foods that support calm (like turkey, chicken, cheese, milk, and eggs), taking tryptophan and/or magnesium supplements, and drinking calming herbal teas can help with anxiety.
GUT HEALTH: And while you’re working on that, how’s your vegetable intake to support a healthy gut and immune system? Are you consuming 3-5 servings of veggies a day? Are you tracking foods that might cause you digestive upset and minimizing or avoiding them?
SLEEP: Lastly, are you setting yourself up for success when it comes to sleep itself? Are you eating a snack before bed so your body has the energy it needs to facilitate sleep? Are you turning off screens 30 minutes before bed, and making an effort to downregulate? Is your room cold and dark?
Let us know your questions, comments, and feedback so that we can help you thrive and crush your training! And please share if you have tips and tricks to work on any or all of these!