Nourish Your Creativity
Recently I have become very interested in the connection of our health and our creativity. One can only assume that the foods we eat and the lifestyle we live can have an effect on our bodies, for better or worse. I asked my friend, Mark Gaw, who has over 10 years experience in the natural products industry and is very well educated on the topic of food as your medicine. Mark is someone I trust in this field and will hopefully have him back for more post on this topic. Give him a follow over on the Twitters and check out his blog Sound Body Now.
Anything we have done in life or plan to do depends on the brain. This includes the ability to be creative. Among many other functions stimulated by the brain, it is the source of activity for being creative. At one time it was believed that the right side of the brain was the center of creativity. Scientists now say it is both sides of the brain communicating with each other that stimulates creativity. If your brain is not firing properly, your ability to be creative may be inhibited. Now, here is a connection that most people do not make. If your gut health is poor, then your ability to be creative may be inhibited as well. I hope that grabbed your attention. There was a time when scientists believed that the brain and gut operated independently of each other, yet in recent years that has changed. The brain and the gut are in constant communication with each other. It’s a tight relationship going on here. Scientists are now looking at both as one operating system of the body, because, what affects one will likely affect the other. The connection between the two is called the Brain-gut axis.
As I mentioned before, the brain and gut operate as one system. The brain communicates with the gut through a part of the central nervous system called the Vagus, also known as the ‘neuro-gastric nerve’. The Vagus connects the brain and gut. Poor firing of the brain can lead to poor activity of the Vagus, which in turn can affect gut health. This can create a cycle of inflammation that creates problems for both the gut and the brain. If the brain begins to fire improperly, the vagus does not function well, and then inflammation of the gut may arise, which then has a trickle down effect on the brain causing more issues. It becomes a vicious cycle. Some of the symptoms from the Brain-gut axis not functioning well are chronic digestive issues (the main symptom of brain issues), fatigue & brain fog are a big indicator, anxiety & depression, cold hands & feet, and lack of creativity. If you are experiencing any of those symptoms, I’m going to suggest how to address the issue.
The gut, referred to by scientists as the body’s second brain, contains just as many nerve cells as the brain does. Eighty percent of Serotonin in the body is found in the gut. The hormone serotonin regulates the immune system in relation to the gut and regulates the motility or movement of the gut. The other twenty percent of Serotonin is found in the brain where it regulates mood, appetite, and muscle contraction. If the brain is malfunctioning then the gut is closely involved. How does the gut affect the brain? The gut contains a colony of good and bad bacteria, also known as flora, that support digestion, elimination, and the immune system. A side note here; the gut makes up 70% of the immune system. The lack of good flora, or the absence of, can affect brain function. Good bacteria in the gut also supports a person’s behavior. There are over 100 trillion bacteria in the gut. That amount of bacteria out numbers the amount of cells in the human body ten to one. Inflammation of the gut can cause the same in the brain. Fire in the gut, fire in the brain.
People who do all they know to do to maintain a healthy digestive system, yet still show no results, may have issues occurring in the brain. If one is addressing the gut to maintain good health or to address a gut related issue, the brain must be addressed as well. If you ignore the brain, success will be limited. You can do everything right when taking care of the digestive system and still have gut issues due to the brain not firing properly. Remember, what affects one will affect the other.
There are three things the brain needs: glucose (blood sugar regulation very important), oxygen, and stimulation. Saying the brain needs glucose does not mean go out and chow down on a bunch of high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Too much glucose can affect brain function. Proper blood flow to the brain is important because blood transports oxygen and glucose to the brain, as well as other nutrients. The lack thereof can cause issues. I find exercise or being active is a good way to insure proper blood flow to the brain. Also an herb called Bacopa may be beneficial for dilating capillaries in the brain increasing blood flow. I’ve known people who use acupuncture to help improve blood flow throughout the whole body.
Stress management is truly the key here in helping to address brain health. Now, I said management, not reduction or elimination. A big contributor to sickness and disease is stress. There is no getting away from stress in the time we live in. The best you can do is get a handle on it. Methods of managing stress can include exercise, yoga, meditation, herbs (Spanish moss, chamomile), prebiotics and probiotics. Don’t go and spend a lot of money on supplements to address stress unless absolutely necessary. Good food sources for prebiotics (food for good bacteria) are sweet potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes, and good food sources for probiotics are fermented vegetables and fermented dairy products.
To maintain cognition function, digestive health, and the ability to be creative, take care of your brain and gut together by managing stress, enjoying pleasures, eating healthy. If you think your Brain-gut axis is not functioning well, I encourage you to find a professional who can work with you on a protocol to address the issue.
How do you enhance your creativity? Food? Supplements? Beverages?
