How Gut Health Affects Mental Health

It’s Mental Illness Awareness Week, and it’s the perfect time to talk about the relationship between your gut and your mental health. Researchers are continuing to reveal the mental health benefits of a healthy gut population of beneficial bacteria. This is because healthy gut bacteria elevate blood levels of the amino acid tryptophan, which increases levels of the mood-boosting chemical serotonin. In people with a mental illness, like depression, serotonin levels are normally low.  

Anxiety and depression can cause changes in the gut microbiome, according to Mental Health America (MHA). This is why people struggling with mental illness often experience gastrointestinal woes like heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, bloating, pain, constipation and/or diarrhea. Sound familiar?

The best thing you can do to keep your gut healthy is to eat a balanced and nutritious daily diet. In addition, regular exercise, ample sleep and relaxation techniques should be part of your recovery plan to help keep your mind and body functioning at its best. 

Here are a few gut-friendly diet tips from MHA to consider:

• Do your best to eat a diet full whole grains, lean meats, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Skip or limit sugary, fried, or processed foods and soft drinks.
• Load up on prebiotic foods like asparagus, bananas (especially if they aren’t quite ripe), garlic, onions, jicama, tomatoes, apples, berries and mangos.
• Add probiotic foods to your diet. This includes yogurt (live or active cultures), unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi, miso soup, kefir, kombucha (fermented black tea), tempeh (made of soy beans) and apple cider vinegar.

Relapse Prevention at Haus Recovery

A big part of staying on the sober path is paying attention to your emotional well-being and realizing when it needs a little extra TLC. Keeping relapse at bay is about cementing new healthy habits and remaining accountable to the recovery support system – and we’re here to help. To learn more about our recovery residences, call today: 888-551-4725.

7 Ways to Improve Digestive Health

Now that you’ve worked hard to become sober, you’re in a much better position to care for your body, including your gut. Years of alcohol or drug abuse most likely did a number on your digestive health — and you may still be battling with issues ranging from indigestion to constipation.

The good news: Digestive discomfort doesn't have to become a fact of life. Some simple diet and lifestyle tweaks can help your digestive system absorb nutrients and keep things running smoothly. What’s more, a healthy gut can help your mood, too. Studies suggest that gut bacteria can play a key role in anxiety and depression.

1. Pay attention to fiber. Aim for 25 grams a fiber per day, say experts. The easiest way to meet this goal is to go for whole grains, eat beans a few times per week and have several servings of fruit and vegetables each day.
2. Stay hydrated. Drinking water is perhaps the best and easiest way to stay regular. H20 helps to dissolve fats and soluble fiber. 
3. Get moving. Physical activity helps your organs work better by speeding up digestion, increasing blood flow and stimulating muscles in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) tract.
4. Be pro probiotics. Found in foods like yogurt and kefir, probiotics (“good bacteria”) are pretty powerful when it comes to preventing and alleviating many conditions that affect the GI tract. 
5. Cut back on the coffee and cigarettes. Whether alone or combined, these stimulants spell bad news for your digestive health, resulting in heartburn and ulcers.
6. Stay away from super-sized meals. Eating small, frequent meals is your best bet for better digestion. This is because eating or drinking too much at a single sitting can cause bloating, fullness and reflux. Similarly, don’t eat too fast. Your body needs time to properly digest the nutrients you’re giving to it. 
7. Keep stress in check. Unmanaged stressed is bad for your whole body, including your digestive system. Try incorporating yoga or meditation into your sober living activities.

A Healthy Diet at Haus Recovery

As part of our comprehensive sober living services, we offer clients cooking classes and dietary support. To learn more, call today: 888-551-4715.