If you and your family members seem to catch every little cold and flu bug that comes around, or if you have digestive problems (constipation, diarrhea, IBS, etc.) you might be shocked to find that the following issue could be the culprit… and I’m willing to bet that about 90+ percent of those having immune system or digestive issues will see a marked improvement once they know the following information.

One Brain, Two Brain, Red Brain, Blue Brain

You know how we kind of have two brains working for us? The one in our head, and our “gut instinct”? Well, I’m about to blow one or both of those minds by telling you that you almost literally DO have two brains. There is somewhat of a “brain” inside your gut, called the enteric nervous system. It contains just as many neurons as your head-brain (about 100 million). Your enteric nervous system’s main job is to keep your digestion in check. But all those millions of neurons in your intestines are also influenced by the same neurotransmitters as your brain. Yep, your intestines send and receive impulses, record experiences, respond to emotions, learn, remember, and can even create feelings (ever had butterflies in your stomach when nervous?) (Side note: the brains aren’t read and blue. I was just being cute.)

This is wild, too

Over 95% of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy) is made in your enteric nervous system. Yes, it’s made in your gut, not  your brain! If your gut is out of balance, your emotions and other body functions could be seriously suffering. Who ever said that the food you eat can’t affect your emotions? This alone is a pretty compelling argument that your diet can lead to–or improve–emotional problems.

What do you mean my gut is “out of balance”?

Give me a minute to explain. This isn’t esoteric voo-doo speak, I swear! Your intestines are full of trillions of living organisms, mainly bacteria and yeast. From now on, I’ll just generally refer to these living things as “the dudes.” Because it’s just easier to understand that way. So there are good dudes and bad dudes. You simply can’t avoid the bad dudes. They’re everywhere: in the air, water and food we ingest, and they’re constantly growing an army inside your gut.

But that’s okay, because the good dudes are also forming an army, and in theory, they’re supposed to be much stronger than the bad-dudes army. But sadly, due to modern living (a.k.a. the over-consumption of fake food), most of us have an embarrassingly sad good-dude army.

What makes it worse, as the good dudes fall away, the bad-dude army doesn’t just win the battle, but starts reproducing like crazy! Once the bad army starts to rise up, your intestines and colon are at risk for damage. This guerrilla uprising can cause you to get sick quite a bit more often with common illnesses like cold and flu, and can also be a major contributor to constipation, diarrhea, I.B.S. and other digestive problems. Lastly, did you know that when you eat healthy food, your body absorbs the nutrients through your intestines? Well, having a bad balance of dudes (good versus bad bacteria) in your gut can prevent a lot of those nutrients from being absorbed.

How to Prevent All of the Above from Happening

I could go into more detail about all the ways an imbalanced enteric nervous system can impair good health, but I think you get the general idea. So here’s how to fix it. First, a list of the main things that kill off your good bacteria:

• Chlorine
• Sodium Fluoride
  (the above two are found in almost all treated city water, so use a filter)
• Antibiotics
• Antibacterial soap (non antibacterial has been proven to kill just as many germs, if you wash for 30 seconds)
• Pollution
• Alcoholic beverages
• Birth control pills
• Many prescription drugs
• Stress
• Sugar
• Artificial sweeteners

A lot of these things are avoidable. But please don’t stress about those that aren’t. Set yourself at ease, and feel better by constantly “re-seeding” your body with the good dudes. Here’s how:

• Drink filtered water
• Decrease or eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners intake
• Manage your stress
• Avoid taking prescription antibiotics unless it’s really necessary

***MOST IMPORTANTLY***

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, with a focus on foods that support the growth of your good-dude army every day:

1. Garlic
2. Onions
3. Unsweetened Kefir
4. Unsweetened, low-fat yogurt, with at least 5 strains of healthy bacteria including lactobacillus and bifidus strains
5. Take a good quality probiotic supplement daily – what are probiotics? Taking a probiotic supplement is just like sending a few million “good dude” troops to your front line, to fortify, defend, and support your immune system. You’re taking millions of live, friendly bacteria to re-seed your good army and keep the bad-dudes from uprising.

Seriously.

Our bodies are so unique, that there are very few supplements that I would recommend everyone take on a regular basis. But one of the 3 that I do recommend for just about everyone with few exceptions, every single day, is a probiotic supplement. Take it just before bed, or on an empty stomach, and try to find one that has at least 5 different strains, and upwards of a billion organisms per serving.

Do you have any personal experience with taking probiotics, or with increasing your intake of friendly-bacteria-promoting foods? Please share!