Do you ever feel depressed or anxious or sad and can’t figure out why? Your circumstances and surroundings can definitely affect your mood but there’s an additional factor that plays a big role, and that’s what’s going in your gut. Your digestive tract contains millions of nerve cells, and communicates directly with your brain via […]
Gerry: I am an avid follower of Gutbliss and was making and drinking green smoothies almost daily, then I began having intestinal issues, diarrhea etc. I ran across some experts talking about the dangers of ingesting too many foods high in oxalates. So, I’m confused. I’ve since given up eating spinach and Swiss chard and try to […]
You may notice that as stress increases in your life, so does your disease activity, or vice-versa: an increase in disease activity…
Stress levels may be a key factor in determining who suffers from severe COVID-19 and could potentially help measure who is at an increased risk of mortality. In a study conducted in London, researchers took the cortisol levels within 48 hours of hospital admittance in suspected COVID patients. Those who did not have COVID became […]
A January 2020 study, published in Nature, found that stress does actually cause hair to gray. While scientists have known this for hundreds of years, the physiological mechanisms weren’t discovered until now. When experiencing stress, the nervous system switches on its fight-or-flight response – a “hyperactivation of the sympathetic nerves” – which depletes the cells […]
The interconnectedness between the gut microbiome, stress hormones, and gut function is well documented in the scientific literature. Click here to read more about the strong interactions between these three entities, and watch Dr. David Rakel from the Institute of Functional Medicine discuss tips on how to reduce stress to improve your gut health.
We now know that a calorie deficit isn’t the end-all-be-all solution for losing weight. But why is this, and why do so many of us struggle to shed extra pounds? While poor diet is usually the number one culprit for stubborn excess body weight, a recent molecular finding sheds light on why weight loss may […]
Closing your eyes with intention can be transformative. The sound of your breath amplifies in your nose and throat; your senses sharpen to taste, touch, and scent. The external world melts away for a moment as you withdraw into yourself. Your stream of consciousness, now unveiled, reveals the magnitude of thoughts, emotions, and memories you […]
The stress experienced during competitive social situations negatively affects the gut microbiome. The experiment was performed in Syrian hamsters, animals that compete to establish hierarchies of dominant and subordinate groups. The study analyzed gut bacteria before the hamsters met and after they had competed for hierarchical placement, then compared these samples to a control group of […]
Relax! It may be just what the doctor ordered. While studies find that mind-body practices (yoga, meditation, etc.) that induce the relaxation response (RR) reduce blood pressure, the molecular pathways that lead to this association remain unknown. A recent study analyzed RR’s effects on gene pathways over an 8-week RR-based intervention in 58 patients diagnosed with […]