Nutrition, Diet and Health Tips

There’s alot of data supporting Probiotics as an intervention in Gut health matters and since the gut has a direct relationship with mental health, it’s definitely a plus for someone who’s at risk or already suffering from mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, Autism and more.

So what exactly are Probiotics? This are live cultures that take residence in your gastrointestinal tract, specifically your stomach and intestines ( both large and small intestines);
* They aid in digestion, absorption and utilisation of nutrients so it’s safe to say they are great for your metabolic health ✅ and they’re definitely a preventative measures against metabolic disorders such as Diabetes, Obesity, some Cancers, Hypertension and more.

What role do gut microbes play in mental health?
* The Gut Brain Axis ( GBA) ensures communication between the gut microbes and the brain, either through stimulation, neurons or nerve transmission and this is very important as it influences mood, behaviour, Habits like sleep, stress, carvings and more. At a time where we are having alot of mental cases sprouting, you have seen the Shakahola case, looming suicide and murder cases that make no sense and more, it’s about time we optimise the relationship between diet, environment exposure and mental health.

What can we do to help our gut health?
✅ Increase intake of fermented foods– in Kenya the most common fermented food available is yoghurt or mala, so we can definitely start there. Fermented foods are encouraged as they add additional cultures in your gut helping with diversity and numbers as well. Other fermented foods that we can take include; fermented Uji, you can ferment your legumes, vegetables – carrots, cabbage-. Drinks like kombucha, things like Cheese are also a great sources of Probiotics. So take your fermented foods regularly.

✅ Stop with the Misuse of antibiotics and medication and only plan for medication only when needed and that is when you have been diagnosed with a disease that needs treatment. This is important as overuse of antibiotics reduce both the diversity and numbers of your gut microbes and this in the long run will have a negative impact on your health outcomes. We’ve said your gut microbes influence your metabolic health which has a direct association with your immune function, so if you tamper with your cultures what happens to Your immune system? You guessed right, it gets compromised and your body’s defence system goes down.

✅ Adapt habits that help with stress management – As a human, avoiding stress completely is unheard of, but you can adapt measures to help you prevent the stressors from becoming chronic. This is because Chronic stress has been shown to have a negative impact on your gut microbes which is bad for your health. Things that would help with stress management include;

* Talking or sharing with a close friend or relative and if it’s not an option, I always say you can share with a stranger and if you can afford to pay for therapy that would be great.

* Dancing – this works really well for me. You put on some nice music and move your body- release some good dopamine 💯

* Take a walk in nature, get some sun, experience some trees and just get in touch with nature. I promise it’s not stupid. The benefits that 20/30 minutes nature walk has on your health are definitely underrated. Take that walk.

* Try as much as you can get to rest your body. Money is good, been busy looking for it is great but taking breaks to rest is very very important if you’re going to be in a good state to enjoy your efforts.

* Another thing that you can do if sharing is not an option, how about you talk to yourself – journal -. It can be in writing, audio recording or even video. Talk to yourself about the challenges, the worry, the grief and more. Don’t bottle up emotions, it’s not good for your health.

✅ Reduce on alcohol – Alcohol is a known steriliser. In the gut, it wipes out both the good and the bad bacteria reducing diversity and numbers as well. Moderate consumption of alcohol has been shown to have some positive influence on stress but over-consumption or alcohol abuse is terrible for your liver, gut health, mental health and definitely metabolic health. So go easy on alcohol.

✅ Reduce inflammation – Things like cigarettes, sugar and sugary foods, unnecessary toxin exposure they cause alot of inflammation in your cells. Inflammation is bad for your gut health so purpose on reducing it..

‘I hope this helped, and if you’re struggling with any sort of Mental issue, remember that it gets better with time and effort. Just hang in there, try everyday to do something that will impact your health positively, be kind to yourself and take it one step at a time’.

All the best.

Signed with love 💕
Lilian Mumina
Registered Dietitian
Mumina Wellness Solutions
Follow my YouTube channel for more Health and Nutrition Content. https://www.youtube.com/@muminawellnesssolutions4559