Your Gut Thrives on Gratitude :)

For those of you in the US, this week is all about two things: 
1.     Gratitude
2.     Trying to feel gratitude in all the hustle!

So what a great time to talk about GRATITUDE being the SECRET SAUCE for our gut!

​Did you know that gratitude affects our gut, brain and health MORE POWERFULLY than any other positive emotion?

Studies show that positive emotions send strong signals to our gut microbiome, allowing the most beneficial bacteria to thrive. These then produce for us the "happy" neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and other endorphins which help us to sleep better, have healthier moods and appetite – and even a desire to be active and social (see my article here).

The opposite is true as well. Too many negative emotions create stress in our mind and body which disrupts this special messaging from happening, and weakens digestion and immunity.

(Another reason why its so important to find calm and peace before eating!)

So no matter what shape your gut or health is in, a little gratitude can make it better because…

Gratitude puts us at ease and so aids digestion!

SO what gets in the way of this simple practice?

For myself, I notice I am less grateful when I am too busy working and doing, and not giving myself enough time to BE and FEEL.

If I allow the demands for my time and attention to overfill my mind – this puts both physical AND mental digestion to the test (if I can’t process my life, I’m too stressed to process my food).

I look at authentically religious men and women, and I notice that their gratitude seems to flow effortlessly from them. Why do you think this is?

#1 They make time for it. Monks and other religious often go away somewhere where they can shut-out the world for a time so that they can focus on prayer, meditation, learning and renewal.

#2 They "practice" it. Gratitude is an attitude, right? In other words, it’s a conscious intention or priority. But how many of us put 

💗 Note to Self: I am grateful my life is full of looking after those I love  💗​

​So the solution here is to make time to step out of the hustle to just BE and FEEL. 

​And if we want to be kind to our gut, start simply with giving thanks before your meals. Just think about how that food came to be on your plate!

All the sun, water and soil required.

The people who grew it, harvested it, shipped it, stocked it.

The materials for the pan you cooked in or the plate you’re eating off of.​

There is a lot of effort put into each morsel of food you are about to consume. Let's give thanks to the Creator and everyone involved in getting it to us. 

Because our gratefulness sends an "all is well" signal from our brain through the vagus nerve to our digestive tract, and that’s going to help you feel balanced, happy and healthy.

And who wouldn’t be grateful for that?!

Happy Thanksgiving, my American friends! And for rest of us, let’s be grateful that we can relax this weekend 😊

​And if you are FEELING LESS THAN GRATEFUL, check-in... do you need a quiet retreat to re-charge and re-focus? Check out my retreat which combines nutrition, yoga and dance to renew your spirit, reboot your gut, and revitalize your body! ​I am offering a GRATITUDE SPECIAL (U$300 value) for February's Vitality Renewal Retreat that runs UNTIL SUNDAY, DEC 1. Grab it here!

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