The Power of the PROBIOTIC

Believe it or not, your mental health is directly tied to your gut health. Happy bowels = happy brains.

So it follows that when your diet is not-so-great, your mental health is directly affected. Blerg.

Probiotics are the good guys that help your gut to be in tip-top shape. They are in danger of dying when your intake consists of: antibiotics, artificial sugar, unfiltered water, GMOs, grains/glutens, chemicals and certain medications.

Many studies have shown (sources to follow) that PROBIOTICS can save the day by:

• Increasing BDNF. That is, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. This stuff is like fertilizer for new baby brain cells. You want a lot of this stuff.
• Decreasing Lipid Perioxidase end products. A/k/a bad stuff that is thought to cause cancer. You don’t want any of this stuff.
• Protecting your intestinal barrier. No more leaky gut. A/k/a the stuff of Autism.
• Allowing “good” flora to flourish. No more constipation and bloating. Hooray!
• Boosting your immune system. Generally healthier people are happier.
• Increasing microbial-produced transmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. This is also a good thing, since supposedly these are the chaps responsible for making you happy and calm.
• Improving nutritional absorption by allowing your food to be absorbed more readily, improve gut to brain communication. You paid a lot for that Pumpkin Seed Hummus from Whole Foods. Make sure all of the nutrients actually make it to your brain.

For a more extensive source of probiotic information (and sources), you can visit www.DrAxe.com/probiotic-guide-bonus for a free PDF.

DISCLAIMER: Thanks for reading the above, but whoever you are: unless you are living in my household (which I think I would have noticed), it’s very unlikely that I have any idea what sort of medical history, medication regimen, allergies, and any other health intricacies you carry. Therefore, you should NOT interpret the above as medical advice for yourself, and instead present this information to your personal clinician for consideration.

Another DISCLAIMER: Obviously, the best way to get the best nutrition is through FOOD, not supplements. But for those of us who are still getting the hang of this work-life balance thing, supplements are a way to stay sane when you don’t have time & dinero for meal-planning & organics. Don’t beat yourself up.

Detox Your Home, Improve Your Mood

I'm fresh off of Kelly Brogan's "A Mind of Your Own" and Josh Axe's "Eat Dirt." So, I'm in detox mode. However, the whole "you need to buy an organic mattress" thing is a bit hard to swallow financially. I'll have to wait on that one. 

Here are the top 8 compounds to avoid in your cosmetics, household products, personal hygiene products, and more. 

1. Parabens. Sadly, this was in all of the cosmetics I was using. It can also be found in some biopsied breast cancer tumors. So, there's that.

2. Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate. Again, in all of my lotions and hair products. Luckily not linked to cancer yet, but still nasty in many other ways. 

3. Phosphates and Phthalates. I am a sucker for that distinct Moroccanoil fragrance. It's intoxicating. It might take me a while to phase this one out, but unfortunately synthetic fragrances have the potential to mimic hormones, thus altering them. 

4. Chlorines.  The same chemical used to clean the kiddie pool is used in your tampons. They can also be laced with pesticides. Yikes.

5. BPA. I feel like the danger of this one is pretty well-known, but it's still in many plastics. 

6. Petroleum. It's just not optimal. 

7. Talc. You guys, this stuff is in BABY POWDER. Some of us have been exposed to this since birth. Scary considering there are multiple lawsuits against J&J for its talcum being carcinogenic. 

8. Hexavalent Chromium. Poor Erin Brockovich. All that work she did, and there is still contaminated groundwater in so many cities.

Don't feel you have throw out everything and go into the red to replace it all. Do it little by little. When you finish up your current bottle of shampoo, consider replacing it with something from the Honest Company. (Yes, the Jessica Alba company. Yes, she's still hot.) They have a longer list of health-harming chemicals here.

Other ways to detox your home include: using a HEPA air filter, using water filters instead of tap water, and having lots of live plants around your home.

I used to be quite naive. I used to think, "Why would a company put something in a product that could be harmful?" And the reality is, lots of companies put chemicals into their products because it's beneficial for their bottom line. We can blame The Man for this. 

But also, companies do this because we keep buying their products. We can blame ourselves for this.

By getting rid of any offending chemicals, we get one step closer to mental health recovery.