We tend to think of the brain as the central computer for all the emotions in our body, and while it is a fundamental organ, more progress than ever has been made in the last ten years in understanding emotions. the fundamental role that the gut plays in our health. And for our happiness: 80% of serotonin in our body is produced inside it.
Here are some tips related to food and summer habitsit will help you rebalance your intestinal flora, which also blames the excesses of a stressful day after day. “The stress hormones epinephrine (or epinephrine) and cortisol encourage gut bacteria to proliferate,” explains Christine Frissora, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cornell University’s Weill College of Medicine.
1. Eating between meals that makes you feel good.
Another reason the microbiota influences our mood is that it promotes the metabolism of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with joy, learning, and reward. There are foods that stimulate it: nuts, beets, bananas, pineapple, green tea or dark chocolate 85%. It also includes apples of all kinds, which also contain pectin, a type of soluble and fermentable fiber. So if you know you can’t get through a day at the beach without a pre-meal snack, take the initiative and make a cooler with some of these foods.
2. Sleep heals the microbiota
Relationship between microbiota and sleep bidirectional, one intestinal flora poor and not very diverse reduces the duration and quality of sleep. But similarly, poor sleep hygiene and altered sleep-wake circadian rhythms have also been seen to cause changes in the gut microbiota. In addition, sleep deprivation can dysregulate the flow of adrenaline to the brain, causing an increased concentration of gut bacteria.
Summer is a difficult time to sleep, on the one hand we have more time to relax during the holidays, but we also tend to lengthen the days and stay up late.
3. Variety: Combine probiotics and prebiotics at the same time
Our intestinal flora love variety, some people eat healthy food but very limited in variety. According to Dr. Sari Arponen, Ph.D. in biomedical science and microbiota expert we must not repeat products from the same group per week: “Eat fish and vegetables, but different every day, it is also important to cook them differently: in the oven, on the grill, with cream… A variety of healthy foods increases the diversity of the microbiota and the intake of micronutrients such as bioactive phytochemicals.”
In addition, in this way we will also have a good ecosystem of microorganisms also taking care of the nutrients or prebiotics they need. Here are some of the richest foods we can eat:
- probiotics: kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, tempeh and miso.
- prebiotics: artichoke, banana, wheat, oats, barley, leek, garlic, onion, asparagus and potatoes.
- polyphenols: blueberries, blackberries, tea, cocoa, nuts, pomegranate and extra virgin olive oil.
We can also use addition, without abusing it and always prescribed by an expert, even if it is available for free. Also today there is a huge range of fortified products.
4. BEWARE of summer soft drinks
Though it sounds like a broken record water is still the best drink and in the summer it saves lives at any time of the day. Keeping enough fluid in the body facilitates digestion and prevents constipation, so we should drink between 2 and 2.5 liters, but if at some point we feel like drinking more, choose drinks with less sugar content. Remember that healthy drinks like infusionsThey also work very well to take them cold. smoothies or natural smoothies are a good option though desirable combine fruits and vegetables to avoid the spikes in blood glucose that fruit juices produce when taken alone. Fermented drinks such as kefir, kombucha or coconut water without added sugar are also very good for our intestines.
5. “NO” summer
Though we’re leaving this for the end, the moment Moderation, then not a ban. They are at the head alcohol, because although we know that it does not provide any benefit, the truth is that it is integrated into our social life and in the summer there is a risk of an increase in the amount ingested, often without even knowing it. As Mago More says, we use diminutives to alleviate guilt: “We drink beer, wine, and glasses, but we don’t eat broccoli or fruit.” In many cases, this is a mental association that we can fight if we remove some prejudice, such as drinking alcohol. nonalcoholic beer. There is now a wide variety of these, with a toasted aftertaste or lemon flavor that can soothe that “moment of craving”.
Another great NOT for a sedentary lifestyle. Rest is not the same as messing around all day, if we train throughout the year we should not give up on our routine but rather adapt it for the holidays. If, on the other hand, our lives are not very active during the course, summer is the perfect time to start incorporating daily walks and other routines that force us to integrate them and notice their benefits for our health.