I have some important info to share with you: There's something known as the gut-brain axis, which refers to how your gut and brain work together. And this connection impacts many areas in your body and can even affect your immune system!

But how does it work? How do you balance your gut-brain axis? Should you take probiotics to support your gut-brain axis? And what foods balance the gut-brain axis?

To get the answers to these questions and more, keep reading, as I dive into everything you need to know about this relationship, including why it’s so important.

What is The Gut-Brain Axis?

You likely already know that the brain and spinal cord make the up the central nervous system, which is responsible for communicating with the rest of your body. It received sensory impulses and sends out motor impulses

Well, your gut also has its own kind of "brain" known as the enteric nervous system! And the central nervous system and enteric nervous system make up what is known as the gut-brain axis.

The gut-brain axis is a two-way communication network that links these two aforementioned nervous systems but goes even beyond that. It also includes endocrine, humoral, metabolic, and immune communication as well! [1]

Basically, this axis allows your brain to influence what’s happening in your gut while simultaneously allowing your gut to influence your mood, cognitive abilities, and even your mental health.

Have you ever heard of having a “gut feeling” about something? Turns out there’s truth to the link between your gut and your emotions, mental health, and cognition!

In fact, research has shown that changes in the microbiota in your gut are linked to changes in emotional states and cognitive performance. That’s because the trillions of bacteria currently living in your digestive system (or “gut”) communicate directly with your brain. [2]

In your gut, the bacteria’s messages are processed and turned into commands for other parts of the body. In turn, your brain sends messages back to your gut, altering their flora production.

The brain-gut axis is highly involved in the actions of your immune system, neurotransmitters, hormone signaling, and even weight management. [3]

They’re so closely intertwined that it’s now well-accepted that numerous mood disorders, from anxiety and depression to autism, have gastrointestinal components. [4, 5]

Symptoms of Imbalanced Gut-Brain Axis

You’re likely wondering how you’ll known if you have an imbalance in your gut-brain axis. Here are some of the symptoms you may experience:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Stomach pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• GI disorders, such as IBS or IBD
• Migraines or headaches
• Heartburn
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Other signs of leaky gut syndrome

Benefits of a Balanced Gut-Brain Axis

By bringing your gut microbiome into balance, you can also help promote a healthier gut-brain axis. Let’s review a few of the major benefits of having a balanced gut-brain axis before we dive into the best ways to get a balanced gut-brain axis.

• Reduce inflammation
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Improved digestion
• Sharper memory and cognition
• Reduce cortisol levels
• Reduce physical pain
• Stronger immune system

How To Balance Your Gut-Brain Axis

Here are a few of my best tips to help balance your gut-brain axis.

1. Take probiotics.

There are two types of flora or microorganisms: those that are “good” and others that are “bad.”

The “bad” flora can become problematic if there are too many of them in your system. They can also become a problem if your body doesn’t have enough of the “good” bacteria.

Much like the microbiota in your gut, probiotics are live microorganisms—the “good” kind—typically administered in supplement form.

By consuming probiotics, you help to increase the number of flora in your gastrointestinal system that are needed to help break down food and absorb nutrients.

While you can eat probiotic-rich foods (see my second tip for more), probiotic supplements offer a concentrated dose and often containing specific strains to produce a specific health benefit.

Each capsule should contain billions of healthy live bacteria that will help your body better digest your food and balance your gut-brain axis.

2. Eat fermented foods.

Fermented foods are probiotic-rich foods that support digestive health and your gut microbiome.

Research has shown that eating fermented foods can help to support and improve overall gut health and the gut-brain axis.

Just as with probiotic supplements, fermented foods add “good” microorganisms to the gut microbiome. [6, 7]

For a list of the best fermented foods for your gut-brain axis, click here.

3. Get moving.

 While mild to moderate exercise is known to improve fitness and overall health, it’s also been linked to better gastrointestinal digestion and elimination. [8]

Not only does it increase blood flow to promote movement, but it strengthens supportive muscles in the pelvic floor and abdominal wall. Strengthening these muscles helps to keep your body more upright, which allows for proper movement of stool through the colon.

Calming routines such as yoga or Pilates have been shown to fight stress and support feelings of relaxation while also promoting better digestive health by keeping your food moving through your digestive tract. [9]

Meanwhile, studies have shown that engaging in cardiovascular exercise each day can help support digestive health by promoting a healthy gut microbiome. [10]

And other studies have revealed that exercise supports stable and enriched microflora diversity, which is known to support the health of the gut-brain axis and overall health. [11]

If you’re trying these suggested steps and still feel something is missing, or if you’re having trouble staying motivated, you may need a little help getting started—and there’s no shame in that. Changing certain lifestyle habits can be hard!

If you find that you’re in need of some extra guidance, head over to my Personal Health Consultations page and schedule an appointment with me. I’ll help you identify what’s holding you back and areas to focus on so you’re on track for a healthy gut-brain axis!

Aphasia. If that word sounds familiar, it's likely because you heard it relatively recently in the news about Bruce Willis.

Unfortunately, Bruce Willis confirmed that he does, in fact, have aphasia. But what is it, exactly, and what's the prognosis? And how common is it really? And are there warning signs?

Today, I'm answering these questions and more. And I'm also sharing my personal stories of my experience with aphasia, as I've watched family members succumb to this condition

Keep reading …. This is one article you don't want to miss.

My Experience with Aphasia

When my mother-in-law Carol was in her mid 50s, she started to have very minor memory loss. It began with just the little things, like forgetting what she just said or where she put something.

She recovered easily from those episodes and life continued on. But within a year or so, she would regularly lose her ability to form a specific word. You could see her internally struggling.

She would shake her head and often say “frustrating” or “I can’t.” And quite often, she could not form a whole sentence. Then she would be able to speak normally for a short period of time before her speech would go away again.

As time went on, moments of lucidity became less and less frequent.

You could tell that she was 100 percent present (at least in beginning), meaning what was happening to her wasn’t similar to dementia or delirium where the person may not know what’s happening.

Over the course of the next few months, she spoke less and less, as she would be unable to finish a whole sentence. She used to smile and nod along, but that also began to happen less frequently.

She would still have small moments of lucidity where could speak normally and share her thoughts. In those moments, she would share how unbearable it was to be aware of everything yet unable to communicate. She knew what was happening to her. She was a prisoner in her own body.

Ultimately, she was diagnosed with aphasia, and her condition progressed rapidly. Our family also believes she developed dementia, although we couldn’t really test her recall or ask her anything but yes or no questions.

Many times she would just stare blankly at us—and we’re still not sure if that was dementia or simply a lack of response.

One of my clearest memories is when she met my oldest Cameron.  He was under a year old, but she was able to meet him prior to her passing. She smiled as she touched him and hugged both my husband Tyler and me.

To me, it seemed like she knew exactly who was there and that perhaps she just couldn’t understand and relay instructions. And that’s exactly what aphasia is: a loss in the ability to relay information.

Carol was 64 when she died, which means she spent the last decade of her life struggling with aphasia. Sometimes I wonder if there was even more going on, but we will never truly know.

What is Aphasia? 4 Facts You Need to Know

Aphasia is often misunderstood. Given this, let’s break down what, exactly, aphasia is—and what it isn’t.

Here are four facts you should know:

1. Aphasia is a disorder that results in impairment to comprehension or language formulation. It can impact expression and understanding of language as well as someone’s ability to read and write.

2. It usually results from a stroke or injury to the left side of the brain, which is responsible for language. [1] That said, it can also result from a brain tumor or neurological disease.

3. Aphasia has no impact on intelligence.

4. It's more common than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, or muscular dystrophy combined! [2] And though it affects about 2 million Americans, many people still remain unfamiliar with aphasia.

What Are the Warning Signs of Aphasia?  

Just as with my mother-in-law Carol, the warning signs of aphasia typically begin gradually and small before progressing

What begins as minor speech concerns often turns into difficulty communicating and even forming solid judgement.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, here are some of the major symptoms of aphasia: [3]

• Consistent difficulty finding the correct word for a specific object.
• Pausing frequently while speaking.
• Poor grammar and/or slow speech.
• Trouble understanding conversations.
• Complete loss of all language skills.

What’s the Prognosis for Aphasia

The prognosis for someone with aphasia depends on the cause. For example, if someone’s aphasia is due to a minor brain injury, that person may make a substantial recovery.

Alternatively, if the aphasia is due to a progressive neurological disease, which is known as primary progressive aphasia (PPA), it will continue to worsen. This usually appears between the ages of 50 and 70 and more commonly occurs in men. [4]

If you were to look at a brain scan of someone with PPA, it would likely show some atrophy in the left side of the brain.

Regarding treatment, aphasia is typically diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist following a suspected brain injury or following certain symptoms. Once diagnosed, the patient may be referred to a speech-language therapist to help them retain their ability to communicate.

For those with PPA, the treatment would focus more on improving quality of life by utilizing card with specific words or sentences or counseling the caregivers in the patient’s life.

The typical life expectancy of someone with PPA is up to 12 years after diagnosis. [5]

How You Can Help

Because there’s a major lack of awareness of aphasia, one of the best things you can do is to continue to educate yourself.

The University of Michigan Aphasia Program offers some amazing resources to aid in your continuing education. Click here to learn more.

Additionally, if someone in your life has been diagnosed with aphasia, speak with a speech-language therapist to see how you can help your loved one. Offering support and understanding can go a long way in aiding their ability to retain quality of life