Gratitude and gut health

““What is the relationship between love and gratitude? For an answer to this question, we can use water as a model. A water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, represented by H2O. If love and gratitude, like oxygen and hydrogen, were linked together in a ratio of 1 to 2, gratitude would be twice as large as love.”

― Masaru Emoto, Hidden Messages in Water”

Gratitude is our ability to be thankful and show appreciation. Beyond that, gratitude is also a powerful tool that we can use to boost our overall wellbeing!

Neuroscience studies have linked regular gratitude practice to a myriad of benefits, including improvements in our skin, mood, digestion, sleep, and stress response… to name a few.

Practicing gratitude daily increases two crucial neurotransmitters, serotonin, and dopamine. These happiness hormones contribute to a better mood, but they also play a critical role in our gut motility, appetite control, and overall digestive health.

Researchers estimate that 90% of the body’s production of serotonin is in the digestive tract, not the brain. The lack of support from “friendly bacteria”, and compromised digestion could be what’s bringing you down. Many studies show that rebalancing your gut microbiome leads to positive changes in your brain chemistry. And that affects how you think and feel.

A regular gratitude routine has also been shown to increase activity in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates our sleep, metabolism, and stress levels! Stress is always a crucial topic since chronic stress can suppress our immune system, affect our gut health, and disrupt hormones.

By practicing gratitude, we are better equipped to manage stress triggers and shift our physiological response from fight or flight to rest and digest. With a regular gratitude practice, we can balance stress and optimize our digestion for better gut-health!

How do we create a gratitude routine? There are plenty of ways like journaling, mindfulness, or just letting people know we appreciate them.

Remember, all those small steps lead to big changes, and giving thanks is something we can practice every day to boost our health.

In good health,

Ioana