The Mind Body Connection: Are You Listening To Your Gut?
Gut health and intuitive self-care are keys to tapping into your mind-body connection
As soon as the leaves begin to fall it seems like the prevention parade begins; a walk for this cause, wear pink for that cause, and you can’t turn a corner without seeing yet another place to get a flu shot before they run out. Clearly there are benefits to proactively raising funds for the advancement of medical research or to support those in need – but for me personally, sometimes all of this prevention talk feels a bit fear-inducing. Hurry, the sky is falling, get your flu shot and everything will be OK!There is no magic pill, shot or bullet. This isn’t a political statement on whether you should get a flu shot or not, but it got me thinking of this notion of “prevention.” Getting a flu shot doesn’t prevent the flu, per se. And as a caveat, I’ve had many in the past. In recent years, due to my father’s vulnerable health state – it was highly recommended by his medical team that we have the shot if we wanted to be around him. We dutifully fell in line. Whether it prevented him or me from getting the flu, I don’t know – but it did give me some sense of security, even if only a false one.
What I believe truly keeps us healthy throughout the season is gut health – and I’m not talking solely about your stomach. I’m talking about your entire body-mind-soul connection. Are you listening to your gut?
In the past few years, I’ve learned a great deal about the connection between our gut and our overall health. And now probiotics seem to be all the rage…especially natural probiotics – pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc,. and for good reason. My sister got my family hooked on a raw cabbage salad which her in-laws in Yugoslavia make every day. I believe that has been a part of our winning health recipe. What does a cold have to do with our gut? When our bodies bark, there’s something larger at play.So what is your gut trying to tell you? Note: It may stretch (and most likely will) beyond your physical being into your spiritual being. Just sayin’!The energy of your life directly impacts and manifests in your physical self. Touch base with a few of these prompts:Relationships• Are you discerning with whom you spend your time?• Like a well-edited document, pick and choose to be around those who inspire you, uphold your dreams and empower you to keep reaching for the stars. Edit out the others.Career• For most of us, we spend the majority of our lives working – so to that point, ask yourself – do I love what I do?• If not, why not? Can you make a step in a new direction to open the door (even just a smidge) to possibility?Self-Care• Sleep + water + exercise + healthy food + play + downtime + some form of meditative protocol = happy you• How does the food you are eating make you feel? How do you feel in the places you shop? Is it all grab-and-go or green juice delight?• Catch yourself saying things like, I don’t have enough time to…(I’m sure you can finish this sentence). Rescript your self-limiting thinking and move towards things that fill you up.Whether or not you get the flu shot, or march in a prevention parade – none of it will add up if you don’t kick off your own self-care initiative and take care of the mothership. Streamline your whole self into the equation. Allow your gut to speak. If something, or someone, doesn’t feel right – choose something different.