Awaken Your Path: A Journey Through Spiritual Healing & Plant-Based Living
Brain-Gut Health
The connection between our gut and brain - often called the gut-brain axis - is a fascinating reminder of how interconnected our bodies truly are. The gut has its own nervous system, sometimes called a “second brain,” which communicates constantly with the central nervous system. Think of it like a two-way phone line: the brain can signal the gut to digest food or relax, while the gut can send signals back, influencing mood, stress levels, immune function, digestion, and even mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD. These are primarily transported via the Vagus Nerve. Millions of neurons, nerves, neurotransmitters, and chemical messengers work together in this ongoing dialogue.
The trillions of microorganisms that make up our gut microbiome play a central role in this communication. They produce compounds that influence brain activity, digestion, skin health, allergies, and overall wellbeing. I’ve personally learned how transformative it can be to support the gut through prebiotic and probiotic foods - these nourish the “good” bacteria and can help heal conditions like leaky gut, with ripple effects on mood, cognitive clarity, and digestion. Remarkably, research shows that even adopting a fiber-rich plant-based diet later in life - like I did a couple of years prior to age 60 - can potentially extend lifespan by eight years.
Certain nutrients and supplements can further support gut-brain health. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that helps repair the gut lining, while vitamins A and D and zinc also contribute to gut restoration - always under guidance from a knowledgeable naturopathic or medical professional. Omega-3 fatty acids, from chia, flax seeds, or wild-caught salmon, support both the gut and brain. Herbal supplements like ginkgo biloba and bacopa monnieri may offer additional cognitive and digestive support when used thoughtfully. (I still take gut health fiber supplement SunFiber daily.)
Energy and mitochondrial function are closely tied to gut and brain health. Cordyceps (a medicinal fungus), Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and Maca root can help support cellular energy production. To balance mood and support adrenal health, staying well-hydrated, getting quality sleep, reducing sugar, and ensuring adequate intake of vitamins C and B5 can make a real difference. Compounds like adenosyl-B12, lipoic acid, magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium, turmeric, and licorice root can help strengthen mitochondria and overall cellular function - again, best used with professional guidance.
On a more personal note, working on my gut health turned out to be an important step in my overall healing. I had been eating a plant-based, healthy diet for quite a while, but something still felt off. With the support of my naturopathic doctor, I took a comprehensive gut health test (I took the lab-administered Gut Zoomer test by Vibrant Wellness which revealed gut issues.) which helped uncover an overgrowth of microbes, including candida, that I hadn't been aware of.
With some guidance, I began incorporating specific prebiotic and probiotic foods and supplements. Over time, I started noticing gradual improvements, not just in digestion, but also in certain blood markers related to inflammation and thyroid function. It was eye-opening to realize that even with good habits in place, my body wasn’t absorbing nutrients the way it needed to. That experience reminded me how complex and interconnected our systems are, and how sometimes, getting curious and looking a bit deeper can help shift things in a meaningful way.
This CNN article from 2025 illustrates other gut-brain health food connections: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/27/health/food-brain-health-mood-gupta-wellness
And this article from August 2025 explains why cognitively super healthy elderly brains function differently than even healthy younger brains.