When we are happy, it is easier for the body to heal. When we are happy, it usually means we have enough serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter that can make us feel that we have wellbeing. We feel calm and peaceful. 90 percent of your body’s serotonin is made in the gut. However, the body can’t take the serotonin from the gut and give it to the brain because the serotonin is too large to bypass the blood brain barrier and get in.
The way our brain makes serotonin is by absorbing the building blocks and making it itself. The problem is that if there are any imbalances in the gut like constipation, diarrhea, stomach aches, bloating, gas, imbalance gut flora, poor diet, alcohol, NSAIDS, then the building blocks get used up by the gut and there are not enough building blocks to share with the brain. When there are not enough building blocks then the levels of serotonin will be low. Anxiety, insomnia, depression, irritability, worry, sugar cravings, difficulty losing weight and others can all be symptoms of low serotonin; then the vicious cycle can start. When our serotonin is low, we tend to look at the world around us as a more stressful place and we have more stressful reactions to our world. The more stress we have, the more serotonin we use up to deal with that stress. That stress then in turn causes more inflammation in the gut which then needs more serotonin. Doing things that makes you happy, encouraging words, deep breathing, affirmations, breathing in love… are all things that you can do in this moment to increase your serotonin and start healing your body.
