Mental Well-Being

Autism and the Gut: What the Research Actually Shows (Part 1 of 2)

Part 1 of 2 · Part 2 covers FMT research and spotting exploitative claims The [gut-brain connection]([[Why Your Gut Affects Your Mood (Part 1 of 2)]]) has be...

Napping, Your Body Clock, and Your Gut

Napping has a mixed reputation. Some cultures build it into the day without a second thought, other health advice treats it as something to avoid. The resear...

Insomnia and Your Gut: What Recent Research Shows

Chronic insomnia affects a huge share of people, and while sleep hygiene advice has stayed pretty much the same for years, research into what's actually happ...

Gut Health and Addiction: The Microbiome's Role in Cravings and Recovery

The link between gut health and addictive behavior is a newer research area that challenges the idea that addiction is purely psychological. Addiction is gen...

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Your Gut

Related reading · Why your gut always seems worse in winter Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a recurring pattern of depression that worsens in autumn ...

Loneliness and Your Gut: The Overlooked Connection

Social connection is a biological need, not a luxury. This isn't new research. Social isolation causes measurable stress responses, more inflammation, weaker...

Trauma, PTSD, and Your Gut

The link between psychological trauma and gut health runs deeper than stress simply causing an upset stomach. Trauma, especially chronic or early-life trauma...

ADHD, Focus, and the Gut (Part 1 of 2)

Part 1 of 2 · Part 2 covers ADHD in kids specifically ADHD has traditionally been understood as a brain condition, a problem with dopamine signaling in the p...

Emotional Eating and Your Gut: What's Really Going On

Emotional eating, reaching for food when you're stressed, bored, [sad]([[Seasonal Affective Disorder and Your Gut]]), or anxious rather than actually hungry,...

Fermented Foods and Your Mental Health

The idea that eating [fermented foods]([[A Beginner's Guide to Fermented Foods]]) could improve your mental health might sound like a stretch. A growing, inc...

Burnout and Your Gut: What Exhaustion Does to Your Digestion

Related reading · Eating well when you're completely burned out Burnout is increasingly recognized as a genuine physical state, not a productivity problem or...

The Vagus Nerve: Your Body's Built-In Calm Switch

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body, running from your brainstem through your chest and into your belly and gut. It's the main physical line co...

Brain Fog: Why Your Gut Might Be the Cause

Brain fog, that fuzzy, slowed-down feeling, trouble concentrating, and difficulty finding words, is one of the most commonly reported and least acknowledged ...

A Week-by-Week Stress Plan for Your Gut (Part 2 of 2)

Part 2 of 2 · Part 1 covers how stress damages your gut Stress management advice is often generic. Building on the biology covered in Part 1, this turns it i...

Sleep, Mental Health, and Your Gut: How All Three Connect

Related reading · Sleep and gut health: the two-way street most people ignore Poor sleep, poor mental health, and a struggling gut tend to show up together. ...

Anxiety and Your Gut: Why Your Stomach Knows Before You Do

That feeling when your stomach tightens before you even consciously register you're anxious is the [gut-brain connection]([[Why Your Gut Affects Your Mood (P...

Can What You Eat Actually Improve Your Mood?

The idea that food affects mood isn't new. What's new is the solid research backing it up, showing the link between diet and mental health is more direct, mo...

Gut Health and Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions (Part 2 of 2)

Part 2 of 2 · Part 1 covers the everyday gut-mood connection Part 1 covered the [gut-brain connection]([[Why Your Gut Affects Your Mood (Part 1 of 2)]]) and ...

Eating Well When You're Completely Burned Out

Related reading · What exhaustion does to your digestion [Burnout]([[Burnout and Your Gut: What Exhaustion Does to Your Digestion]]) and gut health feed into...

How Stress Wrecks Your Gut (And What Actually Helps) (Part 1 of 2)

Part 1 of 2 · Part 2 lays out a full week-by-week plan Everyone knows stress causes stomach trouble, but the relationship runs far deeper than nervous butter...

Why Your Gut Affects Your Mood (Part 1 of 2)

Part 1 of 2 · Part 2 covers gut health and diagnosed mental health conditions That feeling when you're nervous and your stomach flips, or stress hits and you...