Natural Healing Solutions

Stress‑Release Therapies for Gut Health and Digestive Healing

Have you ever heard someone say, “I had a gut feeling about that”? The reason this term exists is because we really do derive the majority of our feelings from our gut. There are three phases of digestion: the cephalic phase (head and mouth), the gastric phase (primarily in the stomach), and the intestinal phase (in the intestines). About 80% of digestion takes place in the stomach. When we eat animal protein, we digest it with enzymes such as pepsin and pepsinogen, and we need hydrochloric acid and zinc to break down and churn that food.

When the food leaves our stomach, it is very acidic. Secretions from the Crypts of Lieberkühn—cholecystokinin (CCK), mucus, and extracellular fluids, trigger bile production in the gallbladder and release of digestive enzymeslike protease from the pancreas and intestines. Bicarbonate juice from the pancreas then keeps the small intestine alkaline. Gastric Inhibitory Peptide (GIP) slows the stomach’s mechanical churning.

Proteins break down into amino acids, some of which convert into neurotransmitters such as bradykinins, endorphins, enkephalins, serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. These neurotransmitters help us experience, or reduce—pain; they influence mood, memory, and sleep. Approximately 98% of these neurotransmitters are metabolized in our gut, affecting both brain function and how we feel. Thus, it is accurate to say, “I have a gut feeling.”

There are more nerve connections in your gut than in your entire brain. In fact, there are ten times more microbial cellsin your gut than there are human cells in your body. The naturopathic profession is mainly focused on gut health. We’re thrilled to help you improve your mood, sleep, memory, pain, and emotional state by effectively enhancing your gut health with our diverse array of stress‑release and digestive‑support therapies.