It's fascinating but true—your body has two brains! The one you're most familiar with is in your head, but there's a second, equally important one in your gut. This "second brain" is a powerful communicator, sending more signals to your brain than your brain sends to the rest of your body. This connection between your gut and your brain is known as the gut-brain axis, and it plays a significant role in your mental and emotional well-being.
As a relationship, breakup, and divorce coach, I've seen firsthand how life’s emotional challenges can wreak havoc on gut health, which in turn can affect every aspect of your life—from your mood to your ability to cope with stress. When you nourish your gut, you also nourish your mind, keeping everything in balance. So, listen to your gut—it knows more than you might think!
My Journey: How Gut Health and Stress Are Linked
During a tumultuous period in my life, my gut was under siege. The overwhelming stress of going through a divorce and becoming a single mother left me with erratic eating habits—either I ate nothing at all, or I turned to foods that were far from gut-friendly. My mind was in overdrive, consumed with endless worries about my children, paying bills, and managing life on my own. The fear of being judged and sidelined by society weighed heavily on me.
This constant anxiety didn't just affect my mind; it took a toll on my body as well. I experienced lower back pain, my kidneys began to suffer, and I found myself frequently in and out of the hospital. My body was sending distress signals, but I was too overwhelmed to listen. The vagus nerve, which connects the brain and gut, was practically paralyzed, leaving my body in a constant state of fight or flight. This affected my gut the most—I lost the ability to feel happy or hungry. My weight plummeted to an unhealthy size six, and my body felt like it was on the brink of collapse.
Despite this, I forced myself to keep going for the sake of my children. Every day was a battle to get out of bed, prepare breakfast, pack lunches, drop them off at school, go to work, and pick them up afterward. I made sure they were well and happy, even when I felt like I was crumbling inside. I wanted to shut down, to escape the endless cycle of stress and exhaustion, but I knew that wasn’t an option.
The Turning Point: Healing My Gut, Healing My Life
In those moments of despair, I realised something crucial: my body needed balance, and it was up to me to restore it. Although I knew, the overwhelming stress had robbed me of the ability to make healthy choices for myself. Slowly, I began to change the way I treated my gut. I started nourishing it with the right foods and practicing mindfulness, and gradually, my mindset began to shift. My heart, once heavy with grief and anxiety, started to heal.
Holistic Healing at Wellness Tree: A Full-Circle Approach
This experience is why, at Wellness Tree, I don't just focus on talking, letting go, and listening to therapy. I offer a holistic approach to healing that encompasses every aspect of the self. I treat the gut, the physical body, the energy body, the spiritual body, and only then does the mental body come into alignment. As a wellness coach and relationship, breakup, and divorce coach, I understand that true healing is a full-circle process. It starts with taking care of the part of us that often holds the key to our overall well-being—our gut.
If you’re going through a difficult time and finding it hard to balance your emotions, remember that your gut health could be playing a bigger role than you think. At Wellness Tree, I’m here to support you on your journey to healing, helping you reconnect with your body and regain control of your life.
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