The Gut Speaks

I get no respect.

— Rodney Dangerfield

Greetings. I am your gut. The funny thing about me is that you don't give me a thought unless you're having a problem of some sort. Say, you're bloated and you can't zip up your favorite jeans. Or you feel nauseous after you eat ice cream, or pizza, or broccoli, or practically anything else. Or you are sitting ... and sitting ... and sitting on the toilet and nothing is happening the way it's supposed to, or, on the flip side, you can't stop what's happening.

I, the gut, have become the root of lots of misery and discomfort for you. If only you could understand me and my language, you would know that I am your closest, most intuitive, wisest, and pretty much all-knowing friend.

I know how you have been living your life and what you need, desire, and feel. I know if you've been eating more potato chips than carrots and drinking more coffee than water. I know what stresses you out and what relaxes and soothes you. I know which people you should get close to and which people from whom you should run away (fast!). The problem is that you don't listen to me.

Somewhere along the way you got disconnected from the vital, sacred, wise part of you: me — your gut, your belly, your inner source of wisdom. Maybe your mother, father, or teacher told you too many times how you "should" or "shouldn't" feel. Maybe someone said that big girls and boys don't cry, don't scream, don't mourn. Maybe you learned a long time ago that our fast-paced society rewards people who talk about what they think, not about what they feel. Maybe you're too busy trying to squeeze 12 hours into eight to pay attention to me and give me what I need instead of stuffing me with fast food and alcohol.

But that's exactly why I've been calling to you. When I feel abandoned by you, I can become a pain. Literally. I might show up as bloat, gas, backaches, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, anxiety, or depression. And if you still don't acknowledge me, I can speak loudly with diverticulitis, ulcerations, even cancer. Every thought and emotion has an affect on me. I get upset when you worry or get angry. I remember old hurts and painful physical and emotional experiences. I take in information even when your intellect doesn't notice.

You unconsciously shut me off when you take a shallow breath, eat poorly, or pop a pill in order not to feel certain emotions or physical discomforts. I nourish every inch of you. I try to guide you with all kinds of sensations. You try to flatten me with sit-ups, girdles, and tight belts. You say mean things: "This bloat is terrible, this bellyache is awful. Make it go away!"

Listen, I'm not bad. I'm just trying to get your attention. These painful signals I'm sending are good and life-promoting. I am working hard to regulate your well-being. The pain and discomfort are warnings, giving you a wake-up call so that you will stop and inquire, "What is really going on?" I want to be heard! I may need a change in diet. I may be telling you to stop and smell the roses ... or the daisies ... or the wheat grass. I may be telling you that it's time for you to start expressing those feelings that are eating both of us up. My voice may also be inviting you to address and heal those terrible hurts you have suffered, which you struggle to repress, which still run your life.

Some changes are simple ones; others may require much more courage, prayer, time, and love.

I am your friend, longing to reconnect with you.

— Your Gut

Have you ever noticed that you do not consciously control your digestion? Do you remember having butterflies in your stomach when you fell in love and intestinal cramps when you fell out of it? Ever follow a "gut feeling" about a situation and you were right on the mark? All these are functions of your gut-brain or enteric nervous system.

Yes, you have two brains! One is located in your skull and the other in your gut in the lining of your gastrointestinal system. Both brains originated during fetal development from tissues called the neural crest. One section turned into your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and the other developed into your enteric nervous system or second brain in your gut. These two brains are connected by a few thousand nerve fibers called the vagus nerve, with most of the nerve fibers coming up from the gut to the brain, so they can relay messages back and forth to each other.

Dr. Michael Gershon, researcher and author of The Second Brain, states, "nearly every substance that helps run the brain has turned up in the gut." The gut-brain has its very own supply of neurons, neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides, just as your cerebral brain does, which means that it can send and receive messages in the same way. The intriguing thing about the gut-brain is that it can operate on its own — like a free spirit, if you will — without any input from your other brain; it coordinates the process of digesting and eliminating food and absorbing nutrients without conscious thought. However, our two brains often act codependently. When one brain gets upset, so does the other. When your cerebral brain experiences stress, such as getting fired from your job or having an argument with your significant other, your gut may respond with cramping, nausea, or a bout of diarrhea.

Your gut-brain can also upset your other brain. Gut discomforts in the form of constipation, cramping, and irritable bowel syndrome can affect your cerebral brain by sending up messages of pain, altering your moods and your behavior.

Lines of Communication

There are several lines of communication that allow conversation between the cerebral brain and gut: the central nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, the enteric system, hormones called neuropeptides, and the energy systems.

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system — which consists of the brain and spinal cord — coordinates voluntary movement, translating your thoughts into electrical impulses that fire in your muscles. The central nervous system directs the muscles that help you pick up a fork, go for a walk, talk to someone, or perform any deliberate action. Your central nervous system also responds to your gut via impulses fired along the vagus nerve that connect cerebral brain to the gut-brain.

Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system has two different types of nerves that perform different actions in the body: one that revs us...