Tag: digestive disorders

constipation, crohn's disease, digestive disorders, IBS, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, mindful eating,

Why you are NOT just what you eat . . .

In Psychology and Wellness

“You are what you eat.” It’s an old adage in many cultures throughout the world. However, it should really be you are what your body does with what you eat. Many people experience digestive problems because of what and HOW they eat. One of the simplest things you can do to increase your health is to slow down and appreciate the food that you are eating.

Digestion actually begins in your mind and then proceeds to your mouth, where contact with your teeth and digestive enzymes in saliva break down your food.  The cephalic (i.e., literally from the head) phase of digestion accounts for nearly 30% of your gastric acid secretions, which further cleaves your food into easily digestible parts.  The mere sight, smells, sounds and anticipation of the food that you eat triggers this response.

If you’re like most people, however, you rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what you’re putting into your mouth and eat mindlessly.  You eat while distracted—working, reading, talking and watching television—and swallow your food practically whole without conscious awareness.  If you’re like the average person,  you chew each bite only eight times.  With all of these external pressures and distractions, it’s no wonder that as many as 70 million Americans experience a digestive problem like IBS, Crohn’s disease, GERD,  constipation, or abdominal pain.

Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that you can take to improve your digestion and restore your well-being.   Experiment with the following guidelines when you eat and notice how you feel afterward.

  • Give Yourself Plenty of Time. Before you begin to eat your meal, give thanks and express appreciation for the abundance in your life.  By expressing gratitude, you also develop patience and self-control.  Work your way up to 20 minutes to complete your meal. Slowing down promotes a state of relaxation and will greatly enhance your digestion.
  • Chew Your Food Thoroughly. Begin by chewing each bite of food 20 times.  As you chew, savor the food and enjoy the different tastes in your mouth.  By chewing more, you enhance your body’s assimilation and absorption of food.  The smaller food particles also prevent unwanted microbes from fermenting the food that can lead to gas, bloating and indigestion.
  • Practice Mindful Eating: Notice the colors, shapes, and smells of the food.   As you chew, notice the sounds of the food and the chomping of your teeth the chewing produces.  Notice the feel and texture of the food.  Notice the taste.   Be aware of the moment and intention to swallow the food.  Be aware of the expansion and contraction of your chest/abdomen as you breath and chew your food.
  • Create A Sacred Space. Set the intention of nourishing your body, mind and soul each time that you eat rather than simple “grabbing a quick bite.”  Play some relaxing music and/or use your best dishware.  Light a soft candle.  Turn your T.V. off.  Imagine that you are serving your meal to a welcomed guest.  Any distraction like the sound of your phone, email notification from your laptop or smart phone can wait.

As you begin to practice eating this way, you may experience discomfort from the silence or the thoughts that are racing through your mind.  Take the opportunity instead to know yourself and practice patience, compassion and kindness.  Doing so will not only improve your health and well-being, but may also lead you to discover new aspects of yourself that were previously hidden by all the distractions.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist,  holistic health coach and personal trainer can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a  consultation.

anxiety disorders, depression, digestive disorders, enteric nervous system, gut microbiome, gut dysbiosis, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, prebiotics, probiotics,

What are you feeding your “pets”?

In Psychology and Wellness

Many health conditions and psychological symptoms originate in your gut.  Around the world, millions of people believe that you are what you eat.  A more accurate description; however, would be you are what your “pets”eat.  Consider that you are, in fact, only 10% human as your microbiome (both in your gut, oral cavity, nasal passages, ear canals, and on your skin) is home to trillions of microorganisms (collectively known as your microbiome), each with its own DNA.  The collective mass of microorganisms in your gut outnumber the total number of cells in your body by at least 10 to 1.  Your microbiome weighs on average of 3-6 pounds.  These microorganisms include bacteria, yeast, fungi, protozoa, mold and parasites. The balance of these little “pets” goes a long way in determining your health.

Your gut is also where your enteric nervous system, or “second brain,” resides and is home to an abundance of neurons and produces an array of neurotransmitters.  Although capable of functioning independently, your enteric nervous system and central nervous system “talk” (i.e., via the vagus nerve) to one another all the time.  In fact, about 90% of your body’s serotonin (a feel good neurotransmitter) and 50% of your dopamine is produced in your enteric nervous system by your gut microbiome.1

People who experience various digestive disorders and psychological syndromes including food allergies and intolerances, frequent gas and bloating, diarrhea and constipation, symptoms of anxiety or depression, schizophrenia and ADHD or who suffer from auto immune conditions frequently have an imbalance of gut microorganisms; a condition known as gut dysbiosis.2,3,4

Several lifestyle factors affect how your gut functions and the health of your gut microbiome.  The SAD (standard American diet) western diet  that is full of refined sugars and processed foods, environmental xenoestrogens, stress, insufficient sleep, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics , toxic heavy metals, and birth control pills negatively impact the health of the friendly probiotic bacteria in your gut.

Animal studies have found that the administration of antibiotics leads to a significant increase in fearful behavior.  Conversely, the addition of probiotic supplements has been found to decrease such anxious behavior.5 Human studies have also found that the administration of beneficial probiotic supplements significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.3

Therefore, it is important to make sure that you include probiotic rich fermented foods and prebiotic sources of food in your diet in order to ensure optimal health and prevent many physical and mental health problems.6  Traditionally fermented foods, like sauerkraut, kim chi, drinks like kefir and kvass are all rich sources of friendly bacteria and yeast and help to support your immune system because they contain many B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria and cancer cells.

Prebiotic foods  are foods that encourage the growth of beneficial  gut microorganisms and include raw onions, raw garlic, leeks, dandelion root, Jerusalem artichokes,  asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and fiber rich seeds like hemp, flax and chia seeds.  Once these prebiotics reach your colon, they stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria – probiotics that occur naturally in the human gastrointestinal tract – and other beneficial microorganisms. They also increase the absorption of calcium in your bones and teeth.

In order to support your overall health and well-being, strive to eat multiple servings of probiotic and prebiotic rich foods every week.  You may also benefit from a quality probiotic supplement.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a clinical psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a consultation.

  1.  Michael Gershon (1999).  The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understandingof Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine.
  2.  Messaoudi, M, Lalonde, R, Violle, N,  Javelot, H, Desor, D, Nejdi, A,  et al.  “Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in rats and human subjects.”  (2011). British Journal of Nutrition. 105, 755–764.
  3. Neufeld, KA and Foster, JA.   “Effects of gut microbiota on the brain: Implications for psychiatry.”  (2009).   Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. 34(3); 230-1.
  4. Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D. (2010).  Gut and PsychologySyndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D.,Depression, Schizophrenia.
  5. Bravo, JA, Forsythe, P, Chew, MV, Escaravage, E,  Savignac, HM, Dinan, TG, et al.  “Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve.” (2011). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108, 16050–16055.
  6.  Jeff D Leach. (2012) Honor Thy Symbionts.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, dopamine, enteric nervous system; gut microbiome, gut dysbiosis, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, probiotics, serotonin, vagus nerve,

What’s inside your gut may be the reason for your poor health . . .

In Psychology and Wellness

Many health conditions and psychological symptoms originate in your gut.  Your enteric nervous system, or “second brain,” is home to an abundance of neurons and produces an array of neurotransmitters. It is also where trillions of microorganisms (collectively known as your gut microbiome) reside.  You are, in fact, only 10% human as each of these microorganisms has its own DNA and they outnumber the total number of cells in your body by at least 10.  Your microbiome weighs an average of 3-6 pounds.  These tiny microorganisms include bacteria, yeast, fungi, mold and parasites and they play an enormous role  in determining your health.

While capable of functioning independently, your enteric nervous system and central nervous system “speak”(i.e., via the vagus nerve)  to one another all the time.  In fact, about 90% of your body’s serotonin (a feel good neurotransmitter) and 50% of your dopamine is produced in your enteric nervous system by your gut microbiome.

People who experience various digestive disorders and psychological syndromes including food allergies and intolerances, frequent gas and bloating, diarrhea and constipation, symptoms of anxiety or depression, schizophrenia and ADHD or who suffer from auto immune conditions frequently  have an imbalance of gut microorganisms; a condition known as gut dysbiosis.1,2,3

Many lifestyle factors affect how your gut functions and the health of your gut microbiome.  The standard American diet that is full of refined sugars and processed foods, stress, “dirty” electricity (i.e., nEMFs), poor quality and insufficient sleep, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotic medications and birth control pills negatively impact the health of the friendly probiotic bacteria in your gut.4

Animal studies have found that the administration of antibiotics leads to a significant increase in fearful behavior.  Conversely, the addition of probiotic supplements has been found to decrease such anxious behavior.5 Human studies have also found that the administration of beneficial probiotic supplements significantly reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.2

An important principle to adopt to ensure optimal health and prevent many physical and mental health problems is to make sure that you include probiotic rich fermented foods in your diet.  Traditionally fermented foods, like sauerkraut and kim chi, are rich sources of friendly bacteria and yeast and help to support your immune system because they contain many B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria and cancer cells.   Aim to eat multiple servings of probiotic rich fermented foods every week to support your overall health and well-being.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

  1. Messaoudi, M, Lalonde, R, Violle, N,  Javelot, H, Desor, D, Nejdi, A,  et al.  “Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in rats and human subjects.”  (2011). British Journal of Nutrition. 105, 755–764.
  2. Neufeld, KA and Foster, JA.   “Effects of gut microbiota on the brain: Implications for psychiatry.”  (2009).   Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. 34(3); 230-1.
  3. Natasha Campbell-McBride, M.D. (2010).  Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia.
  4. Inhan-Garip A1, Aksu B, Akan Z, Akakin D, Ozaydin AN, San T.  Effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on growth rate and morphology of bacteria.  International Journal of Radiation Biology.
  5. Bravo, JA, Forsythe, P, Chew, MV, Escaravage, E,  Savignac, HM, Dinan, TG, et al.  “Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve.” (2011). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108, 16050–16055.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

diabetes, digestive disorders, metabolic syndrome, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, obesity, sugar cravings,

How to nourish your body and cut your cravings for sugar . . .

In Psychology and Wellness

If you’re like many people this time of the year, you are anticipating the beginning of the fall and holiday season.  Whether you are a kid at heart  and look forward to celebrating Halloween or spending time with your friends and family for Thanksgiving, you can have fun, celebrate the love in your life and boost your immune system to avoid getting the flu or feeling run down by adopting simple guidelines in the foods that you choose to eat most of the time and HOW you eat.

Sugar in soda, lollipops, cakes, ice cream and other processed foods replace the calories and nutrients you could get from eating more nutrient-dense and mineral-rich real foods.   When you consume sugar, you deplete your body of essential vitamins and minerals.  As an example, your body needs 54 molecules of magnesium to be able to process every molecule of sugar you eat.  Sugar is such a problem that it is now recognized by most health experts, that sugar and not fat is the leading cause of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease and several digestive disorders. The sugar industry , in fact, has shifted the blame on fat for causing several health problems erroneously for decades.

Eating real, nutrient dense  foods is simple and the most effective way to nourish your body, avoid having cravings for sugar  and reverse numerous health problems like diabetes and heart disease. When investing in the foods that you prepare and eat at home most of the time (i.e., 80% of meals that you cook), strive to eat a variety of real, unprocessed, whole foods.

Real Whole Foods

  • Grass fed, pasture raised meats, poultry and wild caught seafood all are great sources of essential fatty acids and many of the minerals and fat soluble vitamins, like vitamins A, E, D and K2 that regenerate your cells, help you to build your brain,  stabilize your blood sugar levels and support your immune system.
  • Organic dark, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and berries like kale, bok choy, mustard greens, collard greens, Brazil nuts,  pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, as well as tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin,  strawberries, raspberries and blue berries provide many nutrients like magnesium, potassium, selenium, fiber and folate that are essential for your body.
  • Cultured and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kim chi, apple cider vinegar,  miso, chutney and kefir are all great foods rich in beneficial bacteria and yeast that support and enhance your immune system, digestive health and help you to reduce your craving for sugar.

When you are invited or go out to celebrate and enjoy a holiday party, you’ll also want to use the following suggestions to help you slow down and enjoy your experience.  Before attending a celebration or going out, make sure that you are fully hydrated and fully nourished.  It’s inevitable that whether you’re attending your friend’s Halloween party or partaking in a holiday meal with family, there will be several opportunities to overindulge if you do not remember WHY you are celebrating and have not nourished your body with real, unprocessed, whole foods that provide your body with the nutrients that you need.

When you are present and enjoying the company of the people and festivities of the celebration, focus on the people who you love to spend time with, love and “make contact” with your experiences (i.e., get out of your mind so that you notice the sounds, colors, smells and tactile sensations as you greet, hug, dance and listen to music, talk to your friends and family using your 5 senses). If you choose to eat, allow yourself to relax and savor every bite that you ingest.  Notice the colors, shapes, aromas or smells of the food, notice the sounds and texture of each morsel as you chew your food mindfully.  Chew your food slowly to allow the salivary enzymes in your mouth to coat the food that you are eating and embody your eating experience so that you can observe and allow your body to signal when you are satiated (i.e, you want to chew each bite of food at least 20 times to enhance your digestion and have your stomach produce sufficient stomach acid).

While your cravings for sugar may be challenging, it may simply be an indication that you are wanting a deeper connection with people or fear of being judged.  Many times your challenges around food are your body’s innate wisdom speaking to you.  Perhaps, you need to venture out, socialize more frequently  and love yourself first.  By nourishing your body with nutrient rich foods and changing HOW you eat, your craving for sugar will diminish.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

crohn's disease, digestive disorders, IBS, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, mindful eating, parasympathetic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system,

Why you may be sorely deficient in this essential nutrient.

In Psychology and Wellness

You may think of food as a source of vitamins, minerals, and macro nutrients like protein, fat, and the dreaded word carbohydrates.  You may also view food as a reason to celebrate, spend time with your loved ones, or as reward for a job well done.  While all these facts are a part of food and why you eat, there is much more to your eating experience that has everything to do with your health.

If you are like many people who struggle with a digestive disorder (e.g., IBS, ulcerative colitis, GERD, crohn’s disease), it very likely that you are severely deficient in one essential nutrient – vitamin A.  I am not referring to the fat soluble vitamin that you find in many healthy foods (e.g., carrots, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, liver), but to how it is that you eat.  I’m talking about eating mindfully with Awareness.

Simply slowing down, consciously paying attention and savoring your food instead of eating while distracted (e.g., lunch at your desk, watching T.V., using your smart phone), while breathing deeply and relaxing when you eat will help you to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.

When you trigger your parasympathetic nervous system, a cascade of many important and restorative functions in your digestion begin to work optimally. Your parasympathetic nervous system stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid (HCL) in your stomach, digestive enzymes from your pancreas, and the release of bile from your gall bladder.  Simply relaxing and taking your time when you eat (i.e., 20 to 30 minutes) will enhance the absorption of the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals from your food in the micro villi of your small intestine.

Eating in a hurry while you multitask conversely activates your sympathetic nervous system and inhibits this digestive cascade.  It will also stimulates the release of the glucose that is stored in your liver and muscle tissue and may lead to the excess production of cortisol.  So the next time that you eat, set an intention to honor your food, appreciate how your food was produced and learn to slow down.  Your body will thank you many times for this simple gesture.

 

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.