As a result, we reinforce a behavioral pattern in our brains that says, “You need to eat this to help you feel better.” When we do this, it reduces or blunts the stress activation system, which does actually make us feel better in the moment. In other words, we use yummy, addictive foods to self-regulate our stress-activation system, which involves the adrenal glands and the stress hormone cortisol. And that’s just the beginning of the story. In response to all this, the body increases the amount of insulin it releases to try to keep us balanced. But, ironically, insulin also makes us hungry, and the food we eat is more likely to be stored as fat when we have higher insulin levels. As you can imagine, this creates a vicious cycle: When we have spikes in insulin as a result of eating high-sugar foods, our hunger drive can be stronger and our cravings also get stronger. And if what you eat is stored primarily as fat (from higher insulin levels), in between meals you may develop cravings and hunger because the fat cells won’t let go of the energy stores as readily as other cells in your body, so you’ll want to eat again to feel better. The cycle goes on and on and on. Poor dietary choices and chronic stress are definitely risk factors for blood sugar imbalance. These are also risk factors for an imbalance in the gut microbiome. This is where the root cause of many chronic diseases comes from, including anxiety and depression3. In fact, a recent study showed that there was a particular pattern of imbalance in the gut microbiome in those people who had generalized anxiety disorder3. Remember: Our hormones, cravings, brain function, and digestion are all closely connected to one another. If you make some simple changes in your lifestyle, you will find that everything starts working together in harmony. Ready to learn more about how you can keep your brain healthy, no matter your age? Register now for our FREE Functional Nutrition Webinar with Dr. Mark Hyman, where you’ll learn how to make diet and lifestyle modifications right now for better brain health! Singh is currently the Director of Integrative Gastroenterology at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute at UC Irvine. He is also currently a voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSD in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health; prior to this, he has been a Clinical Assistant Professor at UCLA and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Singh is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and many other societies. He is actively involved in the American Gastroenterological Association. He is one of the editors of the textbook of Integrative Gastroenterology, 2nd edition (a Weil Series text) and has written several book chapters and articles. He is dedicated to guiding his clients toward optimal wellness every step of the way, using the most cutting edge technologies to design highly personalized precision based protocols. Towards this end, he founded Precisione Clinic and wrote the book Rescue Your Health to bring the best in preventive medicine to his clients.
