Episode 54: The one about the gut brain connection ft. Dr. Heather Finley

“The more variety that you have in your food intake, the more variety of gut bugs you have because they all prefer different fuel sources. So if you are eating the same things every day, you are going to have a limited amount of diversity in your gut. Overtime, you can build this diversity by building diversity on your plate.” - Dr. Heather Finley, MS, RD

In this week’s episode Hannah and Ali talk all things the gut brain connection. They are joined by gut health specialist and Registered Dietitian Dr. Heather Finley. Now we know dietitians love to talk about poop but when it comes to the complicated relationship between emotions and digestive symptoms, Hannah and Ali knew they needed to bring in an expert. Heather has made a career of helping individuals understand their symptoms and eat in a way that feels good while preventing their symptoms from coming back so she was the perfect person to answer your questions on the gut:

• Is it true that IBS is all in my head?

• How do I increase my intake to support recovery from restrictive eating when variety causes pain and discomfort?

• Is it okay to just keep eating the foods that make my gut feel okay, or do I just suck it up and accept I’ll be in pain?

• What is the difference between leaky gut, SIBO and IBS?

• What foods do I need to avoid, and is there also a connection between leaky gut and mental health?

• What is Migrating Motor Complex and how do I manage recommendations to eat less frequently with blood sugar control?

The acronyms alone related to gut health are enough to leave you confused and unsure how to proceed let alone trying to navigate through all the noise diet culture adds into the mix. Heather, Hannah and Ali are here to help you understand your gut and its connection with your brain while giving you clear steps to improve your relationship with food, digestion and your poop!