Experience Fewer Symptoms and Lower Stress Response
October is Mental Health Awareness Week in Aotearoa, a time to reflect on the small daily steps that can steady mood and wellbeing. This month’s focus in PAUSE is Awareness, and nowhere is awareness more important than in the way your gut and brain talk to each other. Scientists call this the gut–brain axis, a two-way communication line carried by the vagus nerve, immune messengers, hormones and the trillions of microbes that live in your gut.
Think of it as a busy switchboard. Messages from the gut line up like callers waiting to get through to the brain, while signals from the brain shape how the gut works in return. When stress or low mood crowd the lines, the switchboard can jam, leaving you with a tight tummy, altered bowel habits or unsettled sleep. Awareness practices act like a skilled operator, slowing things down and letting messages through more clearly.
You can also picture it as traffic on a motorway. Without lights and signs, traffic jams build up and frustration rises. Awareness is like the traffic system that keeps things flowing, preventing gridlock and helping messages move smoothly between gut and brain.
Developing this kind of inner awareness, known as interoception, helps people notice subtle changes in breath, heartbeat and fullness. Research shows that when interoceptive signals are tuned, people with IBS and other functional gut issues experience fewer symptoms and lower stress response.
Food Choices
Food choices can fine-tune this communication. Gut microbes ferment fibre into short chain fatty acids such as butyrate which nourish the intestinal lining and support calm signalling along the vagus nerve. You can support this by eating a wide variety of vegetables, legumes if tolerated, nuts, seeds and whole grains. A gentle prebiotic such as partially hydrolysed guar gum has been shown to reduce bloating in IBS and build a healthier microbial balance.
Omega-3 fats from sardines, salmon and mackerel provide another layer of support. These fats form part of anti-inflammatory signalling in the brain and have been linked to improved mood in those with inflammation. Aim for three to four servings of fatty fish spread through the week for the most benefit. See my recipe for a Mackerel and Black Lentil Power Bowl:
For those who do not eat fish, plant-based omega-3s from flaxseed, chia and walnuts can help. These foods contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which the body can convert into EPA and DHA, but the process is often inefficient with conversion rates in some studies as low as 5 to 10 percent for EPA and even lower for DHA. This means that while flaxseed is valuable, adding an algae-based oil supplement can provide a more reliable source of DHA and EPA for mood and gut–brain support.
Finally, breath is one of the simplest ways to rebalance the gut–brain axis. Slow nasal breathing with a longer exhale directly stimulates the vagus nerve, easing the stress response and supporting digestion. Even five minutes a day of a four-second inhale followed by a six-second exhale can begin to reset the switchboard and smooth the traffic.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, choose one meal a day to practise awareness. Sit quietly, breathe slowly, notice your body and then eat with presence. Add colourful plants for fibre, a portion of protein and healthy fats from fish or plant-based alternatives. Awareness builds the bridge between your plate and your mood, a gentle and sustainable way to support both gut health and mental wellbeing.
And remember, your liver works hand in hand with your gut to process and clear the by-products of digestion and stress. If the gut is the switchboard, the liver is like the filter that keeps the lines clean and the signals clear. Supporting both organs together creates the best foundation for energy, balance and flow. For those wanting deeper guidance, my Spring Reset programme is open until December and focuses on restoring both gut and liver health.
References:
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Breit, S., Kupferberg, A., Rogler, G., & Hasler, G. (2018). Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain–gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 44. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044
Brenna, J. T., Salem, N., Sinclair, A. J., & Cunnane, S. C. (2009). α-Linolenic acid supplementation and conversion to n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in humans. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 80(2–3), 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2009.01.004
Cryan, J. F., O’Riordan, K. J., Cowan, C. S. M., Sandhu, K. V., Bastiaanssen, T. F. S., Boehme, M., … Dinan, T. G. (2019). The microbiota–gut–brain axis. Physiological Reviews, 99(4), 1877–2013. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00018.2018
Karaivazoglou, K., Yiallouras, C., Karagiorga, V., … & Gourzis, P. (2024). Interoceptive processing in functional gastrointestinal disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1370501. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1370501
Mansuy-Aubert, V., Zhou, Q., & Rego, D. (2023). Short chain fatty acids: The messengers from down below. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1122814. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1122814
Niv, E., Halak, A., Tiommny, E., Yanai, H., Strul, H., & Naftali, T. (2016). Randomized clinical study: Partially hydrolyzed guar gum versus placebo in the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Nutrition & Metabolism, 13, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-016-0072-2
O’Riordan, K. J., Collins, S. M., Moloney, R. D., … & Cryan, J. F. (2022). Short chain fatty acids and the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 233, 108–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108020
Serefko, A., Szopa, A., Wlaź, A., Wlaź, P., Nowak, G., & Poleszak, E. (2024). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in depression. Nutrients, 16(8), 1356. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16081356
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