"Trust Your Gut!", "Go With Your Gut!", "Listen To You Gut." Have you ever used any of these phrases before?

You likely have experienced something called, your "gut instinct" or what can also be referred to as your intuition.

Have you ever wondered why these phrases are? It's because your gut is the "second brain" of your body.

For years, researchers have studied what causes our moods to change and what causes problems that most of us face like stress, anxiety, and even depression. These are common problems, and we know that they are linked to serotonin. 

Serotonin is a hormone that is responsible for your mood.

But did you know that almost all the serotonin that is in your body is formulated in your gut? Serotonin is primarily manufactured and found in the gastrointestinal tract. 

So if we connect the dots, we can see that what you eat and fill your belly with is directly related to your emotional health. 

Your gut consists of bacteria. And you need that bacteria to have a healthy balance or the rest of you will not be balanced including your mood. Your gut and your brain work together, so if one is out of balance the other will be also. 

Have you ever had an upset stomach because your mind was stressed? Well, think about it, if it works one way it works both ways. 

There have been many scientific studies that have linked mood problems to gut problems and vice versa. 

Is your gut balanced with 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria? That is the recipe for a healthy gut and a healthy mood. 

The best way to make sure your body has healthy bacteria for your gut is to feed your gut healthy bacteria. Some symptoms of an unhealthy gut include gas, bloating, nausea and sugar cravings. Those are the obvious symptoms, But some not-so-obvious symptoms are acne, psoriasis, migraines and more. 

One way to make sure that your gut is getting the healthy nourishment it needs is through probiotics. You've probably seen commercials on television advertising probiotics in a pill form. But did you know that you can also get them right through the foods that you eat? Some excellent sources of probiotics include kefir and fermented or cultured foods and beverages like sauerkraut and kim chee.