As we aspire for a healthier lifestyle, it is crucial to understand the importance of gut health. Many people don’t realise that gut health plays a huge role in our overall well-being. In this episode, we break down everything we need to know about gut health, and its important connection to our brain with Benedict Freudenmann from Learn to Nourish.

Meet Benedict Freudenmann

Benedict Freudenmann is a Clinical Nutritionist, whose passion for health and knowledge makes him an inspiring practitioner.

Benedict’s education in the world of Natural Medicine began in 2006 when he travelled the world alongside his parents, filming the documentary ‘Cancer is Curable Now’ (now known as ‘Truly Heal from Cancer’). Despite completing a Degree in Journalism, Benedict realised that his true passion lay in nutrition and alternative medicine.

Benedict completed a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in Nutritional Medicine. Since that time, Benedict has co-authored the ‘Truly Heal’ functional medicine workbook and online health coaching program, worked in a variety of health related roles and co-founded the Truly Heal Functional Medicine Practitioner Application.

In 2015, Benedict worked as a Clinical Nutritionist at the Arcadia Praxis, a world-leading alternative cancer clinic based in Bad Emstal Germany. Working closely with the team of doctors at Arcadia, Benedict found his strength in supporting and helping chronic disease patients on their healing journey.

Benedict’s methodology for treatment is fundamentally based on understanding, finding and resolving the underlying causation of chronic diseases. His systematic and analytical case-taking approach, combined with targeted functional testing, enables him to treat effectively and precisely, whilst empowering his clients to Truly Heal. 

To resolve the underlying causes of disease Benedict investigates 5 major factors affecting health:  Toxicity, Infection, Inflammation, Acidity, Deficiencies and Psychological. Benedict’s treatments incorporate dietary/lifestyle interventions as well as research-based supplementation and alternative therapies.

Through all this educational and professional experience, Benedict founded the clinic Learn to Nourish which is based in Ranelagh, Tasmania and which sees patients all around Australia.

In fact, Benedict is Jo’s practitioner and has helped Jo understand her gut health and overall health so much better, all while getting it back on track.  Benedict has fast become our go-to expert on all things gut health and everything in between!

What is gut health?

Gut health is crucial to a person’s overall wellness. If your gut isn’t functioning properly, then your body will not properly absorb essential nutrients, leading to dysfunction and disease in the body. Even in basic organisms, the first system that develops is the digestive system to absorb more food. The rest then follows.

So what does it mean to have good gut health? It’s about efficiently breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and excreting waste. It encapsulates everything from the mouth, to the anus.

What can impact gut health?

Gut health hinges on two major aspects: our body’s own digestive and absorption capabilities, and the function of our microbiome. The microbiome is comprised of bacteria, viruses, and yeast that live within us.

Gut health can be compromised by factors affecting our digestion, like nutrient deficiencies, the use of antacids impacting stomach acid, and various diseases, including diverticulitis and autoimmune disorders.

Also, the gut microbiome is sensitive to a myriad of influences. Antibiotics, environmental toxins, pesticides, preservatives, and even certain plant foods can disrupt this balance. Some elements may be beneficial, while others detrimental.

Think of it as a jungle, rich in diverse species. The key to a healthy ecosystem, whether it’s a rainforest or a desert, is diversity. This concept applies perfectly to our gut microbiome as well.

However, antibiotics kill organisms, which can reduce microbial diversity, making our gut more susceptible to pathogens. It’s like comparing a diverse jungle to a plantation forest. In a plantation, a single invader can wreak havoc, while in a jungle, there’s a natural balance and resilience.

Restoring the diversity of our gut microbiome, once it’s lost, is a slow and intricate process. It’s not just about regrowth; it’s about rebuilding the entire ecosystem’s strength and complexity. The good news is, we can test the health of our ecosytem through stool testing, specifically metabolomic stool testing, which costs around $500.

Getting yourself tested is a lot better than just guessing. I (Jo here), for one, am guilty of guessing, as I have had gut problems before. Despite my issues, I was drinking homemade kombucha and eating Greek yogurt because I know they are healthy and fermented, which meant they should be supporting my gut. But when I finally decided to get tested, it turned out, those things were actually doing me a lot more harm than good to my body.

The brain / gut connection

Our gut is surrounded with nerve fibres, which means the brain and gut are constantly communicating. It turns out, the gut is not just a passive system; it’s our second brain, thinking and operating independently, and relaying vital messages to the brain.

This dynamic only changes in a fight or flight situation, where the brain takes over and can shut down gut functions. When you go into a proper fight or flight response, your gut can lose up to 80% of its blood supply. Our capillaries in the arms and extremities narrow, reducing the risk of bleeding out if injured.

Simultaneously, the immune system gears up to fend off potential infections. However, in this state, our gut is deemed non-essential. The blood supply to the gut decreases, and vital secretions from the pancreas and liver stop, along with mucin production in the gut lining. This shift has a profound effect on our gut’s ecosystem.

This change can lead to a variety of reactions in our gut, from the overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria to a decrease in microbial diversity. The response is highly individualized, depending on the pre-existing state of one’s gut ecosystem, unique to everyone.

Managing stress

Now that we have established the connection between the gut and brain, it’s time we talk about how to manage stress and maintain a healthy gut.

Avoiding stress isn’t the key; it’s about modifying our response to it. This is where counseling, psychology, and a supportive community play crucial roles. One of the most effective technique is vagus nerve stimulation, a crucial nerve connecting the gut and the brain.

During stress, our gut shuts down, and it’s the vagus nerve that signals it to restart once the stress is over. However, if we’re constantly in a state of stress, our gut remains in this shutdown mode for too long. Stimulating the vagus nerve helps it to fire more quickly after stress, improving gut function.

To quickly stimulate the vagus nerve, one of the most effective techniques is splashing cold water on your face, taking a burst of cold water at the end of a shower, deep breathing, humming, singing, and gargling.

These techniques are not just about physical reactions; they train the body to recognize minor stresses as non-threatening, helping to maintain a balanced state and enhancing overall gut function.

Common symptoms of gut health problems

When it comes to direct gut-related issues, common symptoms are bloating, cramping, pain, irregular bowel movements including constipation or diarrhea, burping, and reflux.

But the impact of gut health doesn’t stop there. It extends to seemingly unrelated issues such as eczema, autoimmune conditions like psoriasis, Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and even fatigue.

Surprisingly, it can also affect recurring illnesses like flu, as well as blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being.

It is important to understand that there’s an aspect in the gut that could be making all of these symptoms worse or contributing to them, which ideally needs to be eliminated.

Conclusion

It’s clear that taking care of our gut health is a vital step towards better overall health. The secret to a healthier life lies within us, in the balance and care of our gut. From influencing our mental health to managing our body’s stress response, gut health is indeed foundational.

As we wrap up, it’s evident that gut health is more than just about digestion; it’s a critical component of our overall health and well-being. Benedict has provided invaluable insights into the complexities of our gut, revealing its connections to everything from mental health to the immune system.

This episode reminds us of the importance of a balanced gut microbiome and the profound impact it has on various aspects of our health. It’s a call to action for us to pay more attention to our gut health through mindful practices, diet, and stress management.

Learn to Nourish

If diving deeper into your own gut and overall health is something you want to explore, then we highly encourage you to see Benedict or his wife Ally at Learn to Nourish.

At the Learn to Nourish clinic they offer you the ability to delve deeper into your health and well-being than ever before, by fully investigating the cause of your disease.​

They do this by beginning with an extensive and comprehensive questionnaire to create a baseline to begin further questioning, investigations, as well as functional and pathological tests.

With their questionnaire, they don’t just look at how you’re feeling now but how your past has influenced your well-being. Beginning even before your conception, the actions, environment and well-being of your parents began moulding your future.  With this information they can form an understanding of how all this ties together, creating the person you are today.

They even offer a free 15 minute discovery phone consultation.

Head on over to Learn to Nourish to book in a consult.

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Much love,
Jo & Tracey x