Karen Jones knows her sh*t: How our gut health is connected to our mental health.

Welcome to series 1: “Self care” was one of the most searched phrases on Google last year, along with “how to make a face mask” and “when are schools reopening?”

I start the series with this fact-packed, myth-busting episode on nutrition, featuring our mysterious, yet vitally important microbiome, our hormones, our vagus nerve and the weird but inspiring science of FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation)

Karen Jones (www.karenjonesnutrition.com) and I delve into the links between our gut health and our brains and how our mood can be impacted by the foods we eat. If you meditate to lower stress — or as a respite for illness or as a means to balance your nervous system and improve immunity, consider how improving your nutritional health might compliment that.

This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the mind-body connection. It’s too easy to compartmentalise ourselves and forget how much the mind and the gut are connected. Karen takes a holistic approach to the microbiome as we discuss how everything we do — from sleeping, exercising, being outdoors and eating is interwoven. Listen out for Karen’s 5 life hacks that you can do today to improve your gut (and brain!) health.

LINKS:

FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation) - what is it? https://www.openbiome.org/about-fmt
Taymount Clinic - https://taymount.com
Study - Ridaura et al 2013 Gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate metabolism in mice. Science. Sep 6;341(6150):1241214 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24009397/
How the gut bacteria are the boss of your hormones - https://hormonesbalance.com/articles/how-the-gut-bacteria-impact-your-hormones/
Tim Spector - https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/professor-tim-spector
Crapsules - https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/creating-crapsules-is-faeces-in-a-pill-the-cure-for-our-ills-20180319-p4z53z.html
Vagus Nerve and Microbiome - Christine Fülling et al 2019 “Gut Microbe to Brain Signaling: What Happens in Vagus…,” Neuron, Volume 101, Issue 6, 2019, Pages 998-1002, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30897366/

GUEST:

Karen Jones is a Registered Nutritional Therapist practising in London and specialising in gut health. After completing her diploma at CNM in 2018, she studied the research on the microbiome in a study group under the guidance of Adam Greer (senior lecturer at CNM) for nine months. Karen has also completed a degree in Ayurvedic studies, which included working in a clinic in India. Karen also provides practitioner support for Microbiome Labs UK and is helping to compile a database of evidence for natural therapies with the British Society of Ecological Medicine (BSEM).

Karen Jones BSc, BA, DipCNM, CNHC, mBANT.

@karenjonesnutrition

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