Emotional health: Nurturing gut and heart this month
Emotional health affects both gut and heart health. This month, learn to manage your emotions to improve your overall well-being.
February often marks a time filled with heightened emotions and expectations, as the world around us embraces themes of affection and connection. Yet for many individuals, this season brings increased emotional stress, comparisons, loneliness, and relationship pressures. What most people don’t realise is that emotional stress doesn’t stay confined to the mind; it travels through the body, impacting both the gut and the heart.
What happens to your body when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious?
“When we feel stressed, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed, the body shifts into a survival mode, which I often call the Red Mind (the stress alert state)”, Surgical Oncologist and Gut Health Specialist Dr Arpit Bansal tells Health Shots. In this state, digestion slows, blood flow is diverted away from the gut, and the balance of beneficial bacteria in the intestines is disrupted. This can lead to acidity, bloating, IBS-like symptoms, poor digestion, inflammation, and low energy.
Does emotional stress affect the heart?
Heart health is equally sensitive to emotional stress. In Red Mind, stress hormones increase heart rate and blood pressure, making the heart work harder than necessary. “One important marker of this is Heart Rate Variability (HRV), a sign of how well the heart adapts to life’s demands,” shares the doctor. Emotional stress lowers HRV, indicating reduced resilience and increased cardiovascular strain.
What is the connection between the heart and the gut?
The gut and heart health are connected through a powerful calming pathway called the vagus nerve. When we move into a calm, safe, emotionally balanced state, the Blue Mind, this nerve activates healing. “Digestion improves, inflammation reduces, and the heart health regains flexibility and rhythm”, says the expert. Simply put, true love, connection, and emotional safety happen in the Blue Mind, not the Red Mind.
How do I regulate my emotions?
The solution is not to ignore emotions, but to regulate them. “Slow breathing, mindful eating, regular movement, good sleep, time in nature or near water, and nourishing gut health can gently shift the body from stress to healing”, says Dr Bansal.
What does self-love do for you?
“This month, self-love and emotional regulation matter as much as romance. A calm mind supports a healthy gut, a resilient heart, and a longer, healthier life,” shares the gut health specialist.
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