Once considered as two completely independent and separate systems, current research has proved that not only the brain and digestive system work closely together, but also imbalances and deficiencies in one can majorly affect the other. What exactly does this connection look like? ​

The first way these two organs communicate with each other is through small cells called neurons that carry commands to and from the brain and other parts of your body. There are 500 million neurons found in your gut alone, so this already tells you that your gut is more than just a place where all the food and drinks you consume will end up. The vagus nerve has a huge role in the Gut-Brain Axis, and stress can affect the signals sent by this nerve to the digestive system causing GI problems including but not limited to indigestions, gas, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). One study conducted by Pellissier et al. (2014) showed that people with IBS have reduced vagal tone, which means that their vagus nerve was under-functioning.

The second way the gut and the brain communicate with each other is through small chemicals called neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and GABA. You may be surprised that the normal bacteria flora found in your digestive system produces many of these neurotransmitters and as a result these chemicals are found in abundance in the gut. So, there may be more to the saying “I have a Gut Feeling” after all, as these chemicals control our moods, and any imbalance between their levels is implicated in many common mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and so on.   

While most people have heard about the “Leaky Gut Syndrome”, very few individuals may be aware of the “Leaky Brain Syndrome”. So what is this syndrome, and why should we care? After learning that your gut and brain communicate and depend on one another to function, it may not come as a surprise that this leaky brain condition starts in the gut. When there is an intolerance to the food we eat on the daily basis, especially to gluten, this causes increased intestinal permeability, which then will alter the normal and healthy bacterial flora and will give opportunity for pathogenic bacteria to take over and cause havoc by producing by-products such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS then in turn will leak into the bloodstream and cause systemic inflammation. Moreover, research has shown presence of gluten and dairy antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with gluten and dairy intolerance. What this means is that the blood-brain barrier protecting the brain from bacteria, toxins and so on is compromised or otherwise leaky, which makes the brains of these individuals more susceptible to infections, and autoimmune conditions.

​During the holidays it’s so much more difficult to avoid your food sensitivities, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.  And just because you have food sensitivities doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your holiday treats. There are so many resources for making your favourite holiday treats without putting your body through the anguish of eating something your gut, your brain, and your body doesn’t like.  

You may be suffering from insomnia, migraine headaches, anxiety and depression, and may want to know if your symptoms are stemming from the leaky brain syndrome. The good first step would be to visit a naturopathic doctor to find out if you have a food sensitivity that can be exacerbating your symptoms. They will likely run a food sensitivity test in addition to other specific biomarkers to assess degree of inflammation in your body. Once you go over the lab results with your ND, they will offer you an individualized treatment plan based on severity of your symptoms and your preference, which will involve extensive therapeutic dietary plan, botanical medicine, orthomolecular supplementation, lifestyle recommendations, counselling and pharmaceutical prescription. It’s important to find an ND that takes your preferences, budget and lifestyle into consideration and keeps you well informed and engaged during the whole process since this is your journey and setting up realistic and attainable goals will increase the efficacy and success of your treatment plan. At Butterfly Naturopathic, our doctors have a person-centred approach to helping all our patients, and this approach has fostered sustainable and powerful alliances between our patients and doctors. If you think, Butterfly sounds like the right place for you to become the healthiest version of yourself, feel free to reach out and make an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors.

​Do you often find yourself feeling tired? 
Do you wish you had more energy to do the things you want to do?

Not having enough energy is one of the most common concerns of our patients.  While there are many products and supplements that claim to help you with energy, they might not address the root cause of why you are tired in the first place and figuring that out requires the help of a licensed health professional that can look at your symptoms and your blood work to come up with the appropriate treatment plan.

We can't truly help you feel better if we don't address the reason why you are tired and we often find these reasons to be multifaceted, however this is a list of the most common reasons our patients experience fatigue.

​If you have been feeling tired regularly and haven't had recent blood testing, making sure you're not anemic is a good place to start. Commonly we send our patients for basic blood tests, that include testing for Iron and Vitamin B12 levels. There are different types of anemia and doing basic blood testing is very helpful in getting to the root cause of your tiredness. The first step is figuring out if you are anemic and if you are anemic, we then need to address why it's happening in the first place.

Thyroid disorders are very common in today's population especially when there is a family history of Thyroid conditions.  If you have been gradually feeling more and more exhausted over time and don't know why, looking into your thyroid function is critically important.  There are many different reasons why thyroid function can be deficient and figuring out why this is happening earlier-on offers a better opportunity for recovery.  Managing your thyroid health requires the guidance of a qualified health professional that is willing to test all aspects of thyroid functioning.  We find that when patients follow health practitioners that don't test for all aspects of thyroid functioning, they yield poorer overall results in both the short and long term management of thyroid disorders.

​We live in a stressed out world with high demands which results in more and more people burning themselves out just to survive. Unfortunately these cases are more the norm than the exception which is a huge cost on our short and long term health. The adrenal glands produce a hormone (cortisol) that helps us to cope with stress and these glands can become fatigued and burned out from chronic stress. This is a signal that we are requesting too much of our bodies in an unsustainable way, forcing our body to do more than it's able to by depleting valuable resources. Helping our patients with the demands of daily life by supporting their bodies is a critical part of treatment. We see this time and time again with patients that care for others full time and put their own health and themselves last.

​If you aren't getting enough sleep or rest, you can't recover.  Your body naturally requires you to rest and sleep in order to continue to function.  When this cycle is interrupted, you don't get the recovery time you need to sustain healthy functioning.  Many of our patients struggle with being able to fall asleep, while others struggle with being able to stay asleep.  Correcting sleep disturbances involves a mind, body, spirit approach to allow patients the opportunity to address thought patterns, beliefs, hormones, & neurotransmitter imbalances.

​If you don't give the body the right fuel, it won't run properly.  Not eating enough and not staying hydrated deprives the body of what it needs to function optimally.  Eating primarily sugary foods & refined carbohydrates causes blood sugar highs and lows which will leave the body feeling exhausted and increase your risk of developing chronic health conditions.  Inadequate protein and fats throughout the day doesn't give the body enough energy to sustain itself.  Not knowing your personal inflammatory trigger foods can cause your body to feel swollen, bloated, and fatigued and put you at risk for long term health conditions.

​This is our list of the most common reasons that we see on a daily basis.  There are many other causes of fatigue that we also address at our clinic.  Other causes of fatigue that we see are disorders in genetics, toxicity, chronic diseases, & depression to name a few.

Author: Dr. Fiona Smulders, ND

Herbal medicine is an ancient healing art with profound effects on the human body. Plants contain unique constituents that help boost and balance your immune system.

They can either stimulate the immune system by directly fighting against viruses, bacteria and fungi or they can modulate and nourish the immune system to enhance the body’s own natural defences.
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These are the top 5 common plants that can help you through this year's cold & flu season:

The Elder flower and berry can increase circulation and improve oxygenation of tissues through its diaphoretic effects on the body.  Elder is also considered a relaxant and helps relieve spasmodic coughs, making it an excellent remedy for croup and spasmodic coughing in children. The berries and flowers are high in flavonoids, which have an antimicrobial action within the body and helps strengthen cell membranes to prevent virus penetration. ​

Although thyme is native to the mediterranean, it grows very well here and has become a common addition to any local herb garden. Thyme leaf tea is an excellent cough remedy. It helps the lungs expel excess mucus and helps to sooth inflamed lung tissue. Thyme has a powerful detoxifying and penetrative effect due to its volatile oils, which helps to open pores and thin mucus. 
It is also considered an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory for the lungs, and has proved to be an effective traditional remedy against powerful infective organisms like typhoid and diphtheria. Today, thyme is used for postnasal drip, whooping cough in children, sore throats, common colds and bronchitis.

​To learn how to prepare these herbs please visit Dr. Smulders' Medicine Making page

Author: Dr. Fiona Smulders, ND