they always say "stop being so moody"

In all seriousness, I really did battle with my mood for the better part of a decade. The status of your gut health can dictate your mood… and your gut might be the reason you’re depressed and irritable. I'm going to share 5 foods to eat that can improve your mood and neurotransmitter function, but first a bit of science: While this all may sound like pseudo-science, I promise you it’s not. The gut-brain axis is very, very real and unfortunately overlooked by many, even by those within the nutrition community. The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional pathway that links the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with intestinal functions (i.e. the gut) because of our vagus nerve, which extends from our brainstem all the way down into our abdomen. This is literally why this [study]( from the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that patients with major depressive disorder have a less diverse gut microbiome! You see, our gut bacteria break down the food we eat and use it to support our body’s functions, such as producing 95% of the body’s serotonin! Let me say that again. Our gut bacteria manufacture 95% of our serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that dictates our mood. When we eat a diverse array of gut-healthy foods, our gut biome becomes populated with many types of good bacteria that can then convert the food we eat into neurotransmitters such as serotonin. And if that isn’t enough for you, our gut actually produces about 50% of our dopamine, too, which might explain why people with poor gut health are less motivated… But I digress. I think you understand by now the importance of having a diverse gut biome… So, which foods should you eat to ensure that you have a diverse microbiome? Well, there are 5 foods that have become a staple of my diet that have been proven to promote a healthy gut biome. Gut-Healthy Food #1 - Kefir Kefir is a fermented drink made from raw milk that contains 5x more microbes and probiotics than yogurt! Consumption of kefir has been [shown]( to increase beneficial gut bacteria such as Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus… all of which are associated with serotonin production! Gut-Healthy Food #2 - A Probiotic… that works In theory, probiotics are a perfect supplement designed to populate our gut with health-promoting bacteria. However, most probiotics are fragile and don’t survive digestion as they’re destroyed by our stomach acid… Up until a couple years ago, I really advised people to stay away from probiotics as they really can be a waste of money. Fortunately, though, SEED was created with this in mind, which is why SEED uses a 2-in-1 capsule that’s designed to survive digestion for their adult version. But even better, SEED is thinking about our kids too. That's why they created the [PDS-08 kids probiotic formula](. This may be anecdotal, but it has made a HUGE difference in my kids' temperament as well as even how often they (seemingly) get sick. I think the sooner that we can start helping our kids remodel their guts, the sooner we can start getting a grasp on a lifetime of mood issues as well. The cool thing is, because it is in a powder form, it's easy to mix into yogurts or smoothies for the kids. Annnnd I have been known on occasion to mix it into my yogurt or cottage cheese too. Here's a link to try it out: [( and use code DELAUER and save 15% off. In other words, not only are you populating your gut with healthy bacteria, you’re also providing said bacteria with food for them to grow and flourish! [15% Off Using Code DELAUER on PDS-08]( Gut-Healthy Food #3 - Flax/Psyllium Flax and psyllium are both fibers that are broken down by our gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, that are well known for their protective effects on the gut wall. Short-chain fatty acids provide energy (food) to the epithelial cells that line the intestine and create a barrier between the "dirty world" of your gut with various food pathogens and the "clean world" of your blood. Even more impressive than that, butyrate has [anti-inflammatory effects]( and inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules that can damage our gut, making it less diverse which hinders the production of serotonin! This explains why a [study]( from Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics found that daily supplementation with 4g of butyrate achieved remission of Crohn's disease in 53% of participants and another 16% of patients achieved significant improvement! So while kefir populates your gut with healthy bacteria, flax and psyllium, despite helping populate your gut too, protect your gut from becoming damaged so it can do its job of making serotonin and dopamine in peace. Gut-Healthy Food #4 - Kimchi Kimchi is a spicy vegetable dish made by fermenting ingredients such as cabbage, radishes, brine, garlic, ginger, chilli pepper and fish sauce. It contains so many gut-healthy ingredients that it comes as no surprise that kimchi has been [shown]( to improve inflammatory issues such as IBS, relieve constipation, and might even have anti-cancer properties by improving colorectal health! Gut-Healthy Food #5 - ACV Apple cider vinegar is made by taking apple juice, fermenting it with yeast to produce alcohol, and then a bacteria solution converts the alcohol into acetic acid. The lack of ultra-filtering means that the enzymes, proteins and bacteria themselves will still be present! ACV is a personal favorite of mine due to being such an easy option. A swig or two a day should send you on your gut-healthy way! But if you want to be absolutely certain that your gut is being properly nourished, I would implore you to give SEED a try. They conduct their own research and have tested their 2-in-1 capsule design to ensure that it’s able to survive digestion and populate your gut for an adult, and they are one of the only brands really putting focus on the gut-brain axis AND kid's gut-health. [15% Off Here]( I look forward to seeing you tomorrow! Cheers to nourishing our guts! Thomas Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Thomas DeLauer, PO Box 1120, Stateline, NV 89449, United States