After years of being discredited, denied, even brutalized, here he is for a few months in navel mode of the world:hero of bestsellers (The Discreet Charm of the Intestine , by German Giulia Enders, top seller for a year), a favorite subject of researchers (its intestinal flora, the microbiota, reveals its secrets every day), the belly is now at the heart of all our attention. We listen to it - sometimes too much -, we feed it - sometimes badly -, the ear on the lookout for the slightest rumbling. Not easy, however, to get along with this hypersensitive and rebellious diva at times! What if we finally made peace?
Brain and stomach are intimately connected via the vagus nerve. We know that emotions affect the abdomen, a major place of somatization - we have "fear in the stomach", a "visceral" hatred -, and that anxiety and stress trigger spasms, pain and transit disorders, but we ignored for a long time that information circulates in both directions, and that an altered flora promotes depression, anxiety, bad mood and even mental illnesses (Alzheimer's). Normal, since the 100 million neurons of the digestive tract, studied with a magnifying glass by neurogastroenterologists, secrete colossal quantities of serotonin – a molecule of well-being – and GABA, an essential neurotransmitter. In question, when the relationship goes haywire, inflammation, this “internal fire” which spreads from the abdomen to the brain, and slowly kills our morale. The gunpowder fire? Too much sugar! Main culprit, according to David Perlmutter, American neurologist, processed fructose (often in the form of corn syrup in industrial foods), a poison that feeds pathogenic bacteria, disrupts the microbial balance and our internal regulations, in addition to triggering hyperglycaemia.
It is therefore time to pamper these 100 billion bacteria that make up our microbiota and act on digestion and the rest:from the brain to weight, including the immune system. The idea? Promote the variety of the microbiota, synonymous with a good job for the colon and the balance of our health, by feeding it like a king. Fatty fish, oilseeds and rapeseed oils, sesame and nuts (for Omega 3, which fights inflammation and balances intestinal permeability), brown rice and bread, fruits and vegetables varied in quantity (for good sugars and fibre), eggs and dairy products (for tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin), and, in the event of repeated stress or a chronically loose belly, a course of probiotics (good bacteria) in food supplements (PiLeJe, Solgar, Metagenics, Synergia ), just to re-seed the flora and gently relaunch the dialogue.
There's nothing worse than listening to the slightest gurgle (which just means that the small intestine is doing its housework), the slightest spasm, the slightest transit irregularity:we get stressed and, suddenly, the machine packed up. “Some people live without knowing it in a state of permanent hypervigilance and overattention,” explains Professor Bruno Bonaz, head of the hepato-gastroenterology department at Grenoble University Hospital. Their interoception (awareness of the internal state of the body) is exacerbated, and this explains the so-called “irritable bowel syndrome”. "Peripheral phenomena (insignificant and discreet in the majority) are extremely felt, hence pain, increased anxiety, and even more vigilance and tension", explains this expert who receives patients who are physically and morally exhausted by their intestines every day. , and yet without a serious pathology diagnosed. The idea? Calming things down using proven methods that will normalize interoception, improve the response to stress and relieve suffering:sophrology (see box), hypnosis (validated and also offered in hospitals), but also yoga and meditation.
Our guts have their favorite habits and schedules, and do not like to deviate from them. In Ayurveda (ancestral Indian medicine), defecating must also be a fixed morning ritual, a few minutes after getting up. Change of timing, place, food, travel, a little thwarts the nerves of our intestines, which immediately become demotivated and block the emptying. From time to time, dietary fiber can be used in tablets, sachets or mini-pastes (to be taken with plenty of water to hydrate the stool), or even laxatives (osmotic, preferably, because they store water, or stimulants, then leaving his digestive tract alone for 2 to 3 days before reoffending if necessary). But no question that our bowels get used to it, even if we are chronically constipated, under penalty of making the mechanism lazy. First question to ask yourself:am I properly installed? The sitting position is anatomically not favorable to expulsion, and promotes hemorrhoids (due to excess pressure on the intestine) and diverticula. The ideal? Squat! As we rarely have squat toilets or bushes, the solution is to put your feet on a small low stool, and lean your chest forward. Then, find your time slot, and stick to it:yes to the routine! As for the hydrotherapy of the colon, forced emptying, sold - often in chic cures in Switzerland - to fight against digestive disorders and to refurbish the "bottom" piping, it relieves certain constipation, but its effect is not scientifically not demonstrated.
Physical exercise (even simple walking) improves and regulates intestinal transit by an internal massage of the viscera, and helps to evacuate stress. Better still, “physical exercise also promotes the good balance of intestinal bacteria”, explains David Perlmutter and promotes the formation of a varied microbiota, a guarantee of good health and slimness. And a dream transit…
To read:The discreet charm of the intestine, by Giulia Enders (Actes Sud), The intestine to the rescue of our brain, by Dr David Perlmutter (Marabout), The intestine, our second brain by Pr Francisca Joly Gomez (Marabout Pocket).
“Sophrology, which works the body and mind simultaneously, reduces stomach tension,” explains Catherine Aliotta, Director of the Sophrology Training Institute. Example:standing, inhale then blow out to empty your lungs, while bending your legs slightly and placing your hands on your knees. Block the breath and make several “back and forth” movements with the abdomen, before straightening up while inhaling (3 times). Benefit of this breathing exercise:muscle relaxation, therefore less spasms, easier digestion, disappearance of the lump in the stomach. Then, a work of visualization on his abdomen and what is happening there (cartoon style or small treatment plant…) allows you to regain confidence in its proper functioning, to make yourself an ally with positive messages. Effective on common disorders, but also on heavier ones, such as Crohn's disease (reduction of pain and seizures). Finally, sophrology allows you to question the root cause of chronic problems:not in a psychiatric way, but by identifying your inner state to put in place adjustments and strategies and improve daily life (in relation to food, for example) . You can test with a book (Practice sophrology on a daily basis, InterÉditions) or, even better, a pro.
