The #1 Little-Known Tip to Lower Your Holiday Stress

Your holiday vibe can quickly turn to grinch mode when seasonal stressors pile up—last-minute shopping trips, family dynamics, and too many champagne toasts can all take their toll.  

Even if you’re a self-care pro, here’s one little-known proven solution for happier holidays. 

Go With Your Gut  

You’ve heard stress can affect your gut. But it goes both ways: what’s going down in your gut can affect what’s going up in your mind. [1] 

Scientists call your gut a “second brain” for good reason:  

• Your gut bacteria produce 95% of your serotonin and [1]  
• 50% of your dopamine [1] which influences both your gastrointestinal tract activity and your mood. 
• Your gut contains 100 million neurons, more than your entire spinal cord or peripheral nervous system! [2] 
• Your gut actually even communicates with your brain and influences your mood (via the gut-brain axis).  

Recent research shows that your gut microbiome plays a key role in regulating brain activity. Much of this signaling is brought to you by your gut microbiome, which ferments prebiotic fiber into molecules that foster communication with your nervous system, elevate mood, and modulate neurotransmitter pathways. [3] 

Does this mean taking care of your gut and microbiome this holiday season can help dial down your stress levels? … The science says YES.  


Your Gut Microbiome’s Guide to Stress Management 

A few simple tweaks can give your microbiome what it needs to help lower your stress and elevate your mood for happier holidays: 

• Prebiotic fruits and veggies help your gut bugs make mood-modulating short-chain fatty acids. Green bananas, apples, dried chickpeas are perfect for on-the-go, or simply add an extra helping of veggies at dinner.  
• Plant-based yogurts are a quick treat with a double whammy of gut-friendly plants and probiotics. 

• Take along a travel mug of our Stress Therapy 7-Flower Infusion: it’s clinically proven to reduce stress.* 
• Upgrade your probiotic to one with your mood in mind, like our Gut-Lung Therapy. Our elite probiotic strain L. rhamnosus DR7 is proven to improve mental focus and memory, supports the increase of serotonin, and stabilizes dopamine pathways.*  

References  

1. Chen Y, Xu J, Chen Y. Regulation of Neurotransmitters by the Gut Microbiota and Effects on Cognition in Neurological Disorders. Nutrients. 2021;13(6):2099. Published 2021 Jun 19. doi:10.3390/nu13062099
2. Hadhazy, A. (2010). Think twice: How the gut’s “second brain” influences mood and well-being. Scientific American. Retrieved November 9, 2022 from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/
3. Silva YP, Bernardi A, Frozza RL. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:25. Published 2020 Jan 31. doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.00025