Do you ever get that buzz when you’re successfully juggling all the things? Conquering the never- ending to do list with superhero powers, feeling unbeatable. Then before you know it, a few days later you’re hanging on by a thread. It’s 3am and you’re having night sweats, stomach upset and racing thoughts. You can’t sleep thinking about your endless to do list, how long until the alarm goes off and why you’re still awake.
Acute stress
That unbeatable feeling is our beneficial and protective acute stress kicking in. And whilst incredible, it’s not particularly efficient. When acute stress turns chronic, it’s inevitable that your superhero cape falls to the floor with your immunity, mood and sleep, as gut issues flare up.
This is heightened during perimenopause, exacerbating symptoms like bloating, weight gain, and cravings.
“As a registered nutritional therapist, I see clients every week where chronic stress is meeting the hormone rollercoaster of perimenopause and impacting their gut health.”
It’s a cycle of stress = worse gut health = more stress = changing hormones (cortisol and oestrogen) = the cycle continues.
How does stress link to the gut?
Let’s strip digestion back to basics. The moment food touches your tongue, a complex system whirrs into action – hormones, gastric juices, pancreatic enzymes and a diverse microbiota all work to extract the nutrients you need for optimal health.
This system even has its own ‘brain’ – the enteric nervous system – packed with neurons and responsible for producing most of the body’s serotonin. Messages travel along the gut-brain axis in both directions. When things run smoothly in a rest and digest state, it’s like a network of peaceful, tree-lined roads and messages getting to their destination calmly. The brain signals the gut to salivate, release enzymes, break food down and send nourishment round the body.
Now picture those roads at rush hour – horns blaring, thick fumes and traffic at a standstill. Under stress, the nervous system diverts resources away from digestion. Nourishing messages never arrive and, instead, the body gears up for survival.
Our ancestors needed that response when a lion leapt from the bushes – heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, muscles flooded with glucose. They didn’t need to finish digesting berries or make sex hormones.
Fast forward to today
Your nervous system can’t tell a lion from a missed bus, a traffic jam on the A5 or an urgent 9 pm work email. The same switch flips, digestion hits pause and the knock-on effects begin showing.
All this is why, in my clinic, I ask clients to take an honest look at how they eat. Lunch wolfed down over emails, supper in front of Netflix, a snack grabbed while scrolling. We’re flooding our gut with messages that we’re stressed.
Signs your gut might need support
Keep a look out for the following:
- bloating,
- irregular bowel movements (constipation, diarrhoea or loose stools),
- fatigue,
- brain fog,
- insomnia,
- food sensitivities,
- skin issues,
- unexplained anxiety, low mood or mood swings,
- sugar cravings or weight gain.
If you have chronic issues, you’ve probably already seen a GP or nutritional therapist before. And if anything concerns you, I urge you to book an appointment. As many of these areas cross over with menopause complaints and hormonal issues, it’s best to explore the root cause to make sure you’re resolving the issues in the right way.
The role of the vagus nerve
An easy win is to support the vagus nerve, a key line of communication in the gut-brain axis. By stimulating the vagus nerve, we can send soothing signals to the gut, reducing inflammation and reducing some digestive symptoms. Besides exercise and a balanced diet, you can support it through gargling water, breath work, yoga and humming or singing. So next time you’ve got a moment to yourself, pop on your favourite songs and sing your heart out, knowing you might just be supporting good digestion.
The reason I love this tip is that many of my perimenopause clients need less pressure in their lives, not more. So, by giving them some relaxing yoga, breath techniques and singing, they can support their health without overwhelming their busy diaries.
Top tips for a stressed gut
When a perimenopause client comes to me with stress and gut issues, my initial protocol becomes a quick decision. Of course, I would check crucial things like vitamin status via some comprehensive questions and chat through functional testing options, but it’s likely the first thing I would support is their nervous system.
“You can eat all the kale you like, but if you’re consistently stressed, you’re likely not accessing those nutrients.”
That’s not to say don’t eat healthily. This is when you need it most! But focus on stress support as the gatekeeper to the balanced diet.
- B-Vitamins, zinc, vitamin C and magnesium deplete quickly during stress so add lots of extra tofu, beans, seeds, red peppers and leafy greens into your meals for extra support.
- Eat slowly and chew well and, if you can, with loved ones. The blue zones are highly studied populations where people are living healthy long lives. One of the key patterns is that they have a strong sense of community, eating together at most mealtimes.
- Drink a glass of water first thing and be careful with stimulants. Stimulants can disrupt your cortisol levels and therefore circadian rhythm, which increases risk of metabolic dysfunction.
- Stick to meals three times a day with limited snacks. Stomach rumbling? That’s the migrating motor complex sweeping residual food and bacteria through the intestines – essential housekeeping that only kicks in when the stomach has been empty for a while. Three regular mindful meals protect that rhythm and give your gut a fighting chance to do its job.
- Find a spot in your day for a ten-minute reset (even just a short meditation practice makes a huge difference long term).
- Track your bowel movements to identify patterns that are triggering your upset gut.
Supporting your gut during times of stress, especially during the menopause can feel like a challenge but picking a few of these simple tips can really help keep your gut health optimal.
