July 22, 2025 • 26 mins
In this episode we feature:
An interview with Internist and Gastroenterologist, Dr. Trisha Pasricha
Find a workout partner
HIIT your brain
The Post Daycare Sugar Rush
And more ways you can improve your health today!
For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com
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Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:08):
Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard herewith yet another intelligence
for your health with ConnieCelica, special edition of the
show today. Her guest is DrTricia Pasricha. She is the ask
a doctor columnist for theWashington Post. She's an
internist and gastroenterologistat Mass General so and a
professor of medicine at HarvardMedical School. Pretty good
(00:29):
school. So I've heard, in anycase, that is who we have for
you on the show today. So here,without further ado,
intelligence for your healthwith Connie Celica.
If you like to exercise in themorning, try swapping your
caffeine fix for a glass of beetjuice. Kansas State University
says it contains nitrates, whichrelax arteries and increase
(00:51):
blood flow. Beet juice alsoincreases the amount of oxygen
delivered to muscles and makesthem more efficient. So a glass
of beet juice may be the ticketto powering through your
workout, going faster andstronger and not feeling as much
strain. Here's how to get thebiggest mood boost from
exercise. This comes from DrJulia basso, a neuroscientist
(01:13):
from Virginia Tech who studiesthe effects of exercise on the
brain. First you need to getyour heart rate up for at least
30 minutes. That's because ittakes at least 20 minutes of
moderate aerobic activity forthe endocannabinoid system to
kick in and start lifting yourmood. That's what gives you an
exercise high. You also need toexercise consistently for three
(01:37):
weeks, just like it takes timeto build muscle, it takes time
for your brain to develop astrong dopamine reward system
from exercise. And the morephysically active you are, the
more responsive this dopaminesystem will be. If you haven't
been active in a while, you'llneed three weeks of consistent
exercise before it starts tofeel rewarding. Another way to
(02:00):
get the biggest mood boost fromexercise make it social. When
you exercise with friends or ina group, you get twice the
oxytocin boost you get it fromthe physical activity itself and
also from the socialinteraction. And switch up your
exercise different types ofworkouts release different
(02:20):
combinations of mood enhancingchemicals, and that's how to get
the biggest mood boost fromexercise coming up. We'll talk
to gastroenterologist, Dr TriciaPasricha. She'll tell us how our
gut and our brain are connectedand influence each other. But
first, here's another goodreason to love your pets. They
(02:41):
can boost your immune function,according to the National
Library of Medicine, petting adog for 18 minutes leads to an
increase in antibodies thatfight infections. And we also
know that our pets reduce ourstress, and that increase in
antibodies coupled with stressreduction is a one two punch for
our immune system, plus therapy,dog visits at hospitals are
(03:04):
proven to provide significantpain reduction in patients with
chronic pain, so your pet is apowerful healer. Silence may be
golden, but would you try aspeech fast speech? Fasting is
the practice of stayingcompletely silent for a long
period of time. It's a newWellness trend that became
(03:25):
popular after a famous singerclaimed that she stays
completely silent till midday topreserve her vocal cords. But
being silent has a bunch ofhealth benefits, even if you're
not a performer. According tothe journal heart, a two minute
period of silence significantlyreduced people's heart rates and
blood pressure levels. Andanother study found that people
(03:48):
who performed tasks in silencethat required concentration
experienced the lowest levels ofcortisol, the stress hormone,
and were less mentallyoverloaded. Being silent can
also improve focus, stimulatebrain growth and help with
insomnia. What do you think?
Could you do a speech fast untilnoon every day? Okay, listen to
this before you get a flu shotthis year. Watch a cute puppy
(04:12):
video or talk to a friend whoalways makes you smile, because
that can make the vaccine moreeffective. Researchers from the
University of Nottingham foundthat study subjects who were in
a good mood when they got theirshot were 66% more likely to
keep producing antibodiesagainst the flu four months
later. That's because being in agood mood lowers stress, so your
(04:35):
body doesn't resist the vaccine.
So before your flu shot, find afunny animal video or call your
most upbeat friend for a chat.
Today, our special guest is DrTricia Pasricha. She's a
gastroenterologist, and the aska doctor columnist for the
Washington Post, and she saysit's important for people to
(04:56):
understand the brain gutconnection. So I asked her to
explain how stress and emotionscan physically impact our
digestive health and to give ussome practical steps to manage
those effects.
Yeah, so the brain and the gutare in constant communication,
and that's via this intricatenetwork of nerves called the
(05:16):
vagus nerve. And so the vagusnerve is this information super
highway, and it runs between thebrain and the abdomen, and
that's the reason that ourthoughts affect our gut so
uniquely. For example, you know,before you're turning karaoke,
which is often where this fitsme, you might feel stressed and
suddenly you have to use thebathroom, or maybe you're on a
first date, and you might startto feel butterflies in your
(05:37):
stomach. Those are the ways thatour brain is communicating with
our gut on a daily basis, but inthe long term, stress and
especially trauma can lead tothese chronic gut health
problems that can really impactyour daily life, like with
constipation, stomach aches, orother issues that can feel hard
to manage the brain. Gut axis isreally a two way street, meaning
(05:58):
that the gut influences thebrain just as much as the brain
influences the gut. So we ingastroenterology, we sometimes
call the gut a second brain,because it contains more than
100 million nerve cells that aresending and receiving messages
from the brain all the time, andthat can actually really impact
our thoughts. And in terms ofpractical tips about about what
you can do to kind of helpmanage that two way
(06:19):
communication, if you're findingyourself really stressed,
nauseated, you could always trysomething called a vagal
maneuver to help yourself calmdown, and that, in turn, can
ease your gut symptom. So thatcan be as simple as box
breathing, which is where youcount the four count and you
inhale, then you exhale foranother fork count. It can be
(06:41):
things like a vagal maneuver,where you try to bear down,
almost like you're having abowel movement. And that act of
bearing down you're holding itfor about 10 to 15 seconds, can
also help decrease your heartrate and kind of improve that
nausea.
Today, we're talking togastroenterologist and Harvard
Professor of Medicine, Dr TriciaPasricha, and in the last few
(07:02):
years, we've heard how importantit is to balance our gut
bacteria, our microbiome. Ithelps control digestion and
benefits our immune system. Andwhen we don't have a good
balance of unhealthy and healthymicrobes in our intestines, it
can contribute to weight gain,high blood sugar and high
cholesterol. So I asked DrPasricha to share some food
(07:25):
prescriptions for a healthy gut.
That's a reallygood question with it's question
that I get a lot in my ownclinic, you know, and I dig, in
a scheme of things, the gutmicrobiome. Microbiome is the
term for the bacteria and all oftheir genetic information our
guts. It's actually a relativelynew scientific field, we've
really seen an explosion ofknowledge about the gut
microbiome in the last 20 yearsor so. And I know that may sound
(07:46):
like a long time, but most sidejust like myself, kind of agree
that we've learned a lot aboutwhat our gut bacteria do, but
there is so much that we stillneed to learn so and in terms of
food, we have lots of great dataabout what can impact our gut
microbiomes, and so that's whatI like to recommend to my
patients as well. So when peopleask me, what sorts of things,
what dietary changes should Imake? Certainly, I think eating
(08:08):
whole foods, cutting down Ultraprocessed foods, should be
everybody's aim. And really, theMediterranean diet is a perfect
place to start. There are lotsof resources for that. I
personally try not to overcomplicate things for my
patient. So what I recommendfirst and foremost, for a
healthy gut is just eating morefiber, rich food, simple. Don't
overthink it. Your microbioloves fiber, but the chances are
(08:31):
that you're like the majority ofus, like more than 95% of
Americans, who are not eatingthe recommended amounts of
fiber. So women are supposed toconceal 25 grams of fiber. Men
are recommended to eat about 38grams of fiber daily. And if
you're not really reaching thatgoal of your diet, I say take a
daily psyllium. Psyllium is aplant fiber made of the husk of
(08:52):
seeds that can increase shortchain fatty acid production.
They're this beneficialbyproduct of our guts bacteria.
It's involved in metabolism andin our immune system, and short
chain fatty acids are more oftenmade by bacteria that are found
among people who are eating ahigh fiber diet that's rich in
plant foods and fish.
Do you love things like horrormovies and roller coasters?
(09:15):
There's a biological reason whysome people love being scared
out of their minds. Is becauseit feels good. We get a type of
high from being scared, becausewe have what's called a high
arousal response. It's similarto the stress response that
makes us want to fight or flee,but because we know we're not in
(09:35):
real danger, our brain perceivesit as pleasurable, and it is
when we're scared, our bodyreleases chemicals that change
how our brain and bodyfunctions, so we have more
energy. Our brain blocksfeelings of pain, and it also
shuts down non essentialfunctions like critical and
analytical thinking, so we canjust react. We're literally
(09:59):
scared. It out of our wits. As aresult, we feel energized and
free from thoughts that usuallyworry us. Today's medical term
slapped cheek virus, that's thename given to a highly
contagious respiratory virusthat's quickly spreading among
children. Its real name isparvovirus B 19, and it
(10:21):
typically causes a pink facialrash in kids, which is how it
got the nickname slapped cheek.
It also causes pain in thejoints of adults. Jennifer Walsh
is a professor in the GeorgeWashington School of Nursing.
She says about one in fourpeople who get the slapped cheek
virus never develop anynoticeable symptoms. Half of
people with infections willexperience flu like symptoms,
(10:44):
but in most cases, the illnessis mild and resolves within a
week. But the disease tends tostrike in two phases. During the
first phase, people experience afever and fatigue. The second
phase, which occurs seven to 10days after the first phase is
characterized by a pink facialrash and occasionally joint pain
(11:05):
and a body rash. By the timethose symptoms appear, the virus
is no longer contagious, andit's usually safe to go back to
work or school. As far astreatment, there are no vaccines
or antiviral treatments. So thebest way to stay healthy is to
wash your hands frequently andavoid people who are coughing or
(11:25):
sneezing. And that's today'smedical term slapped cheek virus
coming up. We'll hear more fromHarvard Medical School professor
and gastroenterologist, DrTricia Pasricha. She'll tell us
what's normal when it comes toour bathroom habits and
bloating, but first, would youlike to keep your skin looking
firmer and younger longer? Eatsome pumpkin every day. Why
(11:47):
pumpkin? Because it containstons of antioxidants that soothe
and heal skin and improve toneand texture. UCLA researchers
found that just a quarter cup ofpumpkin a day can prevent
sagging and wrinkles. You canroast fresh pumpkin yourself, or
simply use 100% canned pumpkinthat's ready for pies. HIIT
(12:08):
workouts can boost brain healthfor years, even in old age.
That's the latest discovery inthe journal aging and disease.
It found that high intensityinterval training, h, i, i, t
exercises can increase brainfunction, and the results are
long lasting. For the study,researchers looked at a group of
(12:30):
healthy volunteers between theages of 65 and 85 they were put
through a six month exerciseprogram, and it turns out that
hit exercise can actuallyincrease the production of
neurons in the hippocampus,that's the brain area crucial
for learning and memory, andgiving it a boost can have a big
impact on your overall cognitiveabilities. So what exactly does
(12:54):
high intensity interval trainingmean? In this study, it involved
four cycles of running on atreadmill at near maximum
exertion. It's like sprintingfor short bursts, then taking a
breather and repeating HIITexercise pushes your body to its
limits, but only for shortperiods. And even five years
(13:15):
after the exercise programended, the participants still
had improved cognition, and thatwas true even if the
participants never did hittraining after those initial six
months. Okay, listen to thisgood news. If you're taking a
vitamin D supplement or you eatfoods rich in vitamin D, like
salmon, tuna, walnuts andmushrooms, Vitamin D has a
(13:39):
protective effect in the brain,helping to prevent dementia.
That's according to the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition.
In the study, people with low Dlevels were more likely to be
diagnosed with dementia orAlzheimer's, but getting plenty
of vitamin D reduced the risk.
(14:00):
That's because D prevents thebuildup of brain proteins linked
to impaired function back withmore health intelligence from
Harvard Medical School Professorof Medicine, Dr Tricia Pasricha,
and she says that irregularbowel movements can sometimes
signal underlying health issues.
So I asked her how we candifferentiate between what's
normal when it comes to ourbathroom habits and what isn't
(14:22):
youknow, I'm a gastroenterologist,
and it always really amazes mehow little we're all taught
about our gut health and thingslike our bowel movements, which
are so intrinsic to our basicfunctioning. So a lot of the
adults who come to mygastroenterology clinic, they
really have no idea what'snormal when it comes to bowel
movements or blooming and ingeneral, I would tell people
(14:45):
that what I would considernormal is what is comfortable
for you. And that might not bewhat's comfortable for your
brother, your parents, yourfriends and family members, but
you specifically and so a simplerule of thumb is that. That, and
we're talking about bowelmovements, anywhere from having
three bowel nucleus per day tothree per week, is kind of
within the range of normal, butthat's a pretty wide range,
(15:06):
because stool frequency varies alot by your lifestyle, your
food, you eat, your age, yoursex. And so in the United
States, and you know, peoplehave studied this, the majority
of people who considerthemselves have notable bowel
habits. They report havingbetween three to 7000 per week.
But if you look at a countrylike India, especially on the
East Coast, there have beenother studies that found where
(15:29):
people in this area, they'remore vegetarian, their diets
typically higher in fiber. Theyhave the median of 14 bowel
movements per week. And youknow, if you go all the way to
Europe, Italians tend to haveone bowel movement per day. So
because of all thesedifferences, I really don't tell
my patients that they shouldhold themselves to some number,
but rather to make sure thathowever often they're going to
(15:51):
the bathroom, it's effortless,so that means no straining, and
it doesn't really interfere withtheir daily life or social
activities.
Back with more healthintelligence from
gastroenterologist Dr TriciaPasricha, and I asked her about
bloating. Is it normal, or isbloat a sign that we're eating
the wrong foods?
(16:12):
When it comes to bloating, weall bloat, some bloating after
meal or than expected, part ofdigestion, and it should go away
on its own. So for example,certain foods like those that
are really rich in insolublefiber, like cruciferous
vegetables, broccoli,cauliflower, lentils, beans,
these are classic offenders. Butthere's also maybe some other
(16:32):
triggers of bloating that mightnot be so high on your radar. So
fermented drinks like kombuchabeer, the sweetener sucralose,
and even things like onions,garlic and fruit, can trigger
bloating. In some people,honestly, things like chewing
gum, drinking carbonatedbeverage and even smoking, these
things that increase the amountof air you're swallowing can
(16:54):
also worsen bloating, and socutting back on those can help
but, but just like with bowelmovements, a little bit of
bloating is far for the course,but if it's becoming so bad that
it's making you uncomfortable,it's interfering with your
ability to function during theday, you're embarrassed to go
out and meet your friend. It'sdefinitely worth talking to your
(17:16):
physician to see if we canidentify other triggers you
might be meeting, or if there'ssomething else going on, like
irritable bowel syndrome, whichis treated differently sometimes
withmedication, will you achieve
your goals? If you believe youwill, you have a much better
chance. According to a study inthe journal emotion, when
students were asked what gradethey thought they'd get on an
upcoming exam, those who weremore optimistic about their
(17:38):
grade did get a higher gradethan those who had lower
expectations, they were alsobetter prepared for the exam.
The researchers say optimism notonly motivates us, it also
reduces stress and boostshappiness. If you want to reach
your goals, be more optimisticabout them, more intelligence
for your help from Dr TriciaPasricha the ask a doctor
(18:00):
columnist for the WashingtonPost, and one of her columns she
wrote about the rise in certaincancers among younger
populations. So I asked her,what lifestyle changes people
can adopt to reduce their cancerrisk.
Yeah, so cancer rates amongyounger people, so people
(18:20):
younger than the age of 50,they've been on the rise since
about the 1990s and so we'retalking about things like
colorectal cancer, breastcancer, but the big thing that I
tell my patients is that almosthalf of these cancers are
preventable. So there is a bigstudy that came out in 2022 that
was published in romance. Itthat showed about 44% of these
(18:41):
cancers were due to modifiablerisk. So I really recommend
three healthy lifestyle changes.
So first, focus on eating wholefoods with less processing and I
know everybody's heard that onealready, like a million times,
so I sometimes tell a patientmaybe make just one small
change, and that would be toeliminate red and processed
meat, like beef, ham, sausage,hot dogs from your diet. And I
(19:04):
say that because those are thetypes of foods that have been
particularly linked to cancer,especially colorectal cancer in
young people, so much so thatthe World Health Organization
issued an advisory about themsecond, cut down your alcohol so
so drink no more than one drinkper day for women and two drinks
per day per med. And if we'regetting real, recent studies
(19:25):
actually suggest that there's noamount of alcohol that's truly
good for you. In other words,the less you drink overall, the
better. And last thing Irecommend is to opt to get up
and move over sitting around andwatching television. Again, I
know that's old information, butthere is this study specifically
looking at cancer development atthe younger age of over 90,000
(19:47):
female nurses, and they foundthat those who are sedentary and
watch TV more than 14 hours perweek, they were more likely to
develop cancer at a younger agethan those who watch TV for less
than seven hours per week. Sothere's kind of a reason why you
always hear doctors give out thesame old, boring advice, and
that's because it actuallyworks. Here's
(20:07):
something to keep in mind whenyou're picking your kid or
grandkid up from daycare or anyafter school program in the hour
after leaving daycare, kids eatmore added sugar snack foods and
sweetened drinks than they do atany other time. According to the
journal Children's Healthcare,kids eat 22% of their days added
(20:28):
sugar intake in the single hourafter they're picked up from
childcare. And one of thereasons why is because the
transition between home anddaycare is one of the most
stressful for kids and parents.
Parents can feel stressed. Thekids may be cranky, hungry or
tired, and it becomes prime timefor sugary treats and other
unhealthy eating. So if you'repicking your kid up from daycare
(20:51):
or an after school program, comeprepared with healthy snacks,
like nuts, a banana or a baggiefull of grapes. Here's an email
I received at Connie atintelligence for your
health.com, it comes fromHeather Bailey, who writes, I've
been overweight my whole life,and I've finally decided to get
gastric surgery. I know I'lllose weight, but can it help
(21:15):
with my diabetes too? Heather,yes, a number of studies have
found that weight loss surgerynot only helps people manage
type two diabetes, it canreverse it. According to a study
by the Cleveland Clinic, of13,000 people who were obese and
had type two diabetes, 75% ofpatients who'd had bariatric
(21:38):
surgery no longer had diabetesand were able to stop taking
insulin and other diabetesmedications. And that's not all.
The patients who'd had weightloss surgery also had a 40%
lower risk of six major hearthealth problems, including a
lower risk for heart attack,stroke, heart failure, diabetic
kidney disease and atrialfibrillation. Dr Steven Nissen
(22:02):
authored the study and is aheart and vascular specialist,
and he says there are very fewtherapies in treating heart
disease that have as big of aneffect as weight loss surgery.
So yes, Heather, the gastricsurgery will help you lose
weight control your type twodiabetes and improve your heart
health. Thank you for youremail, Heather, I hope this
(22:25):
helps. Okay, listen to this.
Forget putting cucumber sliceson your eyes. Use a thinly
sliced raw potato instead.
According to the journal Foodand Agriculture immunology, you
can de puff your face by placingpotato slices on your skin for
five minutes. Potatoes haveenzymes that reverse water
(22:46):
retention in minutes and antiinflammatory compounds that firm
your skin to fall asleep faster.
We need to avoid stressfulactivities before bed, and that
can be anything from having anintense conversation to watching
a scary movie. But it also goesfor the content you consume on
(23:06):
your devices. If you have achoice between watching reruns
of friends or scrolling throughdisturbing videos on Tiktok,
choose the Content that calmsyou down. That's according to
clinical psychology professorAlison Harvey at UC Berkeley,
she says we can still use ourdevices, but choose passive
(23:27):
screen time versus active screentime, because if you're writing
a Reddit response on your phone,you're probably more focused on
writing than falling asleep. Butif you're watching surf videos
on YouTube, you'll have aneasier time falling asleep. Dr
Harvey says, if you're lyingstill and receiving information,
(23:47):
you are allowing sleep to cometo you. So try this tonight. If
you're going to use a screenbefore bed, ask yourself whether
the activity is keeping youengaged and alert. For example,
if an alarm went off right nowand said, Put your phone down.
Could you if your response isno, switch to a more relaxing
activity on your phone, moreintelligence for your health
(24:09):
from our guest, Dr, TriciaPasricha, if you want to follow
up with her, you can check outher ask a doctor column in the
Washington Post or follow her onInstagram at Tricia Pasricha,
MD, that's p, A, S, R, I, C, H,A, and as someone who emphasizes
preventive health, I asked DrPasricha to share her best piece
(24:32):
of health advice for people ofany age, I would say the
most important thing that mypatients can do is actually to
just start checking in with yourdoctor early, right? So people
who are in their 20s and even30s, they often don't have a
primary care physician, orthey're not making an
appointment with their primarycare physician, unless they're
sick for some reason. And if youdo that, if you're in your 20s
(24:55):
and you're breathing throughyour 30s, and you're never
actually really checking in. Fora preventative care visit, which
I recommend everybody do atleast once a year, check their
blood pressure in your 30s withcertain risk factors you need to
start checking and screening forthings like diabetes. If you
don't do that, you're going tomiss these risk factors and miss
that opportunity and window tostart treating conditions early,
(25:19):
rather than catching them, maybein your 50s and 60s, when
they've already become aproblem, they've already started
to damage your organs. So Ithink the biggest tip I would
get give people is to make thatappointment even when you feel
otherwise healthy. Becausepeople, I'll give you one
example is colorectal cancerscreening for a long time,
(25:40):
everybody, and we allrecommended that we do it at the
starting at the age of 50. Butin recent years, we've lowered
that age to 45 and that itselfpeople might not be aware of.
But what the other thing thatpeople might not be aware of is
that if you have a familyhistory of colorectal cancer, it
can be either 10 years beforethat, so as early as the age of
35 or 10 years younger thantheir relative who had it when
(26:04):
they were diagnosed. And so ifyou're really waiting until that
end, you know your 40s to go getthat checkup, you might miss the
opportunity to get screenedearlier.
That's it for our show today,our special intelligence for
your health with Connie Selig.
Edition of the podcast, I'm GibGerard. Don't forget to rate
comment and subscribe on Applepodcast Spotify, wherever you
get your podcast, it helps usout a lot. And also you can
(26:26):
reach out to us on social media.
All of our links are listed downin the show notes. We try to
respond to every DM, everymention of the show, because
ultimately, we do the show foryou guys. So thank you so much
for listening. You.
Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard herewith yet another intelligence
for your health with ConnieCelica, special edition of the
show today. Her guest is DrTricia Pasricha. She is the ask
a doctor columnist for theWashington Post. She's an
internist and gastroenterologistat Mass General so and a
professor of medicine at HarvardMedical School. Pretty good
(00:29):
school. So I've heard, in anycase, that is who we have for
you on the show today. So here,without further ado,
intelligence for your healthwith Connie Celica.
If you like to exercise in themorning, try swapping your
caffeine fix for a glass of beetjuice. Kansas State University
says it contains nitrates, whichrelax arteries and increase
(00:51):
blood flow. Beet juice alsoincreases the amount of oxygen
delivered to muscles and makesthem more efficient. So a glass
of beet juice may be the ticketto powering through your
workout, going faster andstronger and not feeling as much
strain. Here's how to get thebiggest mood boost from
exercise. This comes from DrJulia basso, a neuroscientist
(01:13):
from Virginia Tech who studiesthe effects of exercise on the
brain. First you need to getyour heart rate up for at least
30 minutes. That's because ittakes at least 20 minutes of
moderate aerobic activity forthe endocannabinoid system to
kick in and start lifting yourmood. That's what gives you an
exercise high. You also need toexercise consistently for three
(01:37):
weeks, just like it takes timeto build muscle, it takes time
for your brain to develop astrong dopamine reward system
from exercise. And the morephysically active you are, the
more responsive this dopaminesystem will be. If you haven't
been active in a while, you'llneed three weeks of consistent
exercise before it starts tofeel rewarding. Another way to
(02:00):
get the biggest mood boost fromexercise make it social. When
you exercise with friends or ina group, you get twice the
oxytocin boost you get it fromthe physical activity itself and
also from the socialinteraction. And switch up your
exercise different types ofworkouts release different
(02:20):
combinations of mood enhancingchemicals, and that's how to get
the biggest mood boost fromexercise coming up. We'll talk
to gastroenterologist, Dr TriciaPasricha. She'll tell us how our
gut and our brain are connectedand influence each other. But
first, here's another goodreason to love your pets. They
(02:41):
can boost your immune function,according to the National
Library of Medicine, petting adog for 18 minutes leads to an
increase in antibodies thatfight infections. And we also
know that our pets reduce ourstress, and that increase in
antibodies coupled with stressreduction is a one two punch for
our immune system, plus therapy,dog visits at hospitals are
(03:04):
proven to provide significantpain reduction in patients with
chronic pain, so your pet is apowerful healer. Silence may be
golden, but would you try aspeech fast speech? Fasting is
the practice of stayingcompletely silent for a long
period of time. It's a newWellness trend that became
(03:25):
popular after a famous singerclaimed that she stays
completely silent till midday topreserve her vocal cords. But
being silent has a bunch ofhealth benefits, even if you're
not a performer. According tothe journal heart, a two minute
period of silence significantlyreduced people's heart rates and
blood pressure levels. Andanother study found that people
(03:48):
who performed tasks in silencethat required concentration
experienced the lowest levels ofcortisol, the stress hormone,
and were less mentallyoverloaded. Being silent can
also improve focus, stimulatebrain growth and help with
insomnia. What do you think?
Could you do a speech fast untilnoon every day? Okay, listen to
this before you get a flu shotthis year. Watch a cute puppy
(04:12):
video or talk to a friend whoalways makes you smile, because
that can make the vaccine moreeffective. Researchers from the
University of Nottingham foundthat study subjects who were in
a good mood when they got theirshot were 66% more likely to
keep producing antibodiesagainst the flu four months
later. That's because being in agood mood lowers stress, so your
(04:35):
body doesn't resist the vaccine.
So before your flu shot, find afunny animal video or call your
most upbeat friend for a chat.
Today, our special guest is DrTricia Pasricha. She's a
gastroenterologist, and the aska doctor columnist for the
Washington Post, and she saysit's important for people to
(04:56):
understand the brain gutconnection. So I asked her to
explain how stress and emotionscan physically impact our
digestive health and to give ussome practical steps to manage
those effects.
Yeah, so the brain and the gutare in constant communication,
and that's via this intricatenetwork of nerves called the
(05:16):
vagus nerve. And so the vagusnerve is this information super
highway, and it runs between thebrain and the abdomen, and
that's the reason that ourthoughts affect our gut so
uniquely. For example, you know,before you're turning karaoke,
which is often where this fitsme, you might feel stressed and
suddenly you have to use thebathroom, or maybe you're on a
first date, and you might startto feel butterflies in your
(05:37):
stomach. Those are the ways thatour brain is communicating with
our gut on a daily basis, but inthe long term, stress and
especially trauma can lead tothese chronic gut health
problems that can really impactyour daily life, like with
constipation, stomach aches, orother issues that can feel hard
to manage the brain. Gut axis isreally a two way street, meaning
(05:58):
that the gut influences thebrain just as much as the brain
influences the gut. So we ingastroenterology, we sometimes
call the gut a second brain,because it contains more than
100 million nerve cells that aresending and receiving messages
from the brain all the time, andthat can actually really impact
our thoughts. And in terms ofpractical tips about about what
you can do to kind of helpmanage that two way
(06:19):
communication, if you're findingyourself really stressed,
nauseated, you could always trysomething called a vagal
maneuver to help yourself calmdown, and that, in turn, can
ease your gut symptom. So thatcan be as simple as box
breathing, which is where youcount the four count and you
inhale, then you exhale foranother fork count. It can be
(06:41):
things like a vagal maneuver,where you try to bear down,
almost like you're having abowel movement. And that act of
bearing down you're holding itfor about 10 to 15 seconds, can
also help decrease your heartrate and kind of improve that
nausea.
Today, we're talking togastroenterologist and Harvard
Professor of Medicine, Dr TriciaPasricha, and in the last few
(07:02):
years, we've heard how importantit is to balance our gut
bacteria, our microbiome. Ithelps control digestion and
benefits our immune system. Andwhen we don't have a good
balance of unhealthy and healthymicrobes in our intestines, it
can contribute to weight gain,high blood sugar and high
cholesterol. So I asked DrPasricha to share some food
(07:25):
prescriptions for a healthy gut.
That's a reallygood question with it's question
that I get a lot in my ownclinic, you know, and I dig, in
a scheme of things, the gutmicrobiome. Microbiome is the
term for the bacteria and all oftheir genetic information our
guts. It's actually a relativelynew scientific field, we've
really seen an explosion ofknowledge about the gut
microbiome in the last 20 yearsor so. And I know that may sound
(07:46):
like a long time, but most sidejust like myself, kind of agree
that we've learned a lot aboutwhat our gut bacteria do, but
there is so much that we stillneed to learn so and in terms of
food, we have lots of great dataabout what can impact our gut
microbiomes, and so that's whatI like to recommend to my
patients as well. So when peopleask me, what sorts of things,
what dietary changes should Imake? Certainly, I think eating
(08:08):
whole foods, cutting down Ultraprocessed foods, should be
everybody's aim. And really, theMediterranean diet is a perfect
place to start. There are lotsof resources for that. I
personally try not to overcomplicate things for my
patient. So what I recommendfirst and foremost, for a
healthy gut is just eating morefiber, rich food, simple. Don't
overthink it. Your microbioloves fiber, but the chances are
(08:31):
that you're like the majority ofus, like more than 95% of
Americans, who are not eatingthe recommended amounts of
fiber. So women are supposed toconceal 25 grams of fiber. Men
are recommended to eat about 38grams of fiber daily. And if
you're not really reaching thatgoal of your diet, I say take a
daily psyllium. Psyllium is aplant fiber made of the husk of
(08:52):
seeds that can increase shortchain fatty acid production.
They're this beneficialbyproduct of our guts bacteria.
It's involved in metabolism andin our immune system, and short
chain fatty acids are more oftenmade by bacteria that are found
among people who are eating ahigh fiber diet that's rich in
plant foods and fish.
Do you love things like horrormovies and roller coasters?
(09:15):
There's a biological reason whysome people love being scared
out of their minds. Is becauseit feels good. We get a type of
high from being scared, becausewe have what's called a high
arousal response. It's similarto the stress response that
makes us want to fight or flee,but because we know we're not in
(09:35):
real danger, our brain perceivesit as pleasurable, and it is
when we're scared, our bodyreleases chemicals that change
how our brain and bodyfunctions, so we have more
energy. Our brain blocksfeelings of pain, and it also
shuts down non essentialfunctions like critical and
analytical thinking, so we canjust react. We're literally
(09:59):
scared. It out of our wits. As aresult, we feel energized and
free from thoughts that usuallyworry us. Today's medical term
slapped cheek virus, that's thename given to a highly
contagious respiratory virusthat's quickly spreading among
children. Its real name isparvovirus B 19, and it
(10:21):
typically causes a pink facialrash in kids, which is how it
got the nickname slapped cheek.
It also causes pain in thejoints of adults. Jennifer Walsh
is a professor in the GeorgeWashington School of Nursing.
She says about one in fourpeople who get the slapped cheek
virus never develop anynoticeable symptoms. Half of
people with infections willexperience flu like symptoms,
(10:44):
but in most cases, the illnessis mild and resolves within a
week. But the disease tends tostrike in two phases. During the
first phase, people experience afever and fatigue. The second
phase, which occurs seven to 10days after the first phase is
characterized by a pink facialrash and occasionally joint pain
(11:05):
and a body rash. By the timethose symptoms appear, the virus
is no longer contagious, andit's usually safe to go back to
work or school. As far astreatment, there are no vaccines
or antiviral treatments. So thebest way to stay healthy is to
wash your hands frequently andavoid people who are coughing or
(11:25):
sneezing. And that's today'smedical term slapped cheek virus
coming up. We'll hear more fromHarvard Medical School professor
and gastroenterologist, DrTricia Pasricha. She'll tell us
what's normal when it comes toour bathroom habits and
bloating, but first, would youlike to keep your skin looking
firmer and younger longer? Eatsome pumpkin every day. Why
(11:47):
pumpkin? Because it containstons of antioxidants that soothe
and heal skin and improve toneand texture. UCLA researchers
found that just a quarter cup ofpumpkin a day can prevent
sagging and wrinkles. You canroast fresh pumpkin yourself, or
simply use 100% canned pumpkinthat's ready for pies. HIIT
(12:08):
workouts can boost brain healthfor years, even in old age.
That's the latest discovery inthe journal aging and disease.
It found that high intensityinterval training, h, i, i, t
exercises can increase brainfunction, and the results are
long lasting. For the study,researchers looked at a group of
(12:30):
healthy volunteers between theages of 65 and 85 they were put
through a six month exerciseprogram, and it turns out that
hit exercise can actuallyincrease the production of
neurons in the hippocampus,that's the brain area crucial
for learning and memory, andgiving it a boost can have a big
impact on your overall cognitiveabilities. So what exactly does
(12:54):
high intensity interval trainingmean? In this study, it involved
four cycles of running on atreadmill at near maximum
exertion. It's like sprintingfor short bursts, then taking a
breather and repeating HIITexercise pushes your body to its
limits, but only for shortperiods. And even five years
(13:15):
after the exercise programended, the participants still
had improved cognition, and thatwas true even if the
participants never did hittraining after those initial six
months. Okay, listen to thisgood news. If you're taking a
vitamin D supplement or you eatfoods rich in vitamin D, like
salmon, tuna, walnuts andmushrooms, Vitamin D has a
(13:39):
protective effect in the brain,helping to prevent dementia.
That's according to the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition.
In the study, people with low Dlevels were more likely to be
diagnosed with dementia orAlzheimer's, but getting plenty
of vitamin D reduced the risk.
(14:00):
That's because D prevents thebuildup of brain proteins linked
to impaired function back withmore health intelligence from
Harvard Medical School Professorof Medicine, Dr Tricia Pasricha,
and she says that irregularbowel movements can sometimes
signal underlying health issues.
So I asked her how we candifferentiate between what's
normal when it comes to ourbathroom habits and what isn't
(14:22):
youknow, I'm a gastroenterologist,
and it always really amazes mehow little we're all taught
about our gut health and thingslike our bowel movements, which
are so intrinsic to our basicfunctioning. So a lot of the
adults who come to mygastroenterology clinic, they
really have no idea what'snormal when it comes to bowel
movements or blooming and ingeneral, I would tell people
(14:45):
that what I would considernormal is what is comfortable
for you. And that might not bewhat's comfortable for your
brother, your parents, yourfriends and family members, but
you specifically and so a simplerule of thumb is that. That, and
we're talking about bowelmovements, anywhere from having
three bowel nucleus per day tothree per week, is kind of
within the range of normal, butthat's a pretty wide range,
(15:06):
because stool frequency varies alot by your lifestyle, your
food, you eat, your age, yoursex. And so in the United
States, and you know, peoplehave studied this, the majority
of people who considerthemselves have notable bowel
habits. They report havingbetween three to 7000 per week.
But if you look at a countrylike India, especially on the
East Coast, there have beenother studies that found where
(15:29):
people in this area, they'remore vegetarian, their diets
typically higher in fiber. Theyhave the median of 14 bowel
movements per week. And youknow, if you go all the way to
Europe, Italians tend to haveone bowel movement per day. So
because of all thesedifferences, I really don't tell
my patients that they shouldhold themselves to some number,
but rather to make sure thathowever often they're going to
(15:51):
the bathroom, it's effortless,so that means no straining, and
it doesn't really interfere withtheir daily life or social
activities.
Back with more healthintelligence from
gastroenterologist Dr TriciaPasricha, and I asked her about
bloating. Is it normal, or isbloat a sign that we're eating
the wrong foods?
(16:12):
When it comes to bloating, weall bloat, some bloating after
meal or than expected, part ofdigestion, and it should go away
on its own. So for example,certain foods like those that
are really rich in insolublefiber, like cruciferous
vegetables, broccoli,cauliflower, lentils, beans,
these are classic offenders. Butthere's also maybe some other
(16:32):
triggers of bloating that mightnot be so high on your radar. So
fermented drinks like kombuchabeer, the sweetener sucralose,
and even things like onions,garlic and fruit, can trigger
bloating. In some people,honestly, things like chewing
gum, drinking carbonatedbeverage and even smoking, these
things that increase the amountof air you're swallowing can
(16:54):
also worsen bloating, and socutting back on those can help
but, but just like with bowelmovements, a little bit of
bloating is far for the course,but if it's becoming so bad that
it's making you uncomfortable,it's interfering with your
ability to function during theday, you're embarrassed to go
out and meet your friend. It'sdefinitely worth talking to your
(17:16):
physician to see if we canidentify other triggers you
might be meeting, or if there'ssomething else going on, like
irritable bowel syndrome, whichis treated differently sometimes
withmedication, will you achieve
your goals? If you believe youwill, you have a much better
chance. According to a study inthe journal emotion, when
students were asked what gradethey thought they'd get on an
upcoming exam, those who weremore optimistic about their
(17:38):
grade did get a higher gradethan those who had lower
expectations, they were alsobetter prepared for the exam.
The researchers say optimism notonly motivates us, it also
reduces stress and boostshappiness. If you want to reach
your goals, be more optimisticabout them, more intelligence
for your help from Dr TriciaPasricha the ask a doctor
(18:00):
columnist for the WashingtonPost, and one of her columns she
wrote about the rise in certaincancers among younger
populations. So I asked her,what lifestyle changes people
can adopt to reduce their cancerrisk.
Yeah, so cancer rates amongyounger people, so people
(18:20):
younger than the age of 50,they've been on the rise since
about the 1990s and so we'retalking about things like
colorectal cancer, breastcancer, but the big thing that I
tell my patients is that almosthalf of these cancers are
preventable. So there is a bigstudy that came out in 2022 that
was published in romance. Itthat showed about 44% of these
(18:41):
cancers were due to modifiablerisk. So I really recommend
three healthy lifestyle changes.
So first, focus on eating wholefoods with less processing and I
know everybody's heard that onealready, like a million times,
so I sometimes tell a patientmaybe make just one small
change, and that would be toeliminate red and processed
meat, like beef, ham, sausage,hot dogs from your diet. And I
(19:04):
say that because those are thetypes of foods that have been
particularly linked to cancer,especially colorectal cancer in
young people, so much so thatthe World Health Organization
issued an advisory about themsecond, cut down your alcohol so
so drink no more than one drinkper day for women and two drinks
per day per med. And if we'regetting real, recent studies
(19:25):
actually suggest that there's noamount of alcohol that's truly
good for you. In other words,the less you drink overall, the
better. And last thing Irecommend is to opt to get up
and move over sitting around andwatching television. Again, I
know that's old information, butthere is this study specifically
looking at cancer development atthe younger age of over 90,000
(19:47):
female nurses, and they foundthat those who are sedentary and
watch TV more than 14 hours perweek, they were more likely to
develop cancer at a younger agethan those who watch TV for less
than seven hours per week. Sothere's kind of a reason why you
always hear doctors give out thesame old, boring advice, and
that's because it actuallyworks. Here's
(20:07):
something to keep in mind whenyou're picking your kid or
grandkid up from daycare or anyafter school program in the hour
after leaving daycare, kids eatmore added sugar snack foods and
sweetened drinks than they do atany other time. According to the
journal Children's Healthcare,kids eat 22% of their days added
(20:28):
sugar intake in the single hourafter they're picked up from
childcare. And one of thereasons why is because the
transition between home anddaycare is one of the most
stressful for kids and parents.
Parents can feel stressed. Thekids may be cranky, hungry or
tired, and it becomes prime timefor sugary treats and other
unhealthy eating. So if you'repicking your kid up from daycare
(20:51):
or an after school program, comeprepared with healthy snacks,
like nuts, a banana or a baggiefull of grapes. Here's an email
I received at Connie atintelligence for your
health.com, it comes fromHeather Bailey, who writes, I've
been overweight my whole life,and I've finally decided to get
gastric surgery. I know I'lllose weight, but can it help
(21:15):
with my diabetes too? Heather,yes, a number of studies have
found that weight loss surgerynot only helps people manage
type two diabetes, it canreverse it. According to a study
by the Cleveland Clinic, of13,000 people who were obese and
had type two diabetes, 75% ofpatients who'd had bariatric
(21:38):
surgery no longer had diabetesand were able to stop taking
insulin and other diabetesmedications. And that's not all.
The patients who'd had weightloss surgery also had a 40%
lower risk of six major hearthealth problems, including a
lower risk for heart attack,stroke, heart failure, diabetic
kidney disease and atrialfibrillation. Dr Steven Nissen
(22:02):
authored the study and is aheart and vascular specialist,
and he says there are very fewtherapies in treating heart
disease that have as big of aneffect as weight loss surgery.
So yes, Heather, the gastricsurgery will help you lose
weight control your type twodiabetes and improve your heart
health. Thank you for youremail, Heather, I hope this
(22:25):
helps. Okay, listen to this.
Forget putting cucumber sliceson your eyes. Use a thinly
sliced raw potato instead.
According to the journal Foodand Agriculture immunology, you
can de puff your face by placingpotato slices on your skin for
five minutes. Potatoes haveenzymes that reverse water
(22:46):
retention in minutes and antiinflammatory compounds that firm
your skin to fall asleep faster.
We need to avoid stressfulactivities before bed, and that
can be anything from having anintense conversation to watching
a scary movie. But it also goesfor the content you consume on
(23:06):
your devices. If you have achoice between watching reruns
of friends or scrolling throughdisturbing videos on Tiktok,
choose the Content that calmsyou down. That's according to
clinical psychology professorAlison Harvey at UC Berkeley,
she says we can still use ourdevices, but choose passive
(23:27):
screen time versus active screentime, because if you're writing
a Reddit response on your phone,you're probably more focused on
writing than falling asleep. Butif you're watching surf videos
on YouTube, you'll have aneasier time falling asleep. Dr
Harvey says, if you're lyingstill and receiving information,
(23:47):
you are allowing sleep to cometo you. So try this tonight. If
you're going to use a screenbefore bed, ask yourself whether
the activity is keeping youengaged and alert. For example,
if an alarm went off right nowand said, Put your phone down.
Could you if your response isno, switch to a more relaxing
activity on your phone, moreintelligence for your health
(24:09):
from our guest, Dr, TriciaPasricha, if you want to follow
up with her, you can check outher ask a doctor column in the
Washington Post or follow her onInstagram at Tricia Pasricha,
MD, that's p, A, S, R, I, C, H,A, and as someone who emphasizes
preventive health, I asked DrPasricha to share her best piece
(24:32):
of health advice for people ofany age, I would say the
most important thing that mypatients can do is actually to
just start checking in with yourdoctor early, right? So people
who are in their 20s and even30s, they often don't have a
primary care physician, orthey're not making an
appointment with their primarycare physician, unless they're
sick for some reason. And if youdo that, if you're in your 20s
(24:55):
and you're breathing throughyour 30s, and you're never
actually really checking in. Fora preventative care visit, which
I recommend everybody do atleast once a year, check their
blood pressure in your 30s withcertain risk factors you need to
start checking and screening forthings like diabetes. If you
don't do that, you're going tomiss these risk factors and miss
that opportunity and window tostart treating conditions early,
(25:19):
rather than catching them, maybein your 50s and 60s, when
they've already become aproblem, they've already started
to damage your organs. So Ithink the biggest tip I would
get give people is to make thatappointment even when you feel
otherwise healthy. Becausepeople, I'll give you one
example is colorectal cancerscreening for a long time,
(25:40):
everybody, and we allrecommended that we do it at the
starting at the age of 50. Butin recent years, we've lowered
that age to 45 and that itselfpeople might not be aware of.
But what the other thing thatpeople might not be aware of is
that if you have a familyhistory of colorectal cancer, it
can be either 10 years beforethat, so as early as the age of
35 or 10 years younger thantheir relative who had it when
(26:04):
they were diagnosed. And so ifyou're really waiting until that
end, you know your 40s to go getthat checkup, you might miss the
opportunity to get screenedearlier.
That's it for our show today,our special intelligence for
your health with Connie Selig.
Edition of the podcast, I'm GibGerard. Don't forget to rate
comment and subscribe on Applepodcast Spotify, wherever you
get your podcast, it helps usout a lot. And also you can
(26:26):
reach out to us on social media.
All of our links are listed downin the show notes. We try to
respond to every DM, everymention of the show, because
ultimately, we do the show foryou guys. So thank you so much
for listening. You.
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