Unlocking Intuition is More Related to the Gut than Daily Meditation: We Think How We Eat
It is common to hear about intuition, although maybe not with that word. Sometimes when we are struggling with decisions, we have that inner voice explaining the reasons why this decision is better than that one. Occasionally, we might say that we will follow what gives us the best feeling; well, perhaps that is our intuition talking to us. Intuitive actions are also bodily reactions, but we do not frequently notice this kind of intuition because it is a natural disposition that we have. Like the animals we are, we depend on our intuitive actions, even if we cannot notice them. However, science has been studying intuition in recent years, and that research is giving us a better perspective about that natural power. Our “gut feeling” has been scientifically proven now. It is not just an adage that the link between our gut and our brain brings us mental health. With the help of science and our effort, that unconscious intuition can become conscious, and we can reap the benefits if we learn how to use it.
Intuition is the ability to know something or understand something using our feelings instead of carefully considering all the facts.
There are numerous definitions of intuition; for some people, it is a religious act, and for some others, it is a pure gut feeling or an inner knowingness about what we need to do. All those definitions are accurate, and it does not mean that there are persons who are more intuitive than others, but there are persons who know how to listen to that inner voice more than others.
During the past years, science has been more interested in knowing more about our intuitive actions. One compilation of studies showed that intuition goes forward in our thinking actions. The researchers have found that our physical reactions, such as blood pressure, brain waves, perspiration, and heart rate change, when we experiment with this instinct. One example of this is one study showing that our bodies know if something is coming in our way before thinking about it. Starting from the base that researchers had demonstrated we have a lot of neuronal connections in our hands; another example is that they perceived that our palms begin to sweat when we are around something dangerous, minutes before our conscious mind can notice it. With these studies, we have the opportunity to prove and record innate human actions. The studies only show us a viewpoint about something that we have carried with us since our existence — that sixth sense.
In the primitive era, our ancient ancestors relied on their intuition to ensure their physical safety. Indeed, today all animals use this ability to survive. However, we are not in that “survival mood” anymore; we do not need to use our intuition for shopping in the mall or to talk to our families. Now we have a conscious mind that can trick our intuition, but that does not mean that we cannot build that ability again, because it is something that has always belonged to us. It is like our wild inner animal.
Intuition is in the brain’s right hemisphere, which is associated with emotions and art, and with the autonomic nervous system, also called the “ancient brain.” The brain’s limbic system can sense danger detected by the autonomic nervous system before it is physically apparent. This natural capacity has been used by humans throughout life, most of the time without notice. However, if we were aware of this natural power, we could harvest benefits that can support our daily lives.
Nevertheless, many of us must be asking: What exactly is intuition? Moreover, what is it not?
Sometimes it turns out to be complicated to tell real intuitive thoughts from guesses. Therefore, the writer Paul Bange interviewed a group of psychologists who summarized some clues that would help us explore our intuition and benefit from it:
- Intuition is not a guessing accomplishment. Psychologists say that intuition uses information and experiences that we have been carrying with us. Rather than using our feelings to know something, guessing leaves the door open to talking from our fears, and when we are afraid, we can overthink the situation, and that is not intuition. Through experience, we can create a pattern where we will be talking from intuition and not from our fears.
- The intuitive “state” comes when we are relaxed. If we are under stress, depressed, or not on our golden day, it might not be the right time to feel that our thoughts are coming from intuition. To avoid confusing our emotions with our intuition, we must first develop a peaceful mood. Intuition requires a tranquil mind, clarity in our thoughts, and self-knowledge within a relaxing mindset.
Over the years, we have lost control of our intuitive actions, so to take them back, we need to practice. Our ancestors got used to being more intuitive than us because, at that time, it was the only option they had. In a parallel fashion, a thousand years of evolution separate us from our descendants and the way of feeding ourselves. Looking at diet and our gut biome may be the key to reclaiming our intuition.
Food by itself, it is our energy, coming from the ecosystem to nourish our internal ecosystem.
As we well know, food provides us thousands of minerals and vitamins to develop our primal functions. Food by itself is our energy, coming from the external ecosystem to nourish our internal ecosystem. When our foods are inside, our guts are houses for them to be transformed into nutrients. The human gut (gastrointestinal tract) is often called “the second brain” because it is the only organ with its own independent nervous system, an interactive network of millions of neurons. A fascinating thing about our GI tract are the bacterial species living there, because they are the managers who regulate digestion and metabolism. At the same time, they make vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat. All of that biome work produces hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate basic physiological processes and mental processes such as learning, memory, and mood. Surprisingly, gut bacteria make about 95% of the body’s serotonin, which we well know is influencing our mood.
Over the years, we have seen that our food options are remarkably bad for our health, and sometimes are associated with weight gain, but never with our mental wellness. Clean, whole foods are the basis for gut health that also improves our mental clarity, due to the two-way connection between the food we eat and our relaxed state. This makes it crucial to constantly remind ourselves to always make this link because as we eat, we feel. However, if we are not used to eating well, practice is going to be our weapon.
Consequently, the meaning of practice here is about bringing back healthy practices to our lives because nutrition is an input to our wisdom, wisdom which, at the same time, is our output to the world. Our eating habits play an essential role in all body systems. Eating well has wonderful benefits for our minds; it influences our body to support our concentration with all the nutrients that we need. Then our healthy minds support our way to a more natural state. It is an infinite cycle of input/output that helps us to stay glowing. By supporting our systems nutritionally, we can keep our intuition clear.
To be honest, sometimes our eating habits are not the best, and do not provide us with the nourishment that we require. Instead, sometimes, eating becomes a struggle rather than a way to improve our mental health. For example, we could suffer from digestive problems, many sugar cravings, overeating, eating too little, too much meat, no meat, and so on. We need to balance our nutrition so that we can log into a relaxed mind, and we can have access to our intuitive mind.
Intuition cannot flourish without proper nutrition. We must understand that nourishment and eating are our way to keep our bodies and minds healthy. Those two are not separate from each other. However, while intuition can be a benefit for us, it can also be an excuse to start a healthy lifestyle and create a better version of ourselves. Things do not come to us alone; proper nutrition and a balanced lifestyle bring us a thousand benefits. If our intuitive actions return to us, more good things are coming too.
I wrote this based on research and my thoughts, but I would like to encourage you to use this article as a guideline to research more about the topic. These are only a few examples of how our minds and our nutrition are interconnected.
However, most of the questions are not answered here or in any other article because they are inside us. Intuition is different for everyone because everyone has had different experiences and different microbial gut environments. When we are born, every gut is sterile; over time, everyone’s gut develops a different and distinct brew of bacteria, determined in part by genetics and in part by what we eat. Only we know whence comes our nourishment or malnourishment, and listening to our intuition about this can help us improve our mental health by using our food as a medicine and vice versa.
You can start today. Explore your unique inner self and follow that intuition that it is telling you to eat well. Set aside quiet minutes in the day where your breath is the only focus. Feel like a part of the entire universe, and instead of thinking, “What more can I do?” ask yourself, “What should I stop doing?” Less noise is more clarity, and more clarity brings out our natural instinctive state: Intuition.
References
Bagne, P. (2019). When Not to Use Your Head. In S. Heyer, True Stories 5 (pp. 77–78). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Carpenter, S. (2012, September). That Gut Feeling. American Psychological Association, 43(8), 50. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
Virtue, D., & Reeves, R. (2016). Nutrition for Intuition. United States: Hay House Inc.
