| p>The Brain-Gut Connection | | | | to flatten your abs and build a rock solid |
| Have you ever wondered why people get butterflies | | | | physique… and I am going to show you how. |
| in the stomach before a job interview or big | | | | Internal organs borrow their pain-sensitive nerve |
| performance? Or even why people vomit at the | | | | fibers from the muscular system. This means that |
| thought of something unpleasant or while under | | | | when an organ feels pain, the brain cannot determine |
| severe stress? | | | | if it's the muscle or the organ that hurts. The brain |
| The reason for these common experiences is that | | | | only knows which segment of the spine that the pain |
| your digestive tract and stomach in particular acts as | | | | message came from. So, the brain then sends a |
| a second brain. The human digestive tract contains | | | | message to that particular region of the spine and |
| over one million nerve cells… this is about the | | | | tells all of the muscles, tissue and organs in that |
| same amount of nerves found in the spinal chord! In | | | | region to behave as if they were in pain. (3) |
| fact, there are more never cells in your digestive | | | | When you are distressed, due to emotional |
| system than there is in the entire peripheral nervous | | | | disturbance from - financial insecurity, relationships, a |
| system.(1) | | | | job that you hate or spending an hour on the phone |
| Your digestive brain and the brain in you skull are | | | | with your depressed middle aged auntie… your |
| linked together via the vagus nerve. The vagus | | | | stomach, or second brain reacts. Some of the |
| nerve “wanders” from the brain stem | | | | specific observed reactions by this organ to |
| through the organs in the neck and thorax and finally | | | | emotional pain include decreased or increased blood |
| terminates in the abdomen. This has been termed | | | | flow, “clenching”, and digestive inhibition. |
| the “brain-gut” connection by Jordan | | | | While this is occurring, your abdominal musculature |
| Rubin, author of The Makers Diet. (5) | | | | has just received the same message that the |
| This second 'abdominal brain' is just as important as | | | | stomach has - “there is pain and we must |
| your 'skull brain'. According to Dr. Michael Gershon, | | | | react”. Your abdominal muscles, now perceiving |
| professor of anatomy and cell biology at Columbia | | | | pain, become inhibited and lose the capacity to |
| Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, | | | | contact to their fullest capacity. This is true in |
| describes the body's second nervous system in his | | | | particular for the Transversus Abdominis, the muscle |
| book The Second Brain: | | | | that activates the thoraco-lumabr fascia for low back |
| “The brain is not the only place in the body | | | | stability and acts to keep your belly “drawn |
| that's full of neurotransmitters. A hundred million | | | | in”. (I've just shown you how mental/emotional |
| neurotransmitters line the length of the gut, | | | | distress causes low back pain as well.) |
| approximately the same number that is found in the | | | | So, what does this mean for me? |
| brain… The brain in the bowel has got to work | | | | Essentially, the point that I would like to make clear is |
| right or no one will have the luxury to think at | | | | that as a holistic entity your entire physiology is linked |
| all.” (4) | | | | via control systems including the nervous system. |
| Your stomach literally thinks and, has the capacity to | | | | You now understand why mental / emotional stability |
| feel and express your emotions. | | | | is essential for muscular strength and stability… |
| Smart Core | | | | especially as it relates to your abdominal. |
| According to Paul Chek in Scientific Core Conditioning, | | | | If you have been trying, unsuccessfully, to improve |
| the rectus abdominis is segmentally innervated by | | | | your aesthetics through countless crunching sessions |
| different 8 nerves. He continues to assert that due | | | | and dieting - I invite you to consider that you have |
| to the abundance of nerves that innervate the core | | | | been missing as much as 50% of your opportunity to |
| abdominal musculature, that it functions as if it has 8 | | | | have better health and visible strength. Ignoring or |
| brains.(2) | | | | working against your body doesn't work! And you will |
| The reason for the abundance of nerve endings in | | | | only look as good on the outside as you feel on the |
| the abdominal musculature is obvious… | | | | inside. |
| throughout our evolution, the hardships of | | | | What can I do? |
| developmental environment dictated that the | | | | First, recognize that you are an integrated system of |
| abdominal musculature need be extremely strong as | | | | systems and that one part of your mind-body cannot |
| well as intelligent. It is the abdominal musculature that | | | | experience trauma without it affecting several others. |
| is responsible for: the stabilizing effect for the | | | | Next, there are a total of 6 factors which I call you |
| expression of limb movement, increasing | | | | “The Primal Elements” that must be |
| intra-abdominal pressure to assist in forced | | | | addressed in order for you to look and feel your |
| expression, flexion, rotation, ipsilateral isometric | | | | God-given potential. I will elaborate on each of theses |
| contraction when stimulated unilaterally, transferred | | | | in a later article but for now I will list them: Your |
| tension to create spinal stability via that | | | | Thoughts, Breathing, Hydration, Nutrition / Food |
| thoraco-lumabr fascia (TCF), etc. So, my point is | | | | Quality, Exercise and, Biological Rhythms.(6) |
| clear… your abs have a lot of jobs, so they've | | | | Learn more about “The Primal Elements”: |
| been given a lot of brains. | | | | [ |
| Abdominal Inhibition due to emotional disturbance | | | | Addressing each of The Primal Elements on a daily |
| To reiterate… First, your digestive system acts | | | | basis will keep your organs, your nervous system and |
| as a second brain and contains the same amount of | | | | subsequently your musculo-skeketal system |
| nerve cells as the spinal chord. Also, due to the | | | | functioning optimally and allow for a flatter, stronger |
| abundance of neurotransmitters present in the | | | | and better looking midsection. |
| stomach it has been observed, both clinically and | | | | Reference: |
| experientially, that it is highly affected by the | | | | 1. Blakeslee, Sandra, “Complex and Hidden Brain |
| emotions that we produce. | | | | in Gut Makes Stomachaches and Butterflies”, |
| Next, it has been established that the core | | | | New York Times, January 23, 1996. |
| musculature has “8 brains”. The muscles | | | | 2. Chek, Paul, Scientific Core Conditioning (San Diego, |
| of the abdominal are highly evolved to withstand | | | | CA: CHEK Institute Publications, 1998) |
| “primal man's” need to survive and | | | | 3. Chek, Paul, How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy (San |
| thrive in developmental environment via functional | | | | Diego, CA: CHEK Institute Publications, 2004) |
| movement patterns necessary for hunting as well as | | | | 4. Dr. Michael Gershon, The Second Brain (New York: |
| building shelter. | | | | Haprer Collins, 1998). |
| Both the digestive system and the abdominal | | | | 5. Rubin, Jordan, The Makers Diet, (Lake Mary, Florida: |
| musculature are linked via the nervous system. One | | | | Silhom, 2004). |
| of the primary control centers of the nervous | | | | 6. Hulse, Elliott, Unleash Your Primal Edge (St. |
| system, the brain, can make or break your efforts | | | | |