Gut and the Mind

Emphasising the state of our mind influencing our gut and vice-versa, Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani, in a seminar organised by the Celiac Society of India and Prana in association with Illness To Wellness, said, “It's not a one-way road that the mind affects the gut. It is a two-way street, where both influence each other. So, if I take care of one and neglect the other, I will not get the desired results.”  

For taking care of the gut, Sister Shivani highlighted the importance of eating right and recommended a diet which has fewer inflammatory grains to get amazing results. She said that she herself was on a diet which was free from inflammatory grains for over a year and said that since making the dietary change, she has noticed significant improvements—her energy levels have soared, and she no longer experiences tiredness. She can now easily travel and speak for two hours, three to four times a day, all thanks to the positive impact of her new diet. 

Along with diet, Sister Shivani also focused on nurturing the mind, as the mind and gut influence each other. She explained that for a mind to be devoid of stress, hurt, worry, fear and holding onto the past, it is important to address the factors that are creating these negative thoughts and affecting the emotional health of an individual. “There are five factors which create our thoughts: what I watch, what I read, what I listen to, what I eat and what I drink. These five are the raw materials,” she said.

Therefore, she stressed the need to consume positive and enriching content, as opposed to the current trends of consuming content which features the negative aspects of life. She pointed out that this responsibility lies not only with content creators but also with content consumers, who must choose to engage with healthy content. The seminar saw enthusiastic participation from participating citizens who actively engaged with the experts and raised many health-related questions.