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Your gut and your brain are having a conversation
If your digestion gets worse during stressful weeks — even when you haven't really changed what you're eating — there's a reason, and it isn't always food.
In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate explains the gut-brain connection most people have never had properly explained to them, why your nervous system has more to do with your digestion than your diet does, and what actually helps when "just relax" is the worst possible advice.
She unpacks the surprising direction of traffic on the vagus nerve, the common patterns she sees in busy weeks — sudden bloating, food reactivity, brain fog after meals, unpredictable bathroom days — and the small, practical changes that shift the nervous system through the body rather than through the mind. This episode is for anyone who's been told it's "probably stress" and left with no useful answer about what to do about it.
Three takeaways:
Roughly 80% of the information flowing through your vagus nerve travels from gut to brain — not the other way around. Your gut is talking to your brain almost constantly
Under chronic stress, digestion is physiologically deprioritised. Stomach acid drops, motility changes, the gut wall becomes more permeable, foods that were fine become reactive
You can't think your way out of nervous system stress — it shifts state through the body, not the mind. Breath, sunlight, sitting down to eat and proper evening wind-down do more than meditation apps
Free guides:
Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss → francesnorgate.com/#bloodsugarguide
Pre-Diabetes: What Your GP Didn't Have Time to Tell You → francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide
Work with Frances:
Free 30-minute Blood Sugar Audit → francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit
Free discovery call → francesnorgate.com/work-with-me
Follow Nourished & Found:
Substack → francesnorgate.substack.com
Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/nourished-found/id1868788812
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4xlG5vBrC0tKadVPfsBUus
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information shared is general and may not apply to your individual circumstances. Always consult your GP or qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance, and never make changes to prescribed medication without medical supervision. Frances Norgate is a Qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle Advisor (mFHT, CertION, MA) and works alongside, not in place of, your existing medical care.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com
View all episodes
By by Frances Norgate, CertION, mFHT, MAIf your digestion gets worse during stressful weeks — even when you haven't really changed what you're eating — there's a reason, and it isn't always food.
In this episode of Nourished & Found, Frances Norgate explains the gut-brain connection most people have never had properly explained to them, why your nervous system has more to do with your digestion than your diet does, and what actually helps when "just relax" is the worst possible advice.
She unpacks the surprising direction of traffic on the vagus nerve, the common patterns she sees in busy weeks — sudden bloating, food reactivity, brain fog after meals, unpredictable bathroom days — and the small, practical changes that shift the nervous system through the body rather than through the mind. This episode is for anyone who's been told it's "probably stress" and left with no useful answer about what to do about it.
Three takeaways:
Roughly 80% of the information flowing through your vagus nerve travels from gut to brain — not the other way around. Your gut is talking to your brain almost constantly
Under chronic stress, digestion is physiologically deprioritised. Stomach acid drops, motility changes, the gut wall becomes more permeable, foods that were fine become reactive
You can't think your way out of nervous system stress — it shifts state through the body, not the mind. Breath, sunlight, sitting down to eat and proper evening wind-down do more than meditation apps
Free guides:
Is Your Blood Sugar Working Against You? Ten Signs Most People Completely Miss → francesnorgate.com/#bloodsugarguide
Pre-Diabetes: What Your GP Didn't Have Time to Tell You → francesnorgate.com/prediabetes-guide
Work with Frances:
Free 30-minute Blood Sugar Audit → francesnorgate.com/blood-sugar-audit
Free discovery call → francesnorgate.com/work-with-me
Follow Nourished & Found:
Substack → francesnorgate.substack.com
Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/nourished-found/id1868788812
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/4xlG5vBrC0tKadVPfsBUus
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information shared is general and may not apply to your individual circumstances. Always consult your GP or qualified healthcare professional for personalised guidance, and never make changes to prescribed medication without medical supervision. Frances Norgate is a Qualified Nutrition and Lifestyle Advisor (mFHT, CertION, MA) and works alongside, not in place of, your existing medical care.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit francesnorgate.substack.com