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This week’s B ME Bites Trivia Question:

Welcome to edition #48 of B ME Bites! The gut and brain are more connected than you might think. The tiny microbes in your digestive system play a big role in mood, focus, and overall mental wellbeing.

The Gut-Mind Connection – How Your Belly Affects Your Brain

What happens in your gut doesn’t stay in your gut—learn how small changes can support a healthier mind

Have you ever had a "gut feeling" about something? Or felt queasy before a big decision? That’s not just a figure of speech—your gut and brain are in constant communication, and what happens in your digestive system can directly impact your mental wellbeing.

Your gut is home to trillions of microbes, forming what’s known as the gut microbiome. This tiny ecosystem does more than just help with digestion—it produces neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which influence mood, focus, and stress levels. In fact, about 90% of your body's serotonin is made in the gut!

When your gut is happy, your brain is happier too. But when your microbiome is out of balance—due to poor diet, stress, or lack of sleep—it can lead to brain fog, anxiety, and even symptoms of depression.

The good news? Small, daily choices can help keep your gut (and mind) in top shape. Here are a few easy ways to start:

• Eat more fermented foods (Probiotics) – Yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir introduce beneficial bacteria into your gut.

• Feed your microbes with fibre (Prebiotics) – Prebiotic foods such as garlic, onions, bananas, apples and pistachios help nourish good bacteria.

• Cut back on processed foods – These can feed harmful bacteria and disrupt gut balance.

• Stay hydrated – Water supports digestion and helps your microbiome thrive.

• Manage stress – High stress levels can negatively impact gut bacteria, so prioritising relaxation is key.

Your gut is like a second brain—when you take care of it, it takes care of you. What’s one small change you can make this week to support a healthier gut?

Reader Spotlight

Di Summerville left the following review after reading “Fat to Fabulous: Diet Free Weight Loss for Real Women”:

You can find out more about this book here.

In Case You Missed It: B ME HQ Weekly Recap

Some days don’t go as planned, but that doesn’t mean they have to derail everything. Last week’s B ME Podcast episode dives into simple, effective ways to reset and turn things around fast—because a bad moment doesn’t have to become a bad day.

🎧 Listen to the episode on your preferred podcast platform.

🎥 Watch the video on YouTube:

Weekly Challenge

Your mission for this week, if you choose to accept it, is to do the following:

Add one gut-friendly food to your daily routine. Try fermented foods like kimchi or yoghurt, fibre-rich vegetables, or prebiotic-packed bananas. Pay attention to how you feel—your brain will thank you!

If you need some help, feel free to hit reply - let’s help you get started if you’re stuck!

B ME Bites is deliberately sent on a Friday morning (Aussie time) so that where ever you are in the world, you have the weekend to give yourself the gift of implementing a small change towards a better you. What will that small change be? Is there a change that you have been trying to make and haven’t yet succeeded? Give it another go, applying the above - you can do it!

Resource Roundup

Discover how the microbes in your digestive system can influence your emotions and mental health in this short video:

The following Ted talk is well worth the watch. Great information delivered in a humorous way! (If you’re short on time, remember that you can change the playback speed):

Learn about the complex communication network between your gut and brain, and how it affects your overall wellbeing. There is some really interesting information in this one too:

Check out this great article from Dr Axe – How Gut Health Affects Your Brain. It gives you a short deep dive into the science behind the gut-brain connection and how to support a healthy microbiome:

Below is a resource list that has been created with you in mind. Whenever something new that could be helpful is discovered or created, it’s added to the list, so check it out from time to time. If you’re strapped for time, once you open the page below, click on Resource List in the top menu, then click on the “Health Tools” link for a list of items that could be helpful on your path to a better you.

The answer to this week’s trivia question is:

Thanks for reading and the hope is that you found something helpful inside this issue. If you did, remember to share it with others whom could also find it helpful, using this link: https://bmebites.beehiiv.com

How did you like the content in this newsletter?

Hit reply and answer either 1,2 or 3, and, if the answer is 2 or 3, give the deets on what would make it a 1 for you!:

1. Loved it!

2. It was OK

3. Meh!

If you have an inspiring story, or a helpful tip or strategy to share, or if there is something specific you would like covered, please fill out the form below so that it can be shared with the community. Please note that this is a subscriber survey, so you may have to subscribe first (hint, hint…… 😉) : https://bmebites.beehiiv.com/forms/8d0dfdd1-4290-4e40-bff9-1f61b812c661

(Or you could also hit reply and give the details that way if it’s easier for you 😄)

Until next week, keep taking one S.T.E.P.S step at a time! (If you missed the issue explaining The S.T.E.P.S Formula, you can check that out here)

Warm regards,

Shari Ware Chief Encouragement Officer at B ME Bites

PS - Here’s a little Friday funny for you!

PPS - B ME Bites is created using the platform Beehiiv. Beehiiv was built by the creators of Morning Brew, so it’s a newsletter platform built by successful newsletter creators and as such, is so easy to use! If you are looking to create your own newsletter and are looking for a great platform, you can check Beehiiv out here. They have a great free plan as well as paid plans when you’re ready to scale.