That Gut Feeling is Real How Gut Impacts Mood

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What are you waiting for? Good night. Got that lovin' gut feeling or lost that lovin' gut feeling? Following your gut feeling may lead you places you don't want to go right now. If you've never given thought to how your gut impacts your mood, this is the time. No mood swings or lows to complain about. Stay with me because you're in midlife, very likely, or just beyond it if you're here. And it's very likely that your gut health has changed in some way because of hormonal changes. If you're experiencing bloating or constipation, diarrhea that you've never experienced before, and inevitably those impact your brain. Not to mention, if your digestion and elimination aren't on point, you're potentially not absorbing nutrients and your workout suffers. It's not It's not just what you eat, but how you absorb it that matters. If you find nutrition, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies mind-boggling right now, there's another way to look at it. What if it's fascinating, the options that we have? We don't have to take them all, but we can potentially change our health with options available to us that were never before. Let's sort through some of the overwhelm and look at what's just more and what's useful and when that would be true. And we start with gut health. I'm Debra Atkinson. You're listening to Flipping 50, where I address your top struggles and concerns. And among them, gut health is really at the top. I share what to eat, how to move, and how to change your mindset. So you can have the energy and the vitality that you want, need, and deserve in this second and better half. My guest today is Dr. Nick Bitz. He's a naturopathic physician that specializes in Ayurvedic medicine, which he will explain if that word is elusive or new. He's a leading voice in the natural products industry and currently serves as Senior VP of Product Development at Neurohacker Collective. His area of expertise include nootropics, anti-aging medicine, biohacking, herbology, nutrition, and dietary supplements. And I think you're really going to get a lot out of this. We talk about some topics that we've visited here on this show before, but you'll get a little more insider knowledge about them, namely probiotics and what you're really looking for. And if, as you will find out, each of our gut biomes is slightly different, how could it be that taking a probiotic off the shelf, that we might be taking the same one, how would that actually work? We'll unpack all that right here. Let's do it. Dr. Nick Bitz, thanks so much for being here.

Excited to be here. Thanks so much for having me on.

Okay, well, all of our listeners have had probably that gut feeling, not necessarily that loving gut feeling, and we want to dive into and unpack some things about why that's true in midlife. But before we do, I'd love to just do the ABCs. Let's define for any listener who thinks she knows but maybe isn't quite clear, what is gut microbiome?

Yes, uh, I know there's a lot of confusion, I think, around that term. Um, even the word gut, like, I don't think people really understand even what that means. Um, and, and just in short, so the gut really is— it's all the way, it's the mouth all the way down to the anus, and it's that tube that connects those two aspects aspects of the body. And it's really, it's considered the exterior part of the body. I know it's inside our body, but at all times it's exposed to the environment. And so there's a lot that happens there, right? Which is, I think, where this field of gut microbiome and gut health emerges. And the gut microbiome itself is, it's much more than just bacteria, if you will. You know, there's a lot happening in the gut within those tubes specifically. You know, the digestive tract is about 30 feet of these tubular organs. It's the esophagus, the stomach, the intestines. And when you lay it out, it's the size of a basketball court. And so that's a lot of surface area, you know, and there's a lot on that surface. You know, we have a lot of microbial species. We have billions of bacteria. We have billions of viruses and parasites and protozoa, worms, fungus. They all work together in the gut. And, you know, we've co-evolved with these organisms, so they work for us when they're in a healthy manner. And of course, they work against us when they're in an unhealthy manner. And so the goal from a health perspective is to make sure that you have a very healthy expression of the gut microbiome overall.

Awesome. What, what is an unhealthy microbiome? What does that look like and/or what is it called?

Yeah, so we actually haven't really defined that yet. I think it's different for every person. There is a term that's in the literature that your listeners may have heard of. It's called dysbiosis, and that really just means that there's an imbalance of organisms in the gut and Again, your gut bacteria are probably very different than my gut bacteria. Um, but ultimately what is dysbiosis? It is, it's an unhealthy expression from the gut. And so even if you and I have even the same makeup, we might have a different expression or a different reaction internally. Um, and, and whoever has that negative reaction, that would be coined dysbiosis as it was. So It's kind of this emerging area. We're learning a lot. We still don't know very much, but we're starting with the bacteria, and that's been kind of this whole new area of gut health and probiotics. That's where we're starting, and we know a little, and it's really impacting health in very deep and significant ways.

So I've got a question for you. So in terms of, so my gut different than your gut, different than my bestie's gut, Okay, so we all take the same probiotic. Then what happens?

Yes. Yeah, yes. And, and so again, not every probiotic is the same, um, how they interact with the other bacteria that are in your gut. Um, there's a lot of variants, and so there's a lot of unknowns. It's not always as predictable as you take a probiotic and you get this this net effect, as it were. The ultimate goal of taking any probiotic really is to create diversity of the microbial species in your gut. That's the goal. And so for every person, that can look different. And so that's an important point. You know, over the last 10, 20 years, we've lost a lot of diversity. We've lost a lot of microorganisms that we've co-evolved with. And so it's important that we're reintroducing the right kind of species that are going in and doing the work in meaningful ways. They're shifting the pH in ways that favor good bacteria over bad bacteria. You know, they're weeding out the bad guys. They're, they're improving the mucus layer that lines the entire GI tract. They're producing the right kind of metabolites. And as an example, there's something called short-chain fatty acids. That we're starting to learn about. And they're the metabolites, or the, the processes, or the end processes of the fermentation that happens in the gut. And there's, um, there's, there's good byproducts and there's not so good byproducts. And so it's important that we're pushing the good byproducts that these bacteria can produce in the gut.

So I want to ask you this then. You know, I will get to ask this in coaching calls with someone because we do talk about the importance of a healthy gut. And here are some solutions and some, you know, basic recommendations. But I will often get asked, what good probiotic do you recommend? You know, and I think— yes, this is not a great question because unless you know where are you now, do you know what you need to take?

Yeah, in part. I mean, from a clinical perspective, right, and I am a clinician first, um, The way to get at that question and get an answer is to do a stool test, and it gives you a general idea about what's happening in the gut. But, you know, that's not always feasible for most people, um, nor is it really recommended because, again, we don't really know enough to say definitively what that means when we have those results. So how do you even treat that once you figure that out, right? I will say probiotics are very interesting. I'm very happy that They've emerged in the marketplace. Um, you know, they are, I think, a top 3 category within the dietary supplement industry right now, um, behind multivitamins and fish oil. And so people intuitively know, uh, the benefits of the, of these microorganisms and they seek them out, which is fantastic. Um, I will say though that, um, what we're working with from a probiotic selection is not always the best. I think the concept of probiotics rocks, but so far we've really been giving these kind of B-list or even C-list probiotic options. And I can confidently say that, that most of the strains that are out there in the marketplace really aren't that impactful, unfortunately. And most of them are dead in the capsule, or they, they die during the, the transport from the mouth into the GI tract. And so they don't arrive alive and they don't colonize where within the gut. And so they don't really shift the gut ecosystem, um, to create these meaningful changes that people want. And so I, I tend to avoid a lot of the most common strains of bacteria then, uh, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. They make up about 95% or more of the probiotics that are in the marketplace currently. Um, they're just not very good. Um, they do work in very big doses, but they don't work in the way that people think. Again, they don't colonize the gut and improve the composition of the gut microflora within the gut. They often arrive dead. And so that, that can be beneficial though. And so I want to point that out. It can— when you ingest these dead bacteria, it can activate your immune system, and it can activate a pretty strong immune response from within the gut. And so you get this systemic effect by, by consuming these quote-unquote ghost bacteria. Um, and, and, you know, that can have implications for inflammation, uh, again, for the immune system, uh, for brain health and on and on and on. Um, and so generally that's how these probiotics are working through this kind of modified, um, response that happens within the gut and then works through this cascade effect throughout the body. But these bacteria aren't getting into the gut and colonizing in the way that people think, which is kind of unfortunate. So I will say that there is a, a slightly different strain that I do promote. I've worked with clinically, I use personally, I give it to my 10-year-old daughter and have for years. And, and that's called a, a spore-forming bacteria. Bacillus strain. And so I use Bacillus coagulans, or there's other strains. Bacillus coagulans, uh, subtilis, or clausii are the most common. These are dormant bacteria, and so they're kind of asleep. They're protected by this really interesting shell, and they're always, um, they're always alive. And so when you ingest them, they make its way past the stomach into the small intestine. The pH change in the small intestine activates these bacteria. So they shed their coat and then they come to life and then they colonize the gut from there. And they have this very strong effect within the gut. They are transient. Um, and so they, they stick around for on average about 2 to 3 weeks. And within that 2 to 3 week window, they're exerting very strong effects to help kind of modulate, and, and, and really rework the microflora as it is. Um, and then the body eliminates them. And so I love that. Um, they, they do work very well. They work, uh, in very low doses. Um, and there's some really good research. Um, and so often that is where I start. I tell people to work with spore-forming bacteria first, um, before working with lactobacillus or bifidobacteria.

Very helpful. So good. And I have to come back to this. So listeners, it's all about you, I get it. But I think a lot of women want to know why, why am I having so much trouble with bloating and distension and gut issues in midlife as their hormones are changing? How are the two related? And is there something that in terms of prevention a woman could be doing? Because it's too late for those of us who have gone through it or in that perfect storm, but it's not too late for the young women that we all influence.

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I, you know, there's, there's a lot of different reasons why women can experience that, especially later in life. Um, you know, there is a, a direct bidirectional communication between, um, the brain and specifically the hormone system and the gut. And so there's a lot of, of back and forth communication. And so any imbalance of hormones or any shift in the brain will impact the gut overall. And so, and the gut health is not only just about, you know, bacteria, as I mentioned before, it's not just about taking a probiotic and then expecting these amazing results. There's a lot happening there. And, and these bacteria, as an example, they need food, which is where you insert prebiotics. Are these fiber compounds that are emerging in the marketplace that help to feed, uh, feed the good strains of bacteria that are in the gut. And so even if you're giving the body these good strains of bacteria, if they don't have the food to metabolize, to ferment, then they won't sustain, they won't stick around, they won't create the metabolites that, that give you good health and that the body needs. And so It's multifactorial. Um, once that, you know, if you can improve the, the endocrine system, you often can improve the gut. And if you can improve the gut, you often can improve the endocrine system. So there's a strong relationship there.

So good. All right, and everybody here also wants to talk about— so there's low energy, there's gut distension, and I know I'm painting a great picture here of menopause, but There's also the mood and the brain fog. I mean, those are like the— okay, and next, you know, I can't remember a thing, I feel foggy. But also, I mean, literally even many of the women could say, you know, I feel like I'm flirting with depression. I've never had that before. It's often just attributed to menopause, like, as a blanket statement, which I do not love and don't want to accept any The memes that make a woman say, oh, this is how you know you're in menopause, are terrible. We don't want that as an anticipation. But how is that related, or is it, to the gut?

Yeah, I mean, it's absolutely related. Um, again, I've talked about it briefly, but that the gut-brain access, um, is, is this emerging field that there's a lot of research happening right now, and there's a lot of interest, especially clinically. There is a term called psychobiotics, which is kind of a, it's a strange word, right? Psycho, but psychobiotic is any probiotic that has an effect on brain function. And typically it has an effect on the mental emotional aspect of brain health. And so you see usually a positive change in mood, a decrease in occasional nervousness or anxiety, You see an improvement in sleep. And so this area of psychobiotics relates directly to probiotics and their relationship to how it impacts mood specifically. And so we're finding a lot of the products that are emerging in the marketplace and specifically for practitioners that, that work in clinical settings, they have these psychobiotic or these probiotic strains that impact the mind specifically. And so I'm deeply fascinated by that. One of the organisms that I talked about earlier, that Bacillus coagulans, has some really good research in terms of improving mood states. And so that's something that, that I would certainly recommend seeking out.

Love that. Okay, so I also want to throw this out. I mean, we want to know, of course we want to— we— I hate this term when somebody says it to me, so you're going to cringe. I want to pick your brain while we're here, but we want to use you. Nick, that's it.

We just totally— that's why I'm here.

Yes, we want to know all the things. So obviously I think you really schooled us on, you know, a prebiotic that is— or probiotic that is spore-based. I love that. And we also know there's some study out that will say fasting can have a positive effect on gut biome. I also want to get your opinion is— can it have a negative effect? But what other things can we be doing to improve our gut if we just wanted to take charge today?

Oh yes, um, yes, I have read research showing that, that fasting can impact, um, gut health, especially the, the flora in the gut. Um, I, I would say that, um, yeah, there's always a chance that it can have a negative effect, but I would say those chances are slim. The body has this miraculous ability to just really find a way to always move towards health. And so often if you do nothing, it will move towards health. And that's really at the core, I think, of these fasting regimens. And so I, I am a believer in that. And with that said, there, there are some amazing changes too that can happen to the— within the gut., with dietary changes. And so the gut is completely plastic. You know, it's dynamic, it's physically malleable. Um, you can change that, your composition of your gut microbiota within 3 days of shifting your diet around. And so, um, you know, again, there's some really good studies. Um, there's some really good studies showing the benefits of a high fiber diet. Again, the bacteria use fiber as food to create these short-chain fatty acids that are important for gut health and really whole body health. Of course, we know fermented foods— you can shift the microbiota over the course of 10 weeks just by eating a little bit of fermented food on a daily basis.

I am sorry to interrupt. For anybody who's just unsure, what do you mean by fermented food?

Could you share? Yeah, I mean, fermented food is any food material that has introduced microbes to help break down that material. We, we know fermented foods are widely available, especially in Eastern cultures, in the form of kombucha, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, you know, fermented cheeses, kimchi, sauerkraut. They are staple foods throughout the world, especially in these blue zone regions of the world where people live the longest. Um, almost all of the Blue Zones have at least one fermented food that's a staple in their diet. Um, so just to show you the impact of gut health for longevity, it's, it's kind of amazing.

So good. Yeah, and thank you for breaking that down for us. And I interrupted you. Do you know your train of thought?

Sorry about that. I don't, I don't. We can pick up anywhere though.

I feel so at home with you. You also have brain fog. I love it. Okay. Yes. I want to ask this. I mean, can you share a few more? Obviously you just dove into a lot with the fermented foods. And I know I had a woman the other day on a coaching call and I said sauerkraut. She said, how do I eat it? Yeah, really? Like, I just— a couple forkfuls, any way you want to. Put it on a burger, put it in a salad. And she's like, really? Okay. Um, what about any other science-backed ingredients to support optimal digestion? And I also wanted to go back and ask you about fiber, because although we know how good it is for us, there are also some women who might already be dealing with gas or distension that are a little bit afraid of it or feel if they add fiber it gets worse. What's that all about, or what do you have to say about that?

Yeah, and that, that's often the experience of a lot of people when they introduce fiber. A lot of the fibers that are in the marketplace tend not to be very friendly for people that are sensitive in the gut. And so generally in a clinical setting, a lot of clinicians will just remove fibers altogether, which is, I think, unfortunate. However, there, there are certain fibers that are really fantastic that are FODMAP-friendly. Certain FODMAP fibers such as FOS and inulin um, which are everywhere in the marketplace, they do create a lot of digestive complaints— gas, bloating, um, just uneasiness in the gut. But, but fiber is needed, and so I, I always would recommend seeking out FODMAP-friendly fibers. In particular, there's a class of fibers that's just now starting to get more attention called resistant starches. Yep. And, and these are, um, you know, again, we've, we've evolved hundreds, if not thousands of years with resistant starches in our diet. And suddenly we're not getting any of them. Um, and the consequences are enormous and we're starting to discover this little by little. And, um, these resistant starches are, are very interesting because they have properties of soluble and insoluble fibers, meaning, um, that they reach the colon and then they're fermented by the bacteria.. And so they are directly reaching the bacteria that you want to reach, and then they're easily fermented to create these healthful byproducts that the body needs, um, without all of the digestive complaints. And so there's different types of resistant starches, uh, but generally these foods that, that, um, that they're rich in would be plantains, uh, green bananas, bananas that are unripe. Have a lot of that resistant starch, you know, whole grains, oats, barley, cooked rice, pasta, potatoes. There's an ingredient that's out in the marketplace right now that I love. It's called Solnol. Solnol, which is S-O-L-N-O-L. It's a type 2 resistant starch that's an uncooked potato. And so it works at a very low dose at about 3 or 3.5 grams per day, which is incredibly low. It's FODMAP-friendly, so it doesn't have any digestive issues for anybody. And we know specifically how it works in the body. It tends to lower histamine levels. It increases a keystone bacteria called Akkermansia. And we're starting to learn more and more about these keystone bacteria that are integral to the gut's health overall. And we're figuring out how can we increase the abundance of these super critical, super important bacteria such as Akkermansia.

Very cool. What about the green banana flour or the powder? Equally good?

What are your thoughts on that? Uh, you know, probably. Um, we looked at using that in one of our products here. Um, we pulled it out because we couldn't get the flavor right. Um, but with that said, yeah, I mean, it's generally speaking that should be high in resistant starch.

Right. You also said something I don't want to pass over. So you said at this point we're really no longer getting resistant starches in our diet. Is this because we're all keto crazy?

Um, yeah, I mean, in general, people aren't getting enough fibers. I mean, that, that much is known. Um, and then resistant starches, people just aren't eating these types of food anymore. Um, unless you're a hunter-gatherer, and, and most of us are not hunter-gatherers anymore. And so yeah, generally speaking, fiber as a whole category is lacking, but resistance is completely void from the diet these days.

I would love to go a little deeper, and I'm sure for you this is going to seem or feel very remedial, but I think for our listeners this is really important. It frequently comes up when I'm coaching in groups or talking to women Women tend to think they're eating a lot of fiber because they're having a lot of salads and because they're having a lot of greens in their smoothies. And I point out, I want you to go look up 4 cups of spinach and tell me how many grams of fiber that is, because it's very low. So fibrous versus fiber, that's kind of a gap. I mean, do you also experience that we have to actually define what foods contain the kinds of fiber that do the wonderful things for the gut that we need them to do.

Yeah, and that's a really good point. And the FDA recently has redefined fiber, um, so in, in terms of insoluble and soluble, uh, components, um, and that excluded a lot of things that people assumed were fibers. So to your point, would be spinach.

Right?

Right. So it definitely narrowed it down, but they're looking strictly from a functional aspect. And so it makes a lot of sense. I like what they've done. It changed a lot of how we talk about ingredients in the dietary supplement industry, as well as nutritionists and our recommendations overall. But yeah, I mean, generally people aren't getting anywhere near 20 grams of fiber per day. And I would suggest that people aim closer to 50 grams per day. And again, for so many different reasons. Obviously you want to have optimal bowel movements, which is just critical to health. Um, but, but again, as we've talked about earlier, is, is this idea of you need to feed the bacteria that are in your gut. And, and generally speaking, they look for these fiber components specifically as food.. And so if they're not in the diet, those bacteria have nothing to feed on and they generally will just go away. So there's so many different reasons why we need to get more, um, fiber into the diet. And again, more isn't always better. You know, the Costco mentality doesn't always work for everybody. And, and of course I'm not recommending go from 0 to 50 grams in one day.

Thank you, because I think a woman just fell off the couch listening.

Yes. You know, but, but it's, it's generally, it's just we need to shift how we're looking at food. We need to favor the foods that are higher in fiber. And if you can get a good dose of fiber in one of your meals every day, that is incredible. And you'll notice the differences immediately. And I'll say clinically, I find that the best way to introduce fiber is in your, in your breakfast. So if you eat breakfast, it's pretty easy to get high fiber diet into your, your daily regimen.

I'm gonna say this, and this is for women in midlife. We do though advocate that earlier in the day they want to start with a really high protein breakfast. So it can be a little more tricky if they're not taking in traditional, you know, breads or cereals or oatmeal. If they're doing a smoothie, you know, adding more fiber becomes much easier for them.

But go ahead, please comment on that. Yeah, um, you know, generally I, I try to incorporate fiber right alongside protein, uh, at all times. I, I think that, you know, especially when you look at like athletes that are doing protein powders, um, you know, critically important to muscle development and muscle repair, um, but they are by and large lacking the fiber element. So even getting fiber into an athlete that's doing huge doses of whey protein or whatever protein source they're using, they can get a lot of benefits. I do agree with you that, that, that recommendation of having more protein in the morning, that's critical to balancing blood sugar, building hormones, giving, you know, balancing moods, all of that is critically important. And so I would highly recommend that. But I think you can marry that idea up with this high fiber idea as well. And I will say, you know, I— so my background's in Ayurvedic medicine, and Ayurveda is a form of medicine from India that's 5,000 years old. You know, it's the sister science of yoga. And they really devalue protein. It's interesting. And so I'm at odds with the high— protein recommendations that are— that have become universal these days, especially on social media, um, in, in most diet plans. And, and I get why that recommendation is made, but to me it's interesting when you look at what Ayurveda recommends historically, um, and they say, yeah, generally people need about, uh, 10 almonds per day. That amount of protein gives you what you need to be healthy. And live a long, happy life. And so I'm at odds, you know, I'm constantly torn between these two— one very modern viewpoint and then one very ancient viewpoint. And I found both, for me, both to be very valuable. So I don't know where the answer is. I think that you got to pay attention to your body, personalize your dietary regimen based upon your body's needs, and go from there.

And use the data. So smart scales in your bathroom, so you're looking at muscle. Are you keeping it or are you losing it or are you gaining it? And which do you need to do? And that's, you know, it's exactly right. But I also think, given we are talking about so much fasting, and there can be real, real benefits to that for, for the right person at the right time, and that, that of course is taking in no protein for, or no nothing you know, for a long period of time has its place. And, you know, I do think there's no one-size-fits-all. Agree. It's just we're each a scientific experiment of one, and I'll track your data.

Every good scientist does that. Yeah. And, you know, we, we learn this as we get older. You know, I, I wish I knew myself better as a youngster. Um, But now I know my body type. I know what foods are good for my body type and bring balance and make me feel whole. Um, but, but again, this only happened later in life. Um, so yeah, but you got to listen to yourself. I mean, I always, I always, uh, invite people to use their body as a laboratory. Um, you know, not to follow any regimen, um, or use any product blindly, but to really listen to your body, see how you react to it. And respond accordingly. If it doesn't work, you know, set that product aside or that diet regimen aside and move on to the next.

I love that. And you know that comment about wishing you'd known yourself? Isn't there a country song that says wisdom, wisdom would be wasted on the youth? There's a reason we have it.

Yes.

Nick, while I've got you here, is there a question that, knowing we're talking to women 45 to 70, who often, number one, the urgency of taking care of our longevity for the next 30 or 40 years is becoming more urgent, and they may be struggling with hormonal changes. What should I've asked you in related relationship to that?

Oh, there's, there's just so many things that, that women over the age of 50 can and should do. I mean, there's, there's no endless number of recommendations, but again, it's figuring out which ones to grab ahold of and to try. You know, my, my recommendations are generally pretty simple. You know, I work within the arena of biohacking where people are doing some very weird experiments and they're trying everything all at once. And I've done that and I've recommended certain things in that, in that way, but I would recommend going back to basics. I think above all, prioritize sleep, critically important. Minimize alcohol, if only because it inhibits our ability to reach that deep stage of sleep. To be consistent in your sleep cycle, go to sleep at the same time every night, wake up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. Make sure you're sleeping in complete darkness. I use an eye mask, or I recommend blackout curtains. Um, you know, I love sound machines. So really prioritizing sleep is critically important, and there's so many different reasons, but one of the most important is really around maintaining adequate melatonin production. And of course, melatonin, critically important for circadian rhythm syncing and such and helping with sleep, but it's a really powerful antioxidant. And it's deeply therapeutic systemically throughout the body. And we know that there, um, that our pineal gland, which produces it in the brain, its production decreases significantly as we age. And so it's really critically important to make sure that you're giving the body the opportunity to produce more melatonin as we age. In terms of products or, or things to experiment Again, there's a number of things. Top of mind for me, especially from the Ayurvedic tradition, is an herb called shatavari, which is Indian asparagus. I usually recommend, you know, 1 to 2 grams per day, usually at nighttime. Shatavari is a Sanskrit word that means she who has 100 husbands, and it's aptly named because it's traditionally used to support support the female reproductive system and libido, of course. But why I love it so much is because it reintroduces the water element into women. And that's critically important. I, I often will use the analogy that, you know, we start out as grapes, and over time, we lose the water element, and we become shriveled up raisins. And so Ayurveda is all about infusing water back into individuals, especially women, uh, which is critically important for building hormones, tonifying the HPA axis, um, and just revitalizing the body overall. And so Shatavari is what I recommend for women. For men, I would do, um, kind of its complement, which is known as Ashwagandha. And women can often, uh, get benefit using Ashwagandha as well, but I love Shatavari because it's all about bringing that moon energy back into a woman's life.

I love that. Thank you. And where, where can listeners get more Nick and follow you?

Where's the best place to reach you? Uh, you know, I am not on social media at all. Um, I should— geez, I know.

Oh my God, I want to be you when I grow up.

I know, I know. It's, you know, I just made a choice point a long time ago where I, uh, you know, it's like, okay, I do either do a deep dive into social media and, and own it, or else I step back and become more meditative and more monk-like. And so, uh, I obviously went the more meditative monk-like path. Um, I currently, um, work with a company called Neurohacker Collective, um, and we build products, dietary supplement products. We have a gut health product as an example called Synbiotic. That's a powder, has everything all in one for gut health. Um, you know, we create brain health products, aging products. Um, you can find out more about the company online, neurohacker.com. Uh, that website is a wealth of information. Uh, there's blogs there, there's information on ingredients and botanicals and, um, on and on and on. And we have a podcast called Collective Insights where we bring on our own guests and have amazing conversations questions there as well.

And Neurohacker is found on all the social media outlets, so you can look us up there. Fantastic. And thank you so much for your time and for being here. This was a lot of fun. Thanks. You are welcome. Okay, listeners, now it's up to you. A little homework. So you all know the drill. You get to tell me what I missed, what should I have asked, and hopefully what questions meant the most to you, were the most insightful. So we'll share all the connections to Neurohacker and to Nick, at least as close as we can get to him, on the show notes. And those will be at flipping50.com/thatgutfeeling. And what are you waiting for? Let's start flipping 50 today.