Gut-Brain Axis

It does not seem very sophisticated to connect blissful happiness with processed food and waste. Yet, scientists have become more and more aware in recent years of the strong connection between the digestive system and mood balance.The truth is that happiness depends on gut health and vice versa. 

Our nervous system, responsible for our behaviour, is formed by two interconnected parts – the Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) and the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). ENS is located along the entire digestive tract – from the oesophagus through the stomach and intestines and down to the anus. ENS can perform tasks independently of the brain such as coordinating reflexes and secreting. It is built by the same neurones and neurotransmitters as the Central Nervous System and often is called “the second brain”. 

The two systems talk to each other and the communication system between them is called gut-brain axis.  The largest nerve in the body, the vague nerve, which runs from the brain to the colon is part of it. When a person is in danger, in “fight or flight” mode, the ENS helps by slowing down or stopping the digestion so more energy can be used to deal with the threatening situation. Another example is when the person is afraid of public speaking. Their digestive system again reacts by slowing down or speeding up and that can cause abdominal pain or diarrhoea. My personal experience of this brain-gut axis is that before my uni exams I was frequently visiting the  bathroom. Emotions like love or excitement can lead to feelings of “butterflies” in the stomach. 

The opposite also happens – poor gut health can influence how we behave and our mood. Problematic intestines, or a troubled stomach may signal to the brain and cause anxiety, stress and depression. 

Communication between the brain and the guts (particularly stimulation of the vague nerve)  is the reason for feeling so good after dropping a poo, so called “poo-phoria”. Bowel movement stimulates the vague nerve, the heart rate and blood pressure drop and you feel relaxed and pleased. 

Serotonin

Serotonin (remember, the happy chemical?) impacts every part of the body from emotions to motor skills. Serotonin is critical for the functioning of the digestive system. It is primarily produced in the body’s intestines, and affects many sides of the gut functioning: how fast the food goes through the system, how much mucus is secreted in the intestines and how sensitive intestines are to pain and fullness from eating. Changes in the serotonin level affect the guts as well as the brain. If you deal with chronic digestive issues your serotonin level is being impaired. Serotonin rises when you eat something toxic or have food poisoning in order to quickly remove the food from the body by vomiting and diarrhoea. Having a low level of serotonin creates a savage circle as serotonin is fundamental for ensuring proper nutrition digestion and absorption.

People with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who experience constipation often have lower levels of serotonin  – the muscles in their rectum are less reactive to serotonin and they are more likely to have hard stools. 

Those with IBS with higher levels of serotonin may have diarrhoea – their rectums are more reactive, with loose watery stools.

Microbiome

90-95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut cells. Production of serotonin is affected by the microbiome in the guts – millions of viruses and bacterias. The microbiome diversity is important for gut health but unfortunately, it decreases with age. Also high stress can cause changes in the microbiome.

Research shows that healthy gut bacteria plays a role in maintaining healthy serotonin levels. Serotonin is produced in the digestive tract by enterochromaffin cells and particular types of immune cells and neurones. Studies have found that several species of gut bacteria are missing in people with depression and, furthermore, imbalance in gut flora can lead to imbalance in mood. 

Nowadays it is widely accepted that a better understanding of the serotonin production in the guts may inform the treatment of certain mental health conditions in the brain. 

If this subject resonates with you there is a ton of information on YOUTUBE, various podcasts, many books and articles, including recipe books for clever and happy guts. 

This article is inspired by the Christchurch Rotary Charity Quiz on 7th May at the Twynham school. 

Let’s start with a confession – I do not like quizzes. My husband Adrian is quite the opposite  – he loves them and he is good at them. However, I really enjoy going to quizzes (always with Adrian, otherwise I will significantly drag the team’s score down) when they are for charity, like the one we attended yesterday. Here is Adrian talking about it.  

 

The charity quiz has been organised by Rotarian Paul Mills and his wife Jean for more than 40 years and the money raised donated to many local charities over the years. Yesterday,  the organisation was impeccable, the atmosphere was great with 15 teams, good raffle prizes and quite difficult questions. All good and I will inform you about the amount of money raised. The only downfall was that our team came last, an honourable position as someone has to be last. We were good losers. 

People go to quizzes for different reasons: to challenge their memory, to put their brain to work, to have fun and feel the camaraderie of a team, to experience the excitement of the competition and the desire to win. They do not know what else to do in their leisure time and it is an excuse to have a drink – all very valid reasons. 

As a person with a not-so-good memory, I do not really understand the purpose of quizzes – the Internet and IPhones have made our lives very easy and comfortable – I just need to Google or to speak to Siri and I immediately know what I need to know, I do not need to remember it. 

Philosophical questions about quizzes

And here we come to the philosophical and scientific questions – does evolution have direction and is the direction from more simple to more complex and skilled formats? It appears not. Darwin and the evolution theory are clear – evolution is about surviving. Only the most adapted to the environment organisms survive and that could mean losing skills or more compounded features. A great example is penguins. They are birds but they lost their ability to fly as they developed more fat in their body to survive the severe cold of their surroundings. 

Turning to people and our ability/skill  to read maps and being orientated. I listened to the TED talk “How your language shapes the way you think”. It is about people Kuuk Thaayorre who live at the very west edge of Cape York . They do not have a concept of “left”and “right”, instead they use the cardinal directions – north, south, east and west. So, they will say something like “You have an ant on your southwest leg”. However, they are the most orientated people in the world, in a way we did not think it possible. But we, we are forgetting how to read maps (on the other hand, many marriages are safe). We just use the Google map on our iPhones or the car’s SatNav.

Recently, even I as a strong digital supporter was shocked to discover that a young girl (generation Z) could not read the clock on the wall. She did not have an idea what is “quarter to 7”, the reason being she only was exposed to digital watches. Another lady in the company confirmed that her grandson (school age) also cannot read mechanical clocks. 

So where are we heading to? Where is evolution taking human beings? Will people in the 22nd century be able to love and enjoy quizzes? 

Uniforms make us recognisable. It is a way of communicating with the public – uniforms show our line of business and our place in the hierarchy. So, why on earth, would someone create and wear a personal uniform outside of work?

Karl Lagerfeld (yes, the same Karl, the Chanel man) is a great example of creating and maintaining a personal uniform in his daily life. He was immediately recognisable – white powdered hair in a ponytail, dark glasses, high 18th century collars, tailored jacket, leather gloves without fingers, and skinny (sometimes leather) trousers. Eclectic and eccentric – he mixed 18th century fashion with the rock n’ roll’s style of Mick Jagger.

Karl explained how his personal uniform developed: He was fascinated with the culture and clothing of the 18th century French salons – the bizzarre white powdered hair and high collars. The black glasses were there to hide his age. You should try the same trick – it works. Photos with glasses take at least 10 years off your age if you are not in your 20s. 

The fingerless gloves were there to enlarge his arms (that is true) but also his mum told him when he was young not to smoke because he did not have beautiful hands and did not need to show them to people. And the notoriously skinny suit – it is a remarkable story. Karl Lagerfeld lost 90 pounds in a year because he wanted to wear a particular skinny Dior suit. Of course, his diet was especially developed for him by a doctor who looked like Salvador Dali (I did not expect less). 

As a result – Karl Lagerfeld was a brand, different and recognisable, like his predecessor Coco Chanel and like Charlie Chaplin’s unforgettable image. It was good for his name and his business. His look was “a metaphor of his philosophy of fashion and life”. 

Some people who are not haute-couture designers also develop and maintain a personal uniform out of work. There are many reason for that. I do not think economic reasons play a huge part as Karl Lagerfeld said,  “Today everybody can look chic in inexpensive clothes (the rich buy them too)”.  

                               

More relevant reasons are that we believe the chosen personal uniform suits us, it covers our little imperfections, or we just love the style on other people. 

A personal uniform presents how we see ourselves and how we want other people to see us. Oscar Wilde did it right: “It is only shallow people that do not judge by appearance“.

Nevertheless, uniforms have limitations, they restrict us. We all know ladies and gentlemen whose style is so set in the past, so old-fashioned that makes you feel sad. On the other hand, sometimes the chosen personal uniform is so unsuitable for the complexion or the person’s body type (may be it was great 10-20 years ago) that you instinctively want to advise them to change it (but of course you bite your tongue).

                         

 

We all stick to the familiar things and that is not bad at all but why not go shopping with your friend or relative next time, listen to their advice and try something new. Maybe you would like it. Or why not try something you saw and liked on another person, maybe it would be fabulous on you. Or why not try buying a new trend online, after checking the return policy, of course. There are so many useful YOUTUBE videos about colour coordination, clothing and styling and make-up that can help in the process. “Improvise, become creative! Not because you have to but because you want to”.  Evolution is the way forward.

 

About myself, a friend of mine recommended a new Spanish brand that she was wearing when I met her –  I am excited to try it and will tell you about my experience in a future post. 

I do not like Mondays

I do not like Mondays. Especially working Mondays. Weekend pleasure is over and I am back to my workplace. It is dull – colleagues slowly wake up to their duties. There are boring meetings to set the agenda for the week and usually a list of problems to be solved. Bodies and brains are taking coffees and applying themselves to the tasks in hand. I do not work Mondays anymore but still do not like them. 

What’s more, Monday is usually the day to start my better life resolutions. I probably overate or over-drank, or both during the weekend or I had enough time at the weekend to assemble a healthy programme that should be commenced on Monday. For years and years my healthy programmes were so ideal that they did not last more than a week. Everything I thought that needed to be improved was actioned – diet, exercise, learning a new language, improving or gaining professional qualifications or beauty procedures etc. My head was spinning just thinking about my “To do”list  on Monday morning. 

Murakami says “Maybe the only thing I can definitely say about it (runner’s blues, in our case Monday blues)  is this: That’s life”.

Bank Holiday Monday

But today is a Bank Holiday Monday. I am excited. I have a meeting with my new friend at The Captain’s Club. The weather is cloudy but the River Stour in front of the Club is full of life. A young man is masterfully and proudly spinning the wheel of his boat. Tourists are boarding the Wick Ferry, children run and dogs go into the water. The Captain’s Club lounge is not busy. Only the noise from the restaurant indicates the hotel guest are having breakfast. Most of the staff are new but very polite, Tim (the owner) is also there. 

Girlie chat

It is my first one-to-one coffee meeting with my new friend. We share our stories and are surprised how similar they are – love, overcoming obstacles and disappointments, professional ambitions and family. Sharing our experiences brings us closer. A lovely mature gentlemen asked whether he can bypass us and sit next to the piano. He is the pianist. His first piece is “Moon Sonata”, then he continues with more Beethoven – “Fur Elise” is next. Time flies. After a stimulating holiday talk we set the date for our next meeting. Lovely, lovely girlie chat. 

Shopping

I decide to visit my favourite clothes shop on the High Street “Kimmeridge”. The shop offers Danish design clothing pieces. This time I buy two bold colour T-shirts (the trend for this summer is dopamine dressing – more in a future post). Excellent service and I am on my way home. 

My sister

My phone beebs. My sister comments on my posts. My sister is the intellectual one in our family. Since her teenage years she knew that she wanted to be a teacher. She is not only a fantastic scientist and teacher but she looks after her terminally ill husband, supports her daughter with her study (she is proof-reading her second essay) and maintaining her house and immaculate garden.  

My sister likes the blog and the posts. She seriously insists that if she finds something that needs improvement she would tell me but she cannot find anything. My heart is full with love for her. I say it and she smiles – sincerely and warmly, the way only she can do. 

The door of the house opens. My husband is back and golf was great!

What Monday Blues!? Hello Monday!

Regent Street in London was called “the centre of fashion” in the19th century. It was constructed by  two famous architects John Nash and James Burton with the support of The Prince Regent (later George IV). The street was completed in 1825 and fully redeveloped between1895 and 1927. My favourite part of the street is between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus where the shopping experience is full of joy. Or at least, it was before the lockdown. Recently, I visited my favourite shopping street in London to discover how it has survived the COVID pandemic. 

1. Regent Street after pandemic

Regent Street is still a beautiful and vibrant street with impressive buildings and famous brand shops. Yet, the effect of the pandemic is obvious – there are many empty shops waiting to be rented. They are like wrinkles on the beautiful face of the street. Many shops have disappeared and many luxury chocolate shops have appeared. The huge shops of Microsoft and Apple are there, modern and inviting, always crowded. 

When browsing through my best-loved shops I had a clear, overwhelming  realisation that I was not there to try clothes or to buy them. I buy all my clothes and accessories online, so in the shops I was just comparing the online presentation of the items with reality. The comparison  was in favour of the online pictures – they present the product much better. In some cases I was  completely surprised how I could even like these dresses online when in reality they are not appealing at all. Photoshop can make all of us young and beautiful but I always check the return policies.

2. Arket – the little Nordic oasis

I love the Arket shop on Regent Street. It may be because I like Scandinavian design with its clear, geometric lines, colours from nature and its quality. Scandinavian style always has this attractive functional eccentricity but is sometimes quite expensive. Arket is committed to functional and affordable Nordic design. The shop is on two floors and has men, women and kids departments and also a homeware department. The hidden gem is the New Nordic vegetarian cafe on the ground floor. It is a very cosy urban cafe. It offers drinks and seasonal vegetarian snacks. The prices will pleasantly surprise you – especially for the centre of London. 

3. Kate Spade shop – New York energy

The Kate Spade shop brings the charm and magic of Manhattan New York to Regent Street. It is a new shop, very well designed and maintained, very sophisticated. It offers the new spring lines of clothing, shoes, jewellery and accessories. The vivid colours and joyful style radiate happy and cool-girl vibrations. 

4. Do not go to Liberty

My visit to Liberty (the longest standing shop on Regent Street) was disappointing. The ground floor, where jewellery and accessories are sold is actually not bad and the atmosphere is quite animated. The next three floors are not good. The interior is tired and in great need of renovation. The luxury features of the shop like dressing rooms for every brand, hairdresser and beautician studios just add to the feeling of lost glory. The clothes on the hangers are worn out and unattractive. I decided to persevere and stopped in the cafe. The atmosphere was depressing  despite the good service. 

Back to Waterloo train station to go home and I was thinking that the days of pleasure going out shopping are over for me. I do my shopping online and next time in London I will spend my time visiting places of interests instead of shops. 

 

1. Karl Lagerfeld and accent

Karl Lagerfeld was German. He moved to Paris, France when he was 14 years old and finished his secondary school there. He studied the history of art in Rome, Italy for 3 years. He was a man of the world and spoke 4 languages fluently – German, French, Italian and English. However, he spoke French with a German accent and was proud of his German heritage. He said: “I [have] lived all over the world but I stay German because I am a German person”. 

Some times ago I was in the company of a charming Irish woman living in the UK. She said “ I kept my bold Irish accent all these years. Why shouldn’t I?”.

2. What is an accent?

We all have an accent. The way we speak is a reflection of the sounds in the surroundings we were born and grew up in. As one of my favourite comedians Trevor Noah said “ Accent is applying the rules of your native language to the language you speak”. Accents do not reflect intelligence or ability and also in no way show the fluency and mastery of the language. 

3. Why does an accent have a negative nuance? Unconscious bias.

An accent should not have any social significance. However, having a different accent indicates that you are an outsider and people tend to back insiders. So, even people without any prejudice naturally discriminate against people with a different/foreign accent. It is also difficult to process foreign-accented speech. Believe me, non-native speakers are fully aware of that and develop many coping strategies – speaking slowly, employing easy to understand words, using short sentences, confirming the understanding and using body language to enhance the meaning etc. 

Moreover, as everything in life, communication is a two-way process. The non-native person puts effort and years of hard work, embarrassment and frustration to learn the foreign language. Studies showed that people who speak foreign languages or are more exposed to different accents process non-native speech much easier. Negative attitudes towards a foreign accent is a norm for societies that speak one language. So next time, when we cannot understand the non-native speech instead of saying “I do not understand a word”, can we try “Please, can you repeat it again for me.” All learners of foreign languages are specifically taught to use this phrase when they cannot process/understand the sentence. 

4. Negative perception of accent. Conscious bias.

Society perceives different accents in different ways that arise from social class, culture, race, gender, nationality, education etc. Studies showed that people tend to judge the abilities of people based on their accent. If you speak with a “non-standard” accent you are viewed as less intelligent, less competent, less suitable for higher-status jobs and less likely to be believed. In a trial a person with a so called “posh” accent was perceived as more intelligent than the person without it even though they were saying identical words. Studies also showed that people above 40 are more likely to judge a person with a non-native accent as less competent and less hireable. 

5. Let’s celebrate accents!

I dread the question “Where are you from?” asked with arrogance, superiority and a deep belief that you must answer immediately. At this moment I know that I have been stamped as an outsider and as my friend says  “Your credibility is ruined. What you say is less important than how you say it.” You are not seen from the point of view of how far you have come, what you have achieved or how able you are but only by the gap between your speech and an ideal native speaker. 

However, as a former marathon runner I know that changing attitude is a long and difficult road but every step counts. 

The answer is – you do not. There are so many famous and successful people in the world, you cannot know all of them. Moreover, Karl Lagerfeld died three years ago in February 2019 aged 85. So, why on earth would you be interested in this “fashion dinosaur”?

The real trigger of this subject was my recent conversation with one of my best friends who honestly asked me who Karl Lagerfeld was. I could not believe she did not know him and confidently sent her a picture of him on WhatsUp in the full confidence that she would recognise him. Still no recognition, even worse – she found his image quite scary.

So where is the middle ground between these two opposite views – my admiration of Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy and my friend’s unawareness and even a little resistance to learn more about him. The happy-medium for me is the belief that the creative people who have influenced the world in some way can give us daily inspiration and motivation. We may discover something of us in them or we may want to try to adopt some of their ideas or practices. Curiosity can lead to miracles.

Karl Lagerfeld and success

Karl Lagerfeld was a creative director of the fashion house Chanel for more than 35 years – from 1983 till his death in 2019. The Chanel label is unique. It is a symbol of France, of French style, vitality and elegance. It was established by Coco Chanel in 1910 when she opened her first shop in Paris selling hats. Coco Chanel revolutionised women’s fashion by giving women freedom to wear what they wanted. Probably you have heard of the perfume Chanel No5, the skirt-suits, the little black dress, black-toe-capped ballerina flats and introducing pants to women’s outfits – all these were inventions of Coco Chanel.

However, when Chanel recruited Karl Lagerfeld as a creative director in the early 80s it was very far from its days of glory. Coco Chanel died a decade before and the label had lost its charm and sexy allure. It was thought as “a nearly dead brand”. Karl Lagerfeld recounted in his witty way: “When I took on Chanel, it was a sleeping beauty. Not even a beautiful one. She snored. So I was to revive a dead woman”.

He not only resuscitated Chanel but recreated its image of a highly recognisable brand but a younger and happier brand with modern aura. Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure in Chanel was the longest and the most successful in the history of the fashion house. Chanel earned much more money during Karl Lagerfeld’s reign than under Coco Chanel’s leadership.

How did he do that? He never invented any new style like his colleagues in Dior. He was not a Steve Jobs, or Elon Musk of the fashion industry. Here is my explanation of his success and my inspiration:

1. Courage to disturb the status-quo

When Karl Lagerfeld took on Chanel, there was so much admiration of the heritage of Chanel that the brand had become stuck in the past. Only mature ladies were seeking to buy skirt-suits. Karl Lagerfeld was appreciative of the Coco Chanel’s legacy but at the same time “irreverent”. He took on the challenge to “turn Coco Chanel in her grave” in order to rejuvenate her brand. He cleaned the cobwebs off the fashion house and transformed it into the symbol of elegance and class in the modern world. In his own worlds “ Chanel is an institution and you have to treat an institution like a whore – and then you get something out of her”.

I have learnt from Karl Lagerfeld that if my projects and ideas challenge some of the established views not to be afraid to find a way to implement or achieve them.

2. “Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Be creative”

As I mentioned above Karl Lagerfeld did not invent anything new but his great talent was in creating something by regenerating, remodelling what already existed. He said: “For me, Chanel is like music. There are certain notes and you have to make another tune with them”. He mixed up the prominent Chanel ribbons, pearls, suits and bows in his new, creative way. For example, in the 80s he used the logo of the fashion house CC to create the famous CC interlocked monogram that we all are familiar with.

For him modern was “everyone to wear what they want and mix it in their own way”. He was probably the first fashion designer to create a branded fashion line for millennials. In 2004 he collaborated with H&M and produced a collection of 30 pieces that was immediately sold out. Karl represented creativity – tradition and challenge. His fashion style involved regularly updating his fashion laptop – with a newer and better version. His credo was if you are in fashion you have to be up to date with what is going in the world.
I like watching the livestreams and videos of Trinny Woodall. In her unique style she teaches her audience how to use/combine the existing clothes in their wardrobe to create a modern, updated outfit. Inspiration and excitement can come from a new way of using or mixing things.

3. Magic follows hard work

Karl Lagerfeld continued working into his 80s, designing an average of 14 collections per year. He said: ”I like the idea of craziness with discipline”. The success of Karl Lagerfeld was not a good luck or a stroke of fate. It was underpinned by hard work. He worked diligently for his success. Karl Lagerfeld was a creative director of Chanel and the Italian brand Fendi, he worked with Diesel, Chloe, Valentino, H&M and Tommy Hilfiger. He was a skilled photographer and caricaturist. He wrote books and was the owner of a bookshop, Studio 7L. He was a costume designer for opera, theatre, ballet, including the La Scala in Milano and the Monte Carlo Ballet. In 1984 he established his own brand Karl Lagerfeld which was described as “intellectual sexiness”.

If you want to have something from his eponymous brand why not try his eau de perfume, “Flour de Murier”. It is a great example of the “intellectually sexy scent” and interestingly, my friend who has never heard of Karl Lagerfeld loves the perfume.

4. Be aware of your main purpose – why you do what you do

During Karl Lagerfeld’s era many fashion designers preferred to be seen as artists as that helped to increase their sense of importance. The emblematic fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld responded: “They are there to sell handbags and their contracts would be torn up if sales failed to satisfy the shareholders. Luxury is first and foremost a business.” And further : ”I am very much down to earth.”

For me, Karl Lagerfeld confirmed one of the main requisites for success – clear knowledge of the purpose of your actions. If you go to a job interview – know your purpose, know why you are there – to get the job, to gain an experience, to learn more about the company, etc, and act in line with your purpose. If you organise a meeting – be clear about what you want to achieve at the end of the meeting. If you give a presentation – what message do you want to convey to your audience. It still surprises me how many people execute important actions without any idea or a very vague idea of what they want to get from them. As Karl Lagerfeld used to say: “I only go to places if I have a professional reason. I am not a tourist.”

 

This post continues the theme of the “happy”chemical serotonin and is focused on non pharmaceutical methods to increase the level of serotonin in the body.

The human body is very capable of regulating itself and achieving and maintaining a healthy chemical balance. So, if you do not feel the symptoms of depression and anxiety and your mood is good, carry on with what you are doing – you are great. However, after two years of the Covid pandemic, lockdowns and the current increases in the cost of living, the pursuit of happiness is a factor which protects against mental and physical health problems. It focusses our attention on what we should do to ensure good mood and positive emotions in our daily lives. Remember, several studies have reported that low mood is linked to a low level of serotonin and positive mood is associated with higher serotonin in the body.

There are 4 widely accepted protocols to elevate the amount of serotonin in the body. These measures are simple and available for everyone. I have adopted these protocols and continue using them in my daily life but I tailored them to myself. So, nothing is written in stone and a flexible approach is probably better – just try and implement the ones that suit you. Exactly, as the astrologists on the YouTube channels say: “ The reading is general, take what resonates to you and leave the rest.”

Firstly, there is a theory that the connection between serotonin and happiness is two-fold. On the one hand, the higher level of serotonin may cause positive moods and happiness, on the other hand, positive minds may help the level of serotonin to grow. Following from that, self-induced changes in the mood can impact on the amount of serotonin in the body. There are many possibilities for this but personally I would suggest to practice meditation.

Many people will say immediately: “Oh, I tried that, it is not for me!” Yes, maybe you are right – meditation is not for you. However, there are some common reasons why people do not like meditation:

• a popular image of meditation is a person in the lotus pose with hands on knees and closed eyes. For many people that is an awkward and difficult position that will never lead to calmness and positivity but will cause pain.
• many people do not know how to meditate or if they know they are not sure they do it right
• meditation takes time
• there are different styles of meditation
• people can become addicted to stress and adrenaline and do not want/or are not able to slow down.
• some meditation classes are very expensive
• stories about sexual abuse from meditation gurus.

If your reason for not practicing meditation is one of the aforementioned perhaps you will give it another go. I started practicing meditation after conducting my own research. I adopted a style that is suitable for me. The result – meditation is an irreplaceable part of my daily routine. I intend to write several posts on the subject of meditation and may be you can find something useful.

Secondly, sunlight! We all know that the lack of sun and bright light is the cause of seasonal depression. Interestingly, the science has discovered that people who died during summer months have higher serotonin in their bodies than people who died during winter. Exposure to sun is vital and very importantly – free. The only condition is to remove your sunglasses and enjoy the direct sunlight (if no health conditions). Of course, you may not look like a Hollywood or French actress/actor but your mood will improve. I also have heard about opening Light Cafes in Scandinavia and the good news is that they have arrived in the UK, so I will do my research and give you more information. Buying a bright light lamp is another option but buying one of them is currently not an appealing idea for me.

Thirdly, exercises! Yes, sounds so boring, exercises seem to be the panacea for improving everything. In our particular matter of serotonin we are talking about aerobic exercises (aerobic means “with oxygen”), like swimming, walking, cycling and running. The level of physical challenge must be familiar not overwhelming. Importantly, the occurrence of better mood during and after exercise is a result of the exercise itself – we are not talking about the sense of accomplishment. I have been an amateur runner, swimmer and keen walker all my life but I do not like cycling. I am a strong believer that if you find “your sport”, the exercises that suit your body and personality, you have won half the battle.

Lastly and trivially, – diet. The body makes serotonin from the essential amino acid, tryptophan. Tryptophan deficiency can lead to lower levels of serotonin. Tryptophan is an ingredient of most proteins. The body cannot produce it – we get it from food such as salmon, eggs, spinach, nuts and seeds, meat, cheese and yoghurt. It is controversial whether eating often and large amounts of this food will increase the level of serotonin. That is because there is a competition between the amino acids to be transported to the brain and tryptophan is not at the front of the queue. Quite the opposite – it is the last. Therefore, the widespread perception that eating turkey and bananas will improve the mood is just false. However, it does not mean that bananas or turkey are worthless. For example, bananas are rich in vitamin B6 which our bodies use to produce serotonin. So, if your diet lacks vitamin B6, dietary changes will definitely help to increase the level of serotonin.

In a nutshell – the key for increasing your level of serotonin is to give yourself time and to try different protocols. Choose one or more that suit your body type and your temperament. The smile on your face will tell you that you are on the right path.

Everyone wants to be happy or at least I have never met anyone who does not want happiness in their lives.

We all know people who just look at the glass and instinctively feel the glass is full. We also read that Scandinavians are always rated the happiest people in the world in the happiness reports. The question is if happiness is something we all desire why some people thrive with happiness than others are not naturally “happy -go-lucky”? Do we need to blame ourselves for not knowing how to be happy or for not trying hard enough to achieve happiness? In 21st century, afterwards Covid pandemic can we just simply learn the trade of happiness?

As everything in life, happiness is not a simple category of emotion. The science has discovered that happiness is determined by different factors – internal (originating within the organism) and external factors ( outside the organism). One of the internal sub- predictors of happiness are the biological factors.

Scientific studies of twins suggested that genetic factors are causes of 35-50 percents of happiness. Genetic factors are out of our control, they are inherited from our parents. The good news is that with advance of the generic research it will be possible to predict when people are susceptible to depression.

In addition, the brain chemicals influence our usual emotional style. One of the most important body chemical (and also transmitter) is serotonin. Research showed that 95% of serotonin is produced in the lining of the guts and 5% – in the brain. The serotonin in the brain acts also as a transmitter (messenger that carries signals between brain nerve cells (neurones)). Serotonin is responsible for our happiness, satisfaction and optimism.

Science still does not know how the serotonin works and what is the right level of serotonin. It is accepted that the level of serotonin in the body varies between people. There is no clear test for diagnosing the serotonin shortage. Diagnoses are based on the manifestation of symptoms. Some of the symptoms are fatigue despite sufficient rest, lack of sleep, loss of appetite or craving for carbohydrates, headaches.

A controversial theory is that if the levels of serotonin are low, the person is susceptible to low mood and depression. And the opposite – if the level of the serotonin in the body increases, the person experiences positive emotions. The serotonin deficiency happens when the body does not produce enough serotonin or it does not use serotonin efficiently.

More scientific studies are needed on the mechanism of serotonin and to determine whether there is a link (if any) between serotonin and depression and anxiety.

I came across to the serotonin business one year ago after the death of my mum. The constant source of unconditional love and strength in my life disappeared and I was diagnosed with moderate depression for the first time in my life. Science need more research regarding serotonin but I conducted my research which included reading books, articles and blogs, listening to podcasts, watching Youtube videos – in one word educating myself and applying all the knowledge I acquired to my daily life to fight depression. My personal experience proved some simple measures we can take to defeat depression and be happy.

If you are experience any of the symptoms that potentially relate to low levels of serotonin do not struggle in silence. There is plenty of information available about the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Help is also there and it is up to you to reach for it.

I am from the generation that was thought to be strong and endure difficult times without complaining or asking for help, especially about emotional matters. Asking for help I was told was a sign of weakness and weakness is not a feature to possess. Therefore, I have a great admiration for the millennials and generation Z, people like Naomi Osaka, who make their mental health their priority. Lady Gaga says “ I take medication every day for mental illness and depression and don’t feel bad about it.”

So, ring your doctor! You do not need appointment in person. I phoned my doctor in the middle of the lockdown, when surgeries were closed for appointments and I received excellent service and advice. If your GP diagnoses you with low level of serotonin they can prescribe you drugs as Sertaline. Sertaline comes in two strengths – 50mg and 100mg. I was prescribed Sertaline 50mg – half or one tablet per day. I reacted very well to the drug and felt the positive effect immediately.

But the modern medicine does not stop here, help is not limited to drugs. My GP referred me to the NHS service Steps 2 Wellbeing. The service accepts online self-referrals by using a secure online referral form. You do not need to wait for a GP appointment. The service is open to all adults registered with Dorset and Southampton City GP practices. After filling in the form you receive a timely response from the service and have a phone interview with one of the therapists. Depending on the outcome of the interview you are offered different tailored therapies (Level 2 and Level 3 including a mindfulness course). I attended both levels and all therapies were in groups and via Zoom (Thank you Internet).

I committed fully to the treatments. I took regularly my pills – usually only half of the tablet, I attended every session of the therapies and tried every method suggested. Everything that was relevant to me I implemented in my daily life plus some methods I discovered by myself. The result – I am a very happy and content person. If I can do it, everyone can do it.

There are also non-pharmaceutical paths that can be taken to increase the level of serotonin:
1. Meditation
2. Natural light
3. Exercise
4. Diet

There is also the street of supplements.
In my next blog I will go through them.