The gut-brain connection is no joke; it can link anxiety to stomach problems and vice versa. Have you ever had a “gut-wrenching” experience? Do certain situations make you “feel nauseous”? Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? We use these expressions for a reason. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That’s because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.
Rationality in the past was more reflective of ‘substantive’ value as an ‘ideal state’ of health but the modern ‘trend’ moved towards ‘formal’ methods that were effectively applied to ‘increase vitality’ and ‘enhance life expectancy’ in society (Cockerham, Abel & Luschen, 1993, Weber, 1904). This signifies that contemporary society has more control over their health as essentially more knowledgable in recognizing ‘consumption versus production’; ‘choices versus life-chances’; class similarities versus distinctions’; and ‘self-control versus conformity’ that shapes real operationalization healthy lifestyles I postmodern western society (Cockerham, Abel & Luschen, 1993, Weber, 1904).
In the West ‘formal rationality’ society applied practical experiments to dispute beliefs therefore making it possible to improve rather than abstract from worldly knowledge by challenging ‘religious dogma’, customs and traditions (Kennedy 1987 p.30, Cockerham, Abel & Luschen, 1993) and not just follow beliefs without questioning whether they are true or false, for example, whether God exists – can be or not be believed due to lack evidence and facts to prove there is a god (Cobern, 2000). Human thought during the enlightenment era believed what they were taught by religious leaders was not questioned, for example, the Calvinists’ belief was that life after death existed, however, no facts and information confirmed or denied this belief (Weber, 1904). However, knowledge in society provided science as a way to view information and facts to be true or false with consistency and evidence to confirm society’s reasoning and knowledge of whether it is a ‘reality’ or ‘belief’, for example, so you can feel, smell, taste or see it, therefore, the brain interprets whether it is ‘real’ or just a ‘belief’ (Cobern, 2000).
