The pandemic has raised several taboos surrounding mental health. More and more companies are offering wellness programs to their employees, in the form of conferences, classes to stay active or enhanced insurance.

Moreover, we often forget that workplace health and well-being programs are as good for entrepreneurs and managers as they are for employees. Especially since today, the options available to ensure the well-being of teams seem almost limitless!

However, three of the largest insurance companies in Canada do not cover dietician-nutritionist services, while almost 30% of short-term absence from work claims are due to stomach problems. In addition, one in five people on sick leave for a long-term disability is on leave for reasons related to mental health problems.

But did you know that mood, stress, immunity, and general digestive health are directly affected by diet? Recent research demonstrates an association between gut health and anxiety or depression, since several elements essential to the manufacture of neurotransmitters linked to pleasure, concentration, motivation and well-being, such as dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin are produced or absorbed in the intestine.

Often considered the second brain, the gut is intimately linked to mental health.

I often compare the brain to the president of a company and the gut to the CEO. The intestine has the mandate to manage all the operations and to delegate: its role is essential for the human body to be well. It has, among other things, the role of assimilating nutrients and absorbing vitamins and minerals. As it is an important transmitter to the brain, the complexity of its neural system makes it possible to manage several services (immunity, inflammation, metabolism, etc.). If we push the metaphor, the microbiota (bacteria, fungi, microorganisms and other genetic material present in the intestine) represents all the employees within a company. If one or more skills are missing, the organization could be weakened.

I support entrepreneurs on a daily basis. Do you want to know the common reason for consultation? “I want gas. They thrive on challenges: their lives are intense and stressful. They live under constant pressure and must be creative to find themselves above the fray.

While humans will swallow the equivalent of 80,000 lbs of food in their lifetime, how can they make wiser choices when composing their plate? First of all, it is to their advantage to dwell on its content to draw the maximum energy and nourish their ambitions. He must choose foods that contain, in particular, a lot of vitamin B. B for Boost. B for Brain.

Thus, whole grains, nuts, legumes, green vegetables, certain fruits and fish contain a significant amount of vitamins that maximize our energy. In fact, vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is involved in the synthesis of adrenal hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, essential for stress management.

In addition, the varied content of your plate promotes a better diversity of microbiota helping the daily production of neurotransmitters: proof of the connection of the two brains.

But while each microbiota is unique and specific to each person, these alignments are general. Our role as a dietitian-nutritionist: to support you and ensure that you make informed choices taking into account your reality.

This is why I believe it is very important that entrepreneurs and human resources professionals, in particular, ensure that employee insurance services cover dietitian-nutritionist services, for example. Starting with lectures to ensure a better understanding of the role of the gut in overall health can also be a great place to start. Do not forget to invite your management teams to take advantage of the well-being offers put in place. Leaders have every interest in taking care of themselves, just as much as employees!