Is Your Food Poisoning Your Mood? The Gut-Brain Connection For Bipolar 2 with Kate Engler #179

What if your "mood swings" were actually a cry for help from your digestive system?

Kate Engler shares her story of overcoming a Bipolar 2 diagnosis, toxic relationships and debilitating gut issues.

She dives deep into the gut-brain connection, explaining how eliminating inflammatory foods allowed her to finally regulate her emotions after a decade of numbing with medication.

Kate’s "80/20" approach to a balanced life offers a roadmap for your own healing journey.

Episode Highlights and Time stamps

01:59 After a tragic personal loss at age 20, Kate describes the onset of severe PTSD and depression and the beginning of her decade-long journey with psychiatric medication.

04:34 Receiving a Bipolar 2 diagnosis and the initial "relief" of having an answer and the subsequent years of emotional numbing via mood stabilizers.

08:29 Kate details the struggle with malabsorption, excruciating stomach spasms and joint inflammation that threatened her career

11:32 Through a self-directed elimination diet, Kate discovered a direct link between food and mood. She explains how corn specifically triggered inflammatory "rage" and how identifying food sensitivities changed her mental clarity.

15:12 A pivotal realization: "This all could be from my gut." Kate shares her experience of tapering off a decade of prescriptions to rediscover her natural ability to emotionally regulate.

24:45 Why eating "perfectly" isn't enough if you are in a toxic environment. She introduces the role of Reiki and energy work in addressing the "emotional toxins" that physical medicine often misses.

33:40 From The Presence Process to Byron Katie’s "The Work," Kate lists the specific resources that helped her feel safe in her body again. She emphasizes the power of breathwork and questioning one's own thought processes.

35:59 The episode concludes with a beautiful look at "somatic healing" for the whole family. Kate explains how she uses dance parties and music to move trauma out of the body and teach her children how to regulate their own nervous systems.

Kate's Bio

Kate is a certified Health Coach as well as a Reiki Master and Master Aesthetician with over 20 years’ experience in the spa and wellness industry. She recognized from her own major struggles with digestive and mental health issues just how important gut health, nutrition, and stress-management are. She now empowers and guides people, especially women, in making healthy day-to-day choices in these areas leading to an overall healthier existence.

Kate wrote the book, “Gut Feelings”, as well as created the 30-day online program, “The Healthier & Happier Gut Academy”, which shed light on the importance of gut health and its connection to mood issues, the brain and other bodily systems providing strategies to optimize all. She believes health isn't just some end goal but a lifestyle that will lead to a more fulfilling, happier life and is passionate about helping people attain their goals.

Connect with Kate

www.integratewithkate.net

https://www.instagram.com/integrate.with.kate?igsh=dmdpZWM4am91a3Bi

https://www.facebook.com/KateDeCostaEngler/

Who am I?

Sarah Dawkins is a passionate Holistic Health and Healing Coach, international speaker and author of Heal Yourself. She’s also a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and the award-winning host of the uplifting podcast Mind Body Medicine for Self Healers with Sarah Dawkins.

With over 20 years’ experience as a Registered Nurse, Sarah combines her deep understanding of conventional medicine with her own powerful self-healing journey to create a truly integrative approach. Having overcome multiple chronic health challenges herself, she now supports others in uncovering and addressing the root causes of their symptoms, helping them restore balance, reclaim their energy and create lasting, vibrant wellness.

www.sarahdawkins.com