The Gut-Brain Connection: Why Your Child’s Mood Starts in the Gut with Dr. Laura Vanston

Did you know that 90% of your child’s serotonin—the "feel-good" neurotransmitter—is actually made in their gut, not their brain?In this episode of Kids These Days, Dr. Courtney sits down with functional and integrative medicine expert Dr. Laura Vanston to demystify the "gut-brain connection." We often think of anxiety as a "head problem," but Dr. Laura explains why it is a bi-directional highway. When the gut is inflamed or the microbiome is out of balance, it sends distress signals straight to the nervous system, often keeping our kids (and ourselves) stuck in a state of "fight or flight."In this episode, we discuss:The Bi-Directional Highway: How the brain talks to the gut (butterflies!) and how the gut talks back to the brain.The Serotonin Secret: Why gut health is the foundation for mood, focus, and anxiety regulation.P.O.P (Plants On Purpose): Simple, non-overwhelming ways to add fiber and "rainbows" to even the pickiest eater’s diet.The Vagus Nerve & Breathwork: Why slowing down our breathing is the "off-switch" for the sympathetic nervous system and how it allows the gut to actually heal.Beyond the Multivitamin: The specific roles of Vitamin D, Iron (Ferritin), Zinc, and Magnesium in supporting a child’s emotional stability.Practical "Micro-Shifts": From fermented ketchup to "stair breathing," we explore tools that work for real, busy families.If you’ve ever wondered why your child’s "nervous stomach" seems to coincide with their biggest meltdowns, this episode will give you the physiological "why" and a roadmap for repair.About Our Guest: Dr. Laura Vanston is an integrative pediatric nurse practitioner who has dedicated her career to helping parents navigate health and wellness for their kids. She loves helping kids improve gut health and their gut-brain connection to help learning, their immune system, sleep, and more!Links & Resources:Fermented Ketchup Recipe: Download here!Integrative Health: Dr. Laura mentions Tiny Health for individualized gut mapping. Check out her website for more info!Newsletter: Sign up for the Kids These Days Newsletter for parenting tips.Instagram: Follow @integratedbh for more on the Internal U-Turn and the Gut-Brain connection.Website: Learn more about our specialized services at www.integratedbhs.com.#KidsTheseDays #InsideOutParenting #GutBrainConnection #Microbiome #ChildNutrition #AnxietySupport #ADHD #SecureBase #FunctionalMedicine #ParentingUturnLegal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at [email protected] to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.