EntreSesiones #6 · Marina Rodríguez, gut health psychologist

What this video is about

In this episode of EntreSesiones, psychologist Marina Rodríguez, who specialises in gut-brain axis disorders, talks openly about a rarely discussed subject: digestive health and how we go to the toilet. She explains that many people normalise symptoms such as wind, heartburn or changes in bowel habits, and argues that psychologists should know more about how the body and the microbiota work so as not to psychologise everything or give counterproductive advice.

She recounts her own experience of digestive problems over many years, the fear of eating caused by a very restrictive diet and how this led her to specialise. She describes the relationship between the gut and the emotions via the nervous system and the vagus nerve, and points out that these diets, if not properly explained, can lead to problems in one’s relationship with food.

A central idea of the conversation is flexibility: in contrast to health communication full of rigid rules, she proposes a foundation of simple habits that includes enjoyment and spending time with other people, treating recommendations as guidance rather than commands. She also explains how she works online, coordinating with other professionals, and reflects on the use of artificial intelligence, its advantages and the risks of its people-pleasing tendency and of relying on it to make decisions.

Topics: gut-brain axis, digestive health, relationship with food, psychological flexibility, artificial intelligence