How Stress Effects The Gut

When you’re in the stressed ‘Flight and Fright’ response or ‘Sympathetically Dominant’, you automatically switch off stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) secretion, digestive enzymes and the activity of the intestines. This means you are not effectively digesting the foods you put into your mouth at this time. This can lead to food intolerances and uncomfortable gut symptoms.
Before eating, do these 5 easy things to bring your body back towards the ‘Rest and Digest’ state, triggering the parasympathetic nervous system, and thereby strengthening your digestive functions ready for food.

1. Stop what you are doing and only focus on eating.
2. Smell, touch and taste your food during the preparation and whilst eating.
3. Chew your food thoroughly and slowly so it’s mushy before swallowing.
4. Sit down and roll your shoulders back, opening up your chest to stimulate the
correct nerve pathways.
5. Take 3 deep slow belly breaths with a long slow breath out.
6. Visualise your gut preparing itself ready for food.
This visualisation is really effective. You may visualise a golden ball of light moving
downward through your digestive tract or digestive juices squirting into the
stomach. You may visualise a relaxed place of calm such as a beach or forest.

All these techniques can help stimulate the parasympathetic nerves for more powerful ‘Rest and Digest’ functions through the gut.

To listen to a guided ‘Rest and Digest’ Practice you can follow before eating, follow the link here