Digestive Distress? What You Must Do First

When you think of the digestive process, where do you envision it starting? 

Do you picture the stomach churning our recently swallowed food into mush? Or perhaps the mouth, where our teeth begin to break up that forkful of veggies you just consumed?

Understanding the way the digestive system operates is key in supporting our optimal gut function and reducing any uncomfortable, unwanted digestive symptoms we may be experiencing.

That is why I am always sure to drive home this point: our digestion starts in the brain! It is one of the most important aspects of digestion. You may experience symptoms lower in the digestive tract such as the upper or lower GI, or in the stomach, but the root of most of the issues starts higher in the tract - like the brain! 

The best part of addressing any dysfunction starting in the brain is that it is often a simple, free, lifestyle change that needs to be addressed - rather than specific foods or supplements that are needed.

How Digestion Starts In The Brain

Digestion begins when we see and smell food. These senses stimulate areas in the brain, such as the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus, that signal to the salivary glands to begin producing saliva, which releases in our mouths with enzymes necessary for the breakdown of food. It is also the signal that triggers the next step of digestion - gastric juices and stomach acid. 

For this process to happen, we need to be in a parasympathetic state, also known as “rest and digest.” This is part of our autonomic nervous system. This system works automatically to regulate body processes such as rate of breathing and blood pressure. A parasympathetic state is when we are in relaxation, healing, rebuilding, and digesting. 

How Digestion Goes Wrong In The Brain

So often in our modern world we are rushing around, multi-tasking, going from one thing to the next, and under a large amount of stress. When we are in these states, or experiencing a high level of stress, we are in our sympathetic nervous system, or the “fight or flight” mode. This state is all about having us prepared for action, and one of those functions is to inhibit digestion. 

If we try to eat in this state, our brain often misses the signal that tells our mouth to produce salivary enzymes, or produces too little, and therefore also misses the signals for gastric juices and stomach acid. This means we are sending particles of food that are too large and unprocessed down our esophagus, causing lots of issues as they travel further down the tract.

On top of that, if we are experiencing an increase in stress, then we are producing too much of the hormone cortisol, which prevents or slows down all the functions of the parasympathetic nervous system. 

As we navigate our busy days, we often eat while rushed, or in the car, while standing in the kitchen, while multitasking, and under a lot of stress. We may look at our phones, watch television, or even be eating while working. We may need to be getting the kids ready, or having a tense conversation with our partner, taking care of house chores, thinking ahead to what needs to be done next, or just feeling so stressed and hungry we just need to shove food into our mouth. All of this is eating in a sympathetic, stressed state, and it’s not doing our digestive system any favors. 

How To Be In “Rest and Digest” Before Eating

1. Sit down to eat your meal. Do what you need to ensure it’s a relaxed environment.
2. Avoid eating while on the go, such as in your car or walking around.
3. Avoid multitasking. Put away your phone, the television, any work or reading materials. It is lovely to share a meal and have an enjoyable conversation. Save any tense conversations, or those about bills and nitty-gritty for after you have finished eating. You don’t need to be getting stressed out over other life things while you are trying to eat.
4. Smell your food! This will help get those signals moving. You will probably notice saliva beginning to leak into your mouth. That’s good!
5. Pay attention to the food on your plate. What colors do you see? Textures? 
6. Feel gratitude for what you are about to eat. You may like to say a few words of appreciation, or a short meditation. This brings mindfulness to the experience of eating.
7. Take 5 deep breaths before you take your first bite. This helps to signal the nervous system into its parasympathetic state. 
8. If you are feeling particularly overwhelmed and stressed, and you have the time, you may find it helpful to lay on the floor, hand on your belly, and breath deeply into your belly for 10 or more breaths. If you have any particular meditations, or ways to relax that work well for you, it would be very beneficial to use those tools at this time.