Yes, you are what you eat but more importantly you are what you digest.
Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients which the body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair.
THE DIGESTION SWITCH
What would it be like if we had the ability to turn digestion on and off with the flip of a switch? Imagine being in complete control of our body’s ability to digest and assimilate food. Sounds nice, right? Well we’ve got good news for you, every single one of us has the ability to turn our “digestion switch” on or off within a moments notice. The thoughts we think, the environment we live in, and the foods we eat all determine if digestion is on (“rest and digest” state) or if digestion is off (“fight or flight” state).
The digestive process is part of what we call the autonomic nervous system. Our autonomic nervous system regulates a number of different bodily functions. Think heartbeat, breathing rates, blood pressure, pupillary response, body temperature, and digestion. There are two distinct, yet equally important states of our autonomic nervous system, the parasympathetic state aka “rest and digest” and the sympathetic state aka “fight or flight”.
THE SYMPATHETIC STATE
The sympathetic state of our autonomic nervous system kicks in whenever we are experiencing any kind of real or perceived danger. For example being chased by a bear, giving a presentation at work, meeting urgent deadlines, missing your flight - you get the point. When fear, imagined or real, shows up in our environment or our thoughts, the fight or flight response is activated and our bodies elicit a stress response. As this occurs, our bodies shuttle energy and blood flow away from internal organs and into the outer extremities so that we can fight, flee, or escape whatever imminent threat is plaguing us. When it comes down to it our bodies have to decide what’s more important, surviving being chased by a bear or digesting our food. Our bodies choose the former every time. When we are living in a constant state of stress or worry, regardless of the cause, our ability to digest and assimilate food is negatively impacted. Simply put when our sympathetic state is activated digestion is put on the back burner.
THE PARASYMPATHETIC STATE
The parasympathetic state of our autonomic nervous system is activated when we are in a relaxed state. The parasympathetic state generally conserves energy and restores, causing our heart beat to decrease and muscles to relax. When we are in this state, our bodies ultimate goal is to maintain homeostasis which allows digestion to take center stage.
SWITCHING DIGESTION ON
The reality is our stress response holds a lot of power over our digestion. We can be eating the perfect diet but if our body is in a sympathetic state while eating we won’t be able to digest and assimilate the nutrients. But the good news is we are in complete control of how we react to the world around us. By following the three simple steps outlined below you will be able to switch your digestion on and activate your parasympathetic state anytime, anywhere.
Step 1: Take a seat
Find a comfortable spot to sit down to enjoy your meal. No more eating in the car, eating while standing up, eating while walking, eating while running to catch a flight - whatever it may be, when it’s time to eat take a seat, it’s that simple.
Step 2: Ditch the tech
No technology while you eat. Yes, for all you millennials that includes scrolling Instagram! Turn the TV off, leave your phone in another room or put it on airplane mode, and set down the iPad. Instead, focus on being present whether that be enjoying the company of the people you are with or simply taking in the aromas and flavors of the food.
Step 3: Take a breath
Take 30 seconds before you start eating to take a few deep breaths, say a prayer, sit in silence, or simply take in the smells of the food you are about to eat. Choose whatever resonates with you, just take the time to be present, get relaxed, and have gratitude.