Use This Bio-Hack To Improve Digestion
“Breath is the link between mind and body.”
I was anxiously fighting the clock to meet a deadline yesterday. It was almost noon and my stomach had been rumbling, so I inhaled my lunch over my laptop because multitasking seemed like the best solution. When I went to take another bite, I realized my bowl was empty. Not a single crumb left. I had devoured it without tasting a thing. It was the epitome of mindless eating.
I’m sure I’m not alone here. The fast-paced society we live in has us eating while driving, working, and running out the door. In fact, over 30 percent of Americans say they eat under the influence of stress several times a week or more. But there are some serious downfalls when it comes to noshing on the run…
It takes 20 minutes for the news that you've had enough to eat to travel from your gut to your brain.
A fast eater can eat three to four times the food they need before their body has a chance to tell them they've had enough.
Watching TV while eating can increase your food consumption by an additional 100 calories per meal. In other words, there is proof that distracting yourself while eating impairs your ability to recognize the signals your body gives you.
Eating while stressed impairs digestion and compromises absorption of nutrients. That means you could have just devoured an $18 organic kale salad and didn’t absorb most of the nutrients it offered.
If you’re a ‘need-to-know-why’ kind of person, this next part is for you. (If not, permission to scroll over the next couple paragraphs.)
There are two branches to your nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system activates processes associated with “fight or flight” and is triggered as a response to stress. When your mind is racing and triggering your body be in this state, blood flow essentially shuts off to the digestive organs and instead flows to your extremities, allowing you to be capable of surviving the stressful situation by doing exactly what it thinks you're saying you need it to... fight or flight. Your muscles will have the blood flow they need to fight off the bear or run for your life.
But the key to good digestion is in activating the other branch – your parasympathetic nervous system – affectionately titled the “rest and digest” branch. The parasympathetic system is triggered when you are resting (not scoffing down lunch as fast as possible like I did) which allows the necessary blood flow to your digestive organs, rather than your extremities, ultimately helping your internal engine run smooth.
Don't worry - this doesn't mean taking a 30-minute meditation break before every meal (although that would be nice, wouldn’t it?!). Instead, try this simple hack: take three deep belly breaths — also known as diaphragmatic breathing.
Try it right now. Place your hands on your lower ribs, close your eyes, and take a breath that makes your ribs move outward, away from your body. You will notice your belly getting bigger with your breath. You shouldn’t get any movement in your shoulders and little movement in your upper chest. With each inhale and exhale, elongate the length of your breath. You may notice immediate relaxation, or you may not. Either is normal.
So often we go through life breathing only into our upper chest, but a slow easy breath sends the message to our bodies that we are safe and it is okay to relax. This brings you into ‘rest and digest’ mode, improving your body’s ability to break down and absorb nutrients from your food. Ever notice how satisfied you feel when you sit down and enjoy a nice meal?
Ready for the best part? This simple bio-hack is the quickest and most effective way reduce the so-called 'stress hormone' cortisol. Cortisol, a byproduct of fight or flight, triggers cravings for high-sugar and high-calorie foods, potentially creating a new set of digestive issues. Lowering your cortisol encourages better blood-flow to the brain, heart, and digestive organs, in turn helping you think clearer, reduce inflammation, and feel more energized throughout the day.
It’s bio-hacks like this that have made a major difference in my health and prompted me to create the Reset Program, so you can have rituals and tools that help you feel fresh, sharp and 100% on — right in your back pocket.
So the next time you’re about to eat, take a moment to breath deeply. Just by taking three deep breaths before a meal can have a major impact on your health and how you feel.
