Before we even put food in our mouth, any odor, sound, sight, or texture associated with food can trigger the body to prepare for the food that will arrive. If you imagine eating an apple, you can taste the crunchy sweetness and feel the texture of the skin. Digestive juices, saliva, enzymes, and digestive hormones, yes, we even have hormones in our mouth, all begin to flow in anticipation of the food to come. As a result our bodies "amp up" in preparation for the task of digestion, and your heart rate and blood flow can change. Digestive dysfunction starts in the brain when we are sympathetically stressed.
The sympathetic nervous system is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system . Its general action is to mobilize the body's fight-or-flight response. As a culture we tend to be mostly in a sympathetic state because of the high stress society that we live in. In order for digestion to work optimally we need to be in a parasympathetic state. The parasympathetic nervous system is the other division of the autonomic nervous system. Its general function is to control homeostasis and the body's rest-and-digest response.
So when we sit down to eat after a stressful day of work we need to bring ourselves into a parasympathetic state before eating. How do we do this? There's a few different ways and you will find what works best for you.
Things to try:
-Drink 8oz. of water a few minutes before you eat.
-Sit down while you eat. Get into a comfortable position, it may be on the floor or in a chair.
-Take 4-5 deep breaths
-Pray a prayer of thankfullness for what you are about to eat. Lots of love and time goes into the growing and preparation of our food, especially pasture raised, all natural food!
-Eat with friends and family as often as you can.
-Smell your food before you eat it.
-Chew your food thouroughly, try to chew 20-30 times before swallowing. Chewing your food properly makes a lot less work for your stomach.
Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions regarding the brain and digestion. Check back soon to see my next post on phase two of digestion "The Mouth." Also, if you missed the first blog of this eleven step series through digestion just click here...
https://www.naturallifetherapist.com/blog/sometimes-just-eating-healthy-won-t-solve-the-problem
"I am a cardiovasclar surgeon infatuated with the challenge and promise of high-tech medicine and surgery. Nonetheless, I have become convinced that the most overlooked tool in our medical arsenal is harnessing the body's own ability to heal through nutritional excellence."
-Mehemet Oz, M.D.
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