Five 'must dos' For A Happy Gut
How does stress create gut chaos? –Digestion is controlled by the autonomic nervous system - which has two branches:
Sympathic - which is activated when we are stressed (triggering the release of adrenalin & cortisol) and and in ‘fight or flight’ mode. This branch turns our digestion off - dropping the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes
Parasympathetic - which is our ‘rest and digest’ mode - when we feel calm and relaxed this branch of our nervous system is active and digestion is switched on. Increasing the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes
How we can calm our gut – Here are five must-do’s for a happy gut
Chew every mouthful that we eat at least 20 times - the action of chewing our food tones the vagus nerve (improving gut/brain connection), breaks down the food properly making it much easier to digest, and mixes the food with enzymes in the saliva which also aids healthy digestion. And directly reduces inflammation in the gut by mixing the food with Substance U (for ulcer - this substance is so powerfully healing it can help with healing ulcers).
Eat at the same times each day - the gut has an internal ‘clock’ which can be programmed to anticipate the times in the day when it will be fed and so begin to produce enzymes at those times.
Focus on the food - eat without distractions ie not while reading, working or watching screens. This ensures the parasympathetic nervous system is switched on and so optimises digestion.
Space meals out evenly over the day - 4 or 5 hours apart works well for most - and avoid snacking in between - ensures we complete each digestive cycle allowing the stomach to fully empty and digest each meal before we eat again.
Make lunch the main meal of the day - this is when our digestion is at it’s strongest. Breakfast and dinner should then be lighter, and eat dinner earlier in the evening so that the stomach is not still busy digesting when we are trying to sleep.
