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Stress and Digestion
I decided to write about digestion this month (November) for obvious reasons -- November (and December) are months during which we have plenty of opportunities to indulge in a lot of good (and rich) foods. It can also be a time of extra stress, with more things to be done on top of what we normally have to accomplish.
The Second Brain
Our gut is heavily wired throughout with nerves. This large plexus of nerves is often referred to as our "second brain" and the gut is also connected to the brain in our head via the Vagus nerve. We get "gut feelings" and "butterflies" in our stomach when we're upset or anxious about something. Another way to think about it is that the gut can be said to be our emotional brain. When we have feelings, we don't experience them in our brain as such -- our brain interprets the sensations from our body, often felt in our gut, or chest -- to figure out what's going on.
It's easy to see how day-to-day stress and/or acute stress could cause problems with digestion. It could be as simple as the gut clenching up due to fear or anxiety and not moving things along or become as serious as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and the like. (Let's be clear about something at this point -- I don't mean to say that these diseases are solely caused by stressful emotions, but the possibility that strong, long-term emotional stress can create health issues in the gut cannot be ignored.)
To prevent the buildup of "ama" (undigested food that becomes sludge in the gut), which Ayurveda maintains, can be a primary cause of disease process, it's important to support proper assimilation of nutrients and to move everything else along and out of the body.
Here are some basic tips for supporting healthy digestion:
• Don't eat when you're upset or in a highly stimulating/exciting environment. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) takes over and diverts blood away from digestion to the muscles and extremities. Ideally, eat in a quiet setting, turn off the TV and any other distractions and eat your meal mindfully, with appreciation, to savor the tastes (important in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine). Each basic taste (salty, pungent/spicy, sweet, bitter, sour, astringent) is said to have therapeutic benefits.
• Get at least 30 minutes of moving exercise per day. It can be as simple as going for a walk. It helps to stimulate the digestive and lymph systems.
• Eat an amount equal to what your two hands cupped together can hold, and maybe some water or herbed tea to wash it down. Don't eat past feeling satisfied.
• Consume about 25 grams of fiber per day, if possible. It helps to sweep out the bowel.
Helpful Herbs
If you're under stress and noticing that elimination has become sluggish, I've found that Banyan Botanical's Stress Ease, combined with Triphala or Triphala Guggulu to be excellent in maintaining the tone and overall health of the gut. Please visit http://www.Banyanbotanticals.com for more information about these products.
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