How do you eat? Do you eat on the go? Do you eat quickly while rushing between appointments? Do you finish your meal but still feel unsatisfied and want to eat more?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, chances are you are eating when your body is in a sympathetic nervous system state. Your body's nervous systems have specific functions, and when we work with them, our bodies do their job. When you are fueling your body, you should be in a rest and digest state. But if you answered yes to the above-mentioned eating behaviors, you are in the fight, flight, or freeze state. This is not an ideal situation for digestion and fueling your body.
Parasympathetic vs Sympathic
The sympathetic nervous system is a network of nerves throughout your body that activate when you are anxious, stressed, in danger, or physically active. You can experience, a rise in cortisol levels, increased heart rate and breathing capacity, sharper eyesight; everything you need to 'survive' this situation (1).
The parasympathetic nervous system is a network of nerves that calms your body after stressful or dangerous situations. It also aids in the execution of life-sustaining functions such as digestion. This strategy is often known as "rest and digest" or "feed and breed" and it requires you to be calm and relaxed to function efficiently. (2)
How to eat Mindfully?
You can activate your PSNS or Rest and Digest state by eating mindfully, a practice that mindfully involves you using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food you choose (3).
How to Eat Mindfully?
1. Stimulate the Vagus Nerve.
The vagus nerves carry signals between your brain, heart, and digestive system. This nerve is an important part of your parasympathetic nervous system (4).
To stimulate the vagus nerve and help improve digestion try the following (5) :
Take slow long, belly breaths before you eat a meal (aim for about 6 breaths per minute).
Hum, sing, or gargle. This can help activate your vocal cords which in turn stimulate the vagus nerve.
Eat Fiber. This stimulates vagus impulses to the brain slowing the gut movements and making you feel fuller.
2. Eat Slowly
Slowing down while you eat helps you enjoy your food and allows you to recognize and attend to your body's needs.
To eat slower try the following:
Time your meals. Observe how long it took you to eat your meal.
Avoid distractions. Put your device down and look at your food while you eat.
Put your fork down between bites.
Chew each bite of food until it is broken down and easier to digest.
Enjoy your meal with friends and family. Make it an event to enjoy and not a chore.
3. Six Rest and Digest Yoga Poses
The following yoga poses can help increase vagal tone and activate the parasympathetic nervous system:
Supine Twist
Leg up the Wall Pose
Cat & Cow
Seated Forward Fold/Forward Fold
Cobra Pose
Child's Pose
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
In Conclusion
Your body has everything it needs to work efficiently and effectively. Support your digestive system by promoting and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. I invite you to take Yoga with Heidi's Yoga for Digestion Class. Happy Resting and Digesting!