Blog

Is Your Gut Stressed or Anxious? You Are What You Absorb

Healthy Eating, You Are What You Absorb
We are always on the go and never switching off; a cycle of perpetual busyness. In this mode, our minds may be too busy to tune in and listen to our bodily signals and not affording us the time to think about how this lifestyle and potential stress or anxiety maybe affecting our gut health.

If you are stressed and anxious then your gut may be feeling the same. So instead of your digestion being ready for digesting your last meal, it may have diverted your digestive resources to fight your next priority. If you are not in your rest and digest state, you may also be suffering from a variety of gut symptoms, such as bloating, indigestion, flatulence, suspected food sensitivities or a change in your bowel habits, presenting as symptoms like IBS.

Understanding the stress response 1,2 & 3

Stress, anxiety and perhaps the state of perpetual “busyness” (always doing, not relaxing) is part of our stress response, the ‘fight or flight’ response which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. The body responds in this way as it feels under threat and not safe. It is our survival mechanism which enables us to react quickly to a life-threatening situation, which was vital to our survival in evolutionary times when we had to run away from danger. In this instance, the body was responding to physiological stress and after the acute episode had passed it returned to a relaxed state, this is termed “acute stress”. Today, this sympathetic system is being stimulated increasingly due to psychological stress when there is no physical danger present. Therefore, we can remain in this sympathetic state (under threat) daily. This is termed “chronic stress” which may be detrimental to our health.

The opposing response to ‘fight and flight’ is the ‘rest and digest’ response which acts upon the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake and calms the body down after the danger has passed. If the perceived threat is still present, such as in chronic stress, this is when stress reduction techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, meditation (mindfulness), yin yoga and yoga nidra, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be beneficial as it may help to switch the body onto this system7, so our bodies feel safe again. Digestion is particularly sensitive to emotion through the gut-brain axis, which can lead to gut symptoms. As Naomi Judd said, “your body hears everything the mind says”.

If you are suffering from gut symptoms the following guidance may help:
  1. Eat mindfully – take time to eat your food, sit at a table, focus on chewing each mouthful thoroughly and remove any distractions
  2. Keep mealtimes happy and relaxed
  3. Eat three small meals daily with no snacking
  4. Try not to overeat or eat late in the evening as this may affect your sleep, aim to eat your last meal 3-4 hours before bedtime.
  5. Sip water throughout the day and drink fluids away from meals

Lifestyle interventions

Lifestyle interventions that may help to balance these two systems and are integral to supporting stress and anxiety. Getting the right amount of quality sleep for you at your time of life, partaking in moderate exercise and relaxation techniques.

Evidence suggests that relaxation practices such as simple breathing techniques, meditation, yin yoga, Yoga Nidra, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT),  or simply being more mindful throughout the day, including walking in nature and listening to music, may help support stress and anxiety.

It is suggested to try different relaxation strategies and find a practice that works for you. Strategies typically work best when woven into each day. It is a daily practice, so setting the same time aside each day may make it more likely that your practice may become a habit.

Let me support your gut brain axis to a happier place, your 2nd brain will appreciate it!

Resources

References

  1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
  2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection
  3. Nijjar, P. S., Puppala, V. K., Dickinson, O., Duval, S., Duprez, D., Kreitzer, M. J., & Benditt, D. G. (2014). Modulation of the autonomic nervous system assessed through heart rate variability by a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. International journal of cardiology, 177(2), 557-559.

Books

The Stress Solution: The 4 steps to rest your body, mind, relationships and purpose. Author: Dr Ranjan Chatterjee.

Mindfulness:  a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world. Author: Mark Williams and Danny Penman

Share this article:

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

Ralph Waldo Emerson