How the way you eat can support your digestion

When it comes to supporting our digestion, we often focus on the food on our plate: what we’re eating, how much and whether we’re getting the right balance of nutrients. 

But there’s another factor that’s easy to overlook: the state we’re in while we eat.

How stress can affect digestion

How we feel while eating matters too. Creating a calm, comfortable environment can help us slow down and pay more attention to our meal.

One useful way to think about this is through our nervous system’s ‘fight or flight’ and ‘rest and digest’ responses.

In hunter-gatherer times, this response might have been activated by a tiger chase. Nowadays, that same stress response can be triggered by something as seemingly mundane as a stressful email, a thrilling Netflix documentary or sitting in traffic.

Of course, a stressful email is very different from facing a physical threat, but everyday pressures can still trigger a stress response in the body.

When we’re stressed, the body makes physiological changes to help us respond to a perceived challenge or threat. These changes can also affect digestive function. In other words, when the body is responding to stress, digestion may not be its only priority.

If you're simultaneously spooning your lunch into your mouth while clearing your inbox, you may not be giving yourself much opportunity to slow down and focus on your meal.

Instead, try to make mealtimes a chance to pause. Step away from your computer, sit down, take a few breaths and give yourself time to eat.

Slowing down and paying attention to your meal may help you feel more comfortable while you eat and reconnect with the experience of eating.

So, how can we help our body feel more relaxed at mealtimes?

Eat without distractions  

On a busy day, it can be tempting to squeeze meals in between everything else we have going on. We might eat lunch while answering emails, scroll through our phones while eating dinner, or put on the TV so we have something to watch while we eat.

But multitasking can mean that we barely notice the meal in front of us.

Instead, try bringing your attention back to the experience of eating. 

Notice the sensory experience of eating: the colours and appearance of your food, the smells, the textures and the different flavours.

You might also notice the physical sensations of eating. How does the food feel in your mouth? Are you chewing quickly or slowly? How does your body feel as you eat?

This doesn’t mean you need to eat every meal in complete silence with your full attention fixed on your plate. The aim isn’t to make eating another task you have to do ‘correctly’.

Rather, it’s about giving yourself an opportunity to be present with your food, rather than eating on autopilot.

Try slow breathing before your meal

Connecting with your breath can be a simple way to feel more settled before eating.

Before you start, take a few slow, deep breaths. You can do this while sitting at the table, with your feet resting on the floor and your shoulders relaxed.

You might notice your shoulders dropping, your jaw softening, or your body feeling a little more settled. 

There’s no need to ‘do’ anything perfectly. 

Even taking a few moments to pause, notice your breath, and arrive at the meal can help create a little more calm before you start eating.

Create a calm eating environment

Where we eat and how we set up our surroundings can influence how we feel during our meals. If you’re eating slumped on the sofa, rushing from one meeting to another, or surrounded by noise and distractions, it may be harder to feel relaxed and present at mealtimes.

Where possible, try to create an environment that feels calm, comfortable and conducive to eating.

If you can, sit down at a table in a relatively uncluttered space, and give yourself enough time to eat without feeling rushed. Stepping away from your desk can also help create a clearer boundary between work and mealtimes.

But this doesn’t mean every meal needs to be eaten in perfect silence at a beautifully laid table.

Finding a more relaxed approach to mealtimes

Life is busy, and sometimes eating on the go is unavoidable. Instead, think about small changes that could make your eating environment feel a little more comfortable.

If, for example, you need to eat your lunch while commuting to your next meeting, could you make the experience a little more calming? Perhaps you could find somewhere comfortable to sit, take a few moments to settle, and give yourself a little more time to eat before continuing with your day.

Mealtimes can also be an opportunity to connect with other people. When you can, try sitting down with family, friends or colleagues and enjoying the social side of eating.

Or, if you're eating alone, take a few moments to settle in before you begin and give your meal your full attention.

The aim isn’t to create another set of rules around eating. It’s simply about giving yourself the opportunity to slow down, tune into your body and enjoy your food.