3 easy and free ways to improve gut health at your next meal
read time: 3 minutes
disclaimer: This is not medical advice. This is intended to educate, inspire and support you in your self healing journey. Speak to your functional medicine doctor, holistic psychologist, or medical professional. Some content might be sensitive; I invite you to practice self-harmonizing.
“All disease begins in the gut.” - Hippocrates
Gut health is at the foundation of overall health, including nervous system health.
Your gut is actually your enteric nervous system. Yes, your gut is an integral part of your nervous system, immune system and so much more!
If you’re looking to improve your clarity, confidence, creativity, motivation, mood, as well as physical health, the gut is a good place to start!
Here are 3 easy, convenient and FREE ways to support gut healing every day.
limit liquid at meal times
Our physiology begins creating digestive enzymes at the sight, smell, even touch of food.
We need these digestive enzymes to break down the food into nourishment for our body.
When we drink a lot of liquid at meal time we dilute these important digestive enzymes.
Avoid drinking liquids 45 minutes before and after your meal. If necessary, take to small sips at meal times. Be properly hydrated between meal times. This includes remineralized water (with electrolytes like salt, magnesium and potassium).
don’t multitask while eating
Keep your intention with the food, with the process of eating, with the experience of the meal. Be present to the tastes and textures of the food you’re eating.
Do not eat while watching TV, working at a computer screen, or driving!
If you are focused on something else, especially something like work or driving which is stressful to the nervous system, you are not signaling to your body to digest the meal you are eating!
take 3 intentional breaths before a meal
In just a couple of breaths you can adjust your physiology to reduce stress by altering your nervous system from sympathetic (stress) to parasympathetic (rest, digest, heal)!
Yes, breath is that powerful and quick!
Sit tall with feet flat on the floor, gaze softly at your meal, take 3 slow breaths in and out through the nose, filling the belly on the inhale, letting the air go on the exhale.
I like to say a little mantra or prayer while breathing before I eat; I imagine that my body receives the nourishment from the meal and eliminates that which it doesn’t need.
gut health reminder
Health isn’t found in a bottle or in one single solution. Health is holistic; a harmonious relationship between many aspects within and around you.
Most people want the quick fix, the one magic pill, to solve their ailments of physical and mental disorders. If you’re seeking that quick fix… move along, friend.
However… that being said, we can’t do everything all at once, nor should we!
Change is unknown and therefore scary. For change to happen in the nervous system, the change can’t feel like change! So while health requires many aspects changed, cleaned up and optimized…
Start with some-thing.
for change to happen in the nervous system…
the change can’t feel… like change
Make a change that feels easy, convenient and… do-able.
None of these ways cost money. They don’t require learning a new skill, or really adding on anything. You can conveniently add any one of them to your life to support gut health and digestion.
Which one are you going to try first? Share in the comments!
infinite health & vitality,
Stephanie
