Before we talk about food supplements or protocols,
We need to talk about the state your body is in when you eat.
A couple of my online clients came to me with similar digestive symptoms.
It seemed that no matter what they ate,
Their gut reacted.
Bloating,
Gas,
Burning,
Sensitivity.
It didn't matter if it was a boiled carrot or a clear soup,
Their gut reacted.
What they had in common was not a specific food intolerance,
It was nervous system dysregulation.
When you live in chronic fight,
Flight,
Or freeze,
Otherwise known as stress,
Your body prioritizes survival.
It thinks you need to run away from danger,
So your blood is shunted away from your digestive organs and toward the muscles,
The heart,
And the lungs.
Digestion becomes a luxury the body puts at the bottom of its to-do list.
Even the most nutritious gentle meal will struggle to digest in a body that does not feel safe.
After doing deeper gut work with these clients and prescribing herbs,
Meditations,
And somatic movements tailored to their unique systems,
I introduced what I call meal hygiene.
These simple,
Often overlooked practices made a profound difference,
And I've decided to share them with you.
Number one,
Eat in dim light.
Light is information to the nervous system.
Bright overhead lighting and screens signal alertness,
Activity,
Stimulation.
For a sensitive or already overloaded nervous system,
This can keep you in a semi-stress response.
Before you eat,
Soften your environment.
Dim your lights,
Close the curtains,
Avoid screens entirely.
No phone,
No TV.
This tells your nervous system nothing is required of you right now.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to digest.
You are allowed to receive.
Number two,
Breath work before eating.
Before your first bite,
Sit at the table with your meal in front of you,
Feet flat on the floor,
Spine straight.
Place one hand over CV12,
The center of digestion,
Which lies just above your belly button.
Place the other hand over your lower energy center,
Which is below your belly button.
Now take 10 slow,
Deep breaths here.
Breathe in through the nose and imagine the breath,
The energy,
Traveling down into the belly.
Let your abdomen rise under your hands.
You need to have good control of your diaphragm for this breath work.
So please listen to my track.
Are you breathing wrong?
If you want to learn how to do so.
As sensitivity increases,
Many people begin to feel warmth in their hands as they practice this.
This is the energy and blood flow returning to their digestive organs.
This breath work activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
It prepares digestion.
It signals safety.
You are telling your body it is safe to eat now and it only takes one minute to do so.
Number three,
Chew thoroughly.
Digestion begins in the mouth.
Each bite should be chewed 25 to 30 times,
Perhaps more depending on the food.
By the time you swallow,
It should no longer feel solid at all.
When you live in chronic stress,
Everything becomes about speed and survival.
Mealtimes are rushed.
Food is gulped,
Barely chewed.
This places a huge burden on the stomach and intestines and contributes to bloating,
Fermentation and discomfort.
Slow and thorough chewing reminds the body that it's safe.
It also breaks down your food well before it reaches the stomach,
Making it much easier to digest.
If you struggle with chronic digestive symptoms and feel like you've tried everything,
I want you to know this.
Your gut does not exist in isolation.
It's directly tied to the state of your nervous system.
Good news is,
Is that the mind-gut connection is real,
Powerful and very trainable.
If you'd like to go deeper into this work,
Please explore my mind-gut connection course here on Insight Timer,
Where we work with the nervous system,
Digestion and emotional safety at a much deeper level.
Your gut wants to work for you.
Sometimes it just needs the right conditions to feel safe enough to do so.
I'm Dr.
Kim.
Thank you for listening.
Wishing you a day of smooth,
Happy digestion.
