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Use stress management techniques to aid digestion in your daily routine
When you are suffering from stress, particularly if it is ongoing with no
reprieve in sight, this is going to disturb your digestion, among other bodily
functions. Stress is literally a killer and takes its toll on every aspect of
your life, including your physical and mental well being.
If you cannot avoid
the stress and its affects on your body, learn to cope with it by incorporating stress management techniques
to aid digestion. Know the digestive supplements and aids that can soothe both your stress and your digestive system.
Make exercising a part of each day. It is one of the
least complicated yet effective ways to address stress because it relaxes
tensed muscles, jump starts your digestion system, increases the flow of blood
to your brain while also eliminating hazardous materials from your system,
including lactate and carbon dioxide.
When you exercise, you produce and
release endorphins, which are chemicals that make you feel good. Exercise is arguably the best stress management technique that you can employ.
When stressed, the
gastrointestinal system becomes inflamed, which makes it susceptible to
infection. In fact, digestion can simply come to a halt when the central
nervous system shuts down the flow of blood as a response to stress. This has
an impact on your digestive muscles and the way they contract (cramps) and
lessens the secretions that are necessary for proper digestion.
Stress can cause
constipation or the exact opposite: diarrhea.
Your esophagus
may cramp when you are under enormous stress, and you may suffer from indigestion
due to the increase in acid in your stomach.
Yoga is a good antidote to stress and digestive problems because it is
relaxing as well as physical exercise that can prompt your digestive system to resume
working as it should. When you are executing yoga postures this can cause you
to pass gas or belch, which you need to do. Yoga is considered relaxation therapy
as is listening to music, meditating, mental imaging, hypnosis, biofeedback and
progressive muscle relaxation. Yogis breathe deeply. When you breathe in this
fashion, your body and your brain relaxes.
Consider using herbs to assist in stress management techniques to aid
digestion. Catnip reportedly soothes the nervous system and is effective in
treating problems regarding digestion.
Pay attention to what you are eating and drinking. Often when an
individual is extremely stressed he will resort to binge eating and drinking.
Too much sugar, fat and alcohol may seem like a quick fix but will wreak havoc
on your digestive system. When you eat, eat slowly and chew your food. Do not
gulp it down.
Consider
eating more simply. Do not eat carbohydrates and protein foods at the same
time. Proteins need an acid medium, whereas carbohydrates, which are starches,
need an alkaline medium in order to digest properly. When you mix proteins with
carbs this neutralizes the digestive juices, and you do not digest your food as
efficiently as you should.
Eating raw
foods, such as a salad, will help aid digestion. Eat your dinner earlier in the
evening so your body has the time to digest foods completely before you go to
bed. Avoid eating snacks late at night.
Do not drink
too many fluids while eating because this lessens the efficacy of digestion
secretions. If you drink a lot while eating a meal your stomach will think it
has completed digestion because the fluids you are drinking dilute the acid. As
a result, the stomach sends the food into the small intestines too early but
the small intestines cannot do the job of the stomach.
Ask your
physician about taking a supplement that contains a probiotic formula, which
contains lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus, which are forms
of good intestinal flora. They kill off harmful flora. When waste products pass
through your system, they are absorbed by the blood. You need to keep your
bowels moving so the waste moves through your body quickly and promptly exits.
If you are extremely upset, do not eat because your physical and mental state is going to impair the function of your digestive system. Breathe, calm down, stretch, go for a walk and then eat.
Resources:
EnergyEffect.com: digestion tips
Stressfocus.com: stress management techniques
Everydayhealth.com: how stress affects digestion