THE ART OF REST AND DIGEST
We often choose to focus on the nutrient density of our food choices. What about the digestion of that food? What if I told you that how you digest food affects how you feel and how you ultimately function.
To break it down, your body in simple terms is just a bunch of chemical reactions. One chemical reaction signals another. Now a lot of the reactions can happen independent of one another but tend to be more effective when they happen in unison. Digestion is great example of this. While saliva isnt needed for stomach acid to be potent, the production of it can greatly aid in the breakdown of food. Surprisingly there is not a lot of information on this subject out there. That being said, the advice I am about to give is based on N=1 experimentation. You should conduct your own experimentation before coming to a conclusion.
That brings us to the two points of this newsletter-
We do not relax before or after eating
We do not focus on our food while eating
We do not relax before or after eating
This believe it or not matters. Our body starts a bunch of chemical reactions when it knows food is coming. When we are going a million miles an hour, stick our food in the microwave and vacuum it down, it doesn't give our body time to prime itself for the incoming food. While this doesnt mean you won't digest any of it, it does get in the way of how well it's broken down for absorption. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend relaxing 5-10 minutes before you eat and 10-15 minutes after you eat.
We do not focus on food while eating
This has a lot to do with the digital revolution. The amount of screen time we have on a daily basis has slipped into our mealtimes. We find ourselves watching a show or staring at facebook while we shovel food in our mouth. While this seems like your relaxing, you really are not. Your body does not prefer to multitask while digesting food. Think about your car for a moment. Would you think it was safe to fill the gas tank while you were driving? No that would be obviously dangerous for many reasons. Maybe we should consider how to fill our tanks while running effects us. Your body continues to produce saliva and other enzymes to help digest the food you eat. However, that is dependent on it knowing food is coming.
Like we said earlier, this doesn't mean nothing gets digested but the amount that does is effected. This means that valuable vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients get put out as access as they were not probably digested. This can lead to deficiencies, hormone imbalances among other things. Making these two changes have radically changed my health and overall wellness. I digest better, absorb better and it truly makes me feel better. I can attest a lot of my muscle growth to learning how to properly enjoy my food and digest it.
So the next time you eat or if you are eating while reading this, put the phone down and turn off the TV. Smell the food. Focus on the taste of it every bite. Let your body enjoy its meal and then go back to your crazy day. It might just be exactly what you need.
