Diet, genetics, and medical history are often the first to come to mind when considering factors that influence gut health. But stress is one of the biggest disturbances to digestion and the health of the gut microbiome. In fact, stress has been linked to many digestive health issues, including gastric reflux and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Therefore, stress management and self-care are important components of healing the gut and working toward optimal digestive health. It doesn’t matter how much kale and broccoli you eat – if stress is also on your plate, it will impact your body’s ability to properly digest food and absorb nutrients.

Learning how to soothe and quiet the stress response before and during meals takes practice and can feel challenging – especially when life feels chaotic. A powerful way to keep stress off your plate is to adopt a practice of mindful eating. Mindful eating is the act of being fully present to all your senses as you eat. It includes an awareness of your thoughts, without judgment, and an account of how you’re feeling physically and emotionally before, during, and after meals. Engaging in mindful eating has many benefits, from developing a healthy relationship with food to supporting food choices that are aligned with your health goals. When looking at gut health specifically, mindful eating can transform the mealtime experience into an opportunity to maximize digestion.

Mindful eating practices allow us to shift out of “fight or flight” mode in our sympathetic nervous system and instead activate the “rest and digest” mode in the parasympathetic nervous system. There are many ways to make this switch. Taking a moment to express gratitude or taking several deep breaths ahead of a meal sets the stage for a relaxing dining experience. This relaxation allows your body to focus (or single-task) all its energy on digestion. Being present with your food helps prevent stress-inducing distractions from sneaking in. Not only does multitasking while eating shift focus away from your food, but it’s likely to create additional stress as well, as the practice often leads to disjointed thinking and frustration upon interruptions.

Here are some “mealtime makeovers” to empower you to de-stress your plates. With a few simple shifts, and regular practice, these small changes can have a large impact on how you digest your food, which may help improve your overall digestive health.

Instead of: Slouching over the counter, eating out of a box in front of the pantry, or eating standing up in the kitchen

Try this: Practice sitting down to enjoy a meal. Posture has a big effect on how well you digest what you eat. Sitting while eating slows the movement of food through the stomach, allowing for optimal digestion. Think of it this way: instead of sending energy to your legs while eating, it’s better to reserve it for your gut.

Instead of: rapidly scarfing down lunch

Try This: Ideally, try to make your meals last at least 20 minutes. I encourage you to take smaller bites and take time to chew properly, which can prevent GI distress from poorly chewed food and swallowing air (hello bloating!). Even taking just a few extra minutes to enjoy your meal will go a long way.

Instead of: Jumping right into a meal while frazzled, anxious, or stressed

Try This: Consider taking a few breaths, briefly meditating, or reflecting on gratitude before sitting down to eat. If you’re coming from a stressful situation, take a few moments to yourself before engaging in a meal. 

Instead of: Scrolling through your phone or watching television while you eat

Try This: Make mealtimes a tech-free zone. It’s okay to shut down and log off, especially while eating. This will encourage you to be present to all the senses as you eat. How does your food smell? What colours do you see on your plate? How does the texture of the food feel on your tongue?

Instead of: Reaching for food when you’re not physically hungry

Try This: Whenever you feel the urge to eat, check in with yourself. Do you feel any physical sensations of hunger or has another emotion bubbled up, leading you to fill an unmet need with food? For example, if you’re tired and turning to food for energy, consider how you could meet the need by taking a quick nap or resting for a few minutes instead. This mindfulness practice supports stress reduction and helps reduce emotional eating. When you slow down to check in, you can give yourself what you’re really hungry for instead of snacking on autopilot.

Instead of: Eating until all the food is cleared from your plate

Try This: You may have been raised to finish what’s on your plate before you could leave the table, but this ignores your body’s fullness cues. To prevent overeating (and any accompanying GI distress), try using physical rather than visual cues for ending your meal. 

One way to do this is by a hunger scale. This tool numerically rates hunger and fullness (on a scale of 1-10), with the goal of learning how to eat intuitively – eating only when physically hungry and stopping when full. The lowest rating (1) reflects primal, ravenous hunger, while the highest number on the scale (10) indicates uncomfortable fullness. Give yourself a rating prior to eating and checking multiple times throughout the meal to assess when to put down your fork.

Keeping stress off your plate is a process. You should expect progress, not perfection. There will always be days when eating mindfully will be more difficult than others, and that’s okay. The more you set intentions to pay attention around mealtimes and apply mindfulness to eating, the more optimal digestion will be.