How does Stress impact our Digestion?

Gut health is very closely linked to our mood and our emotional wellbeing therefore when you are stressed, you may have felt an uneasy sensation in the stomach and a loss of appetite.
Stress can trigger a range of hormones in the body and cortisol is one of the key hormones that can cause the muscles in the gut to expand or contract to slow down the digestion process.
If an individual has a prolonged stress exposure, this may even cause various dietary changes and the inability to get proper nutrition from food as high cortisol levels can suppress digestion when you are in a ‘fight or flight’ situation. For optimal gut function an individual needs to rest and digest so that the food can be properly broken down and all nutrients can be absorbed in the body.
A person who is constantly stressed, can be more likely to eat highly processed foods which are not easy to breakdown or digest. This can also impact on the gut bacteria which could increase the risk of other chronic diseases in future.

Symptoms of Stress

Some common digestive symptoms that can cause discomfort are pain in the stomach, heartburn, bloating, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. The first step is to identify what are some physical symptoms of ongoing stress and the next step is to get in touch with a professional who can help in treating the symptoms as well as understanding the causative factors.
Identifying the triggers of stress can help in reducing its physical impact on the body, but it is also important to consider all factors that can improve the gut health. Some useful techniques to improve digestion such as meditation, yoga and restful sleep can greatly reduce the stress levels.

How can Homeopathy Help?

Homeopathy offers individualized treatment approach therefore understanding the triggers of stress can be an important aspect to discuss with the practitioner. This will help in exploring strategies that include diet related changes, exercise and nutrition supplements to improve gut health along with the homeopathic treatment.

We may often thin that digestion is only limited to what happens in the stomach, but it includes the whole process which involves all our senses such as the smell of food, the sight, taste and touch. Chewing is the most important process of breaking down the food particles and therefore if you are eating in a rush, it doesn’t allow sufficient time for the body to absorb all the nutrients.

Mindful eating practice can help in taking a few deep breaths and eating with full involvement to allow enough time for the food to be chewed and digested in the stomach when you are at rest.

Managing stress can have a positive impact of our gut health and also on overall physical health which can reduce the chances of chronic disease further.