Stress & Eating – The five things you need to be aware of:
1. Not chewing your food thoroughly
Not chewing your food thoroughly because you are in a rush and/or stressed can lead to sub-optimal digestion. You know when your mouth waters at the thought, sight and/or smell of food and you find yourself salivating, well, that’s the first part of the digestive process known as the ‘Cephalic Stage’ and it plays a critical role! Saliva triggers the gastric acid and digestive enzymes that are needed to digest food. Try to take time to chew each mouthful of food before you swallow it. Trust me your body will thank you for it! The body uses B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium and Zinc more rapidly when the stress response is activated so you want to support your body to obtain these nutrients from your meals, and chewing your food thoroughly is a great step in the right direction! Chewing your food thoroughly also means you will likely be eating beneficially slower. This gives your body a better opportunity to communicate with your brain to let it know that it’s full.
2. Rushing to eat your meals
Rushing to eat your meals quickly can place additional stress on the body. If you do rush your meals you’re probably familiar with the symptoms of discomfort such as burping that may follow. Or maybe that heavy feeling that appears not long after you’ve finished your meal or flatulence. If you are rushing then you may be taking in air whilst you are gulping your food down and your body then burps to release it. All of these symptoms are the body’s way of telling you it’s not at ease.
3. Eating meals on the go
Eating meals on the go can contribute to the symptoms mentioned above. Eating when you are doing something else can also inhibit optimal digestion and absorption. Currently in society, the focus is more towards what is going on the outside of our body, our appearance and the external world around us, quite often to an unhealthy level and at the expense of what is happening on the inside. We often forget that every mouthful of food we eat has to be broken down into the tiniest of particles in order to be digested, absorbed and utilised by the body. Eating meals ‘on the go’, or whilst we are focusing on other things, or whilst the mind is still racing with the ‘never ending to-do list’, means that the body is diverting energy away from the digestive system towards whatever the other thing is you are doing or thinking about. This can inhibit optimal digestion. Multi-tasking at meal times can lead to the body not being in the optimal ‘rest and digest’ state to receive, digest, absorb and utilise the nutrients from the food you are choosing to eat. In addition to this, stress can cause a lack of saliva to be produced which in turn can inhibit the digestion of carbohydrates in the mouth and contribute to reduced secretion of hydrochloric acid and other digestive enzymes needed for digestion.
4. Sitting down to eat your meals
Sitting down and sitting up straight to eat your meals opens up the front of your body. This allows more space for your stomach and other organs to carry out their roles as part of the digestive process. Sitting upright, and preferably away from your work desk, also usually leads to more time being taken to eat your meal, so less rushing and potentially more ‘rest and digest mode’. Supporting your body whilst you eat could help ease indigestion, burping and feeling full after eating.
5. Eating meals away from distractions
Eating meals away from distractions such as your phone, iPad, computer, TV, meeting, can also help with ‘rest and digest’ mode at mealtimes. We tend to be proud of our abilities to multi-task, however it’s not as magnificent a skill as we make it out to be and especially at mealtimes! To support our body when we are eating it’s best to really focus on each mouthful, chewing it thoroughly and allowing the mind and body to work together on digesting the food we are consuming. That way we can get the most nutritional benefit from the food we are eating which can help ease any of the above-mentioned symptoms that may arise.
So try to:
- Plan in sufficient time for eating
- Relax before you eat – a few abdominal breaths beforehand can help
- Sit up straight
- Focus solely on your food and avoid distractions
- Chew each mouthful thoroughly – remember ‘Your tummy hasn’t got teeth!’
If you are Leader or Manager please share this blog with your employees.
** ‘NOURISH’ workplaces remind your employees about their NOURISH Holistic Wellbeing ‘WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING TOOLKIT’ to help them with nutrition, digestion, switching off and stress management.**
Our Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing Workshops for Leaders and Senior Managers are designed specifically for forward-thinking organisations like yours. They help you:
- Demystify and explore ‘workplace mental health and wellbeing’ research and the benefits it has both at work and in other areas of life
- Understand the root causes and early signs of anxiety and stress, and what your HSE Duty of Care and your next steps are as an organisation
- Experience some of the practical tools from our ‘Workplace Wellbeing Toolkit for Employees’ and the business case for implementing strategic workplace mental health and wellbeing interventions to optimise productivity, performance and profitability
These sessions are an investment in a successful and sustainable future for your organisation. They also include:
- A Certificate of Attendance
- On site, 1 hour, 1 to 1 follow up meeting with Colleen
Click here to book and for more information
Is your own health is worrying you, or you want a mid-life health MOT?
We offer 1:1, bespoke solutions at our Wellbeing clinic in Wellington, TF1, for symptoms such as: diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, mental health issues including depression, obesity and weight management, menopause, high cholesterol and stress management. These include Reiki, Yoga, Wellbeing Consultations and Coaching. Contact us to find out your best way forward.
***Are you in receipt of a Health Shield, Medicash or Westfield Health Mosaic cashplan, Nutritional therapy (Health Shield and Westfield Health only) and Reiki are eligible under the health and wellbeing options.***
DISCLAIMER AND VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: All therapeutic recommendations given in the NOURISH Holistic Wellbeing Clinic in Wellington are personalised. They focus on real foods, creating healthier habits, sustainable lifestyle changes and help you manage any symptoms you may have. NOURISH Holistic Wellbeing Clinic also offers tests to support your symptoms, such as food intolerance testing, vitamin D, Omega 3/6 ratio and others based on your individual symptoms.
!! When considering therapeutic support for any symptoms, check the credentials and qualifications of the person you are looking to work with, or the class you are looking to join. Ensure they are properly qualified and have the relevant insurance. If you are unsure please contact us and we will signpost you to what to check for.
NOURISH Holistic Wellbeing Ltd can help your business grow!
NOURISH Holistic Wellbeing Ltd specialises in bespoke, holistic, strategic solutions for Workplace Wellbeing, Stress Management and Mental Health. Allow us, as your STRATEGIC WELLBEING PARTNER, to help your business grow and be sustainable long into the future by supporting the sustainability of your workforce now.
Colleen is an, NNA and GNC registered, Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist, a certified coach, a UKRF registered Master Reiki Teacher and a holistic wellbeing specialist. She has an MSc in Leadership and Management, coupled with over 25 years of experience across the corporate and education sectors. Colleen supports local workplaces to develop and implement customised, mental health and wellbeing strategies, giving your workforce the blueprint to: more time, more energy, more productivity, enhanced performance, more profitability and longevity, more clarity, more focus, more calm, more health and happiness; enabling you to reduce, prevent and manage stressors and achieve more.
Blog edited 29/05/2025
