Where Do I Eat, and Does it Affect Digestion?

You may notice that when eating in a busy or hectic environment, there are times when you finish the meal and don't remember the sensations of actually eating it. The plate is empty, but you don't remember enjoying the smell of the food, the taste, or even the feeling of fullness. Though the food is already in your digestive system, the satisfaction of having eaten becomes lost and may leave your body feeling like something is lacking.



Where you eat and the environment you're surrounded by does affect your enjoyment of meals and digestion. Your digestive system is sensitive to many different sensory cues, not just ones from your taste buds. A highly stimulating or stressful environment can bombard your body with distractions that don't allow you to properly chew, enjoy, or digest your food.

What types of symptoms indicate that your meal environments may be unsettling your stomach instead of preparing it for eating and digestion? Here are a few:

•     Heartburn
•     Bloating
•     Anxious stomach
•     Flatulence
•     Feeling tired after eating
•     Lack of satisfaction from a meal

Even if work and home life are leaving you little down time to calmly eat, try and shift around priorities so you can sit down to eat as much as possible. If you find that you're busy from the time you leave for work to the time you hit your pillow, you can make your meal time an exception and a chance to pamper yourself in a way. You can drink digestive tea (such as ginger or chamomile) or warm water with honey and lemon after your meal to rest and digest. Maybe read a few pages of your current book choice or listen to some music. Here are other calming meal suggestions:

•     If you are in a stressful place, remember you're still allowed to eat and enjoy your food.
•     Prepare your meals on your own whenever you can. The preparation can get you in an eating mindset.
•     Try switching up your meals and trying new foods. These newly created meals are harder to ignore no matter where you eat them.
•     Ask yourself after eating meals whether they felt satisfying or not.

The main point is that your digestive system is the root of not only digestion, but also much of the immune system and mental-emotional balance that your body naturally has. This balance becomes more disrupted when your meals and digestion are jostled around by stressful environments. Try feeding your body, and reducing stress with your next meal. Remember: Rest + Digest = A healthier you.

Health Constellations is a fun and interactive website that offers free tools and other services to improve your health. We help you connect the dots between your chronic health symptoms so you can achieve long-lasting health to look and feel better!