Translator: Zsófia Herczeg Reviewer: Rhonda Jacobs
Raise your hand
if you've ever eaten while driving your car.
(Laughter)
How about while binge-watching your favorite TV show?
(Laughter)
Or while working at your desk?
(Laughter)
Mm-hmm.
So I've done all of this in just the past few days,
and from a show of hands, it looks like many of us
are often eating in potentially stressful situations.
Now, feel free not to raise your hand for this next question.
But how many of you are suffering from or have suffered from
gas,
bloating - (Laughter)
heartburn or constipation?
(Laughter)
Some show of hands, all right.
(Laughter)
Well, know you're not alone out there.
We've got some brave folks out there.
And have you ever wondered why?
These common digestive complaints
may actually be related to eating while stressed out.
And just because they're common, does not mean they are normal.
Physiology is the study of the normal workings of the human body.
So the question becomes:
How do we return to normal digestive physiology,
and why is this an important pursuit?
We spend a lot of time concerning ourselves
about the perfect diet.
But really, we all know what that means:
eat healthy, nutritious food.
But how much time do we spend thinking about digestion?
After all, the body should just take care of it, right?
Digestion can be defined as the breakdown of food
which allows for the absorption of nutrients.
Now you've all heard "you are what you eat,"
but that's not quite true.
You are what you absorb.
What's the point of eating healthy food if we aren't also optimizing digestion?
Where do you think digestion begins?
In the mouth?
In the stomach?
Close your eyes for just a moment.
Take a deep breath,
and imagine a bright yellow lemon in front of you on a cutting board.
You take a knife. You slice the lemon in half.
You pick up half the lemon. You squeeze the juice into a glass.
You pick up the glass and you take a sip.
Now open your eyes.
Most people will report that they began salivating or puckering their mouth
with just the thought of the lemon juice.
(A bottle drops) (Laughter)
So now, where do you think digestion begins?
In the brain.
Let's say we took the time -
(Laughter)
to create or purchase this highly nutritious salmon salad:
rich in healthy fat, protein and fiber, vitamins and minerals.
In order to increase the chances
that we're going to absorb these nutrients,
we need to turn on the normal physiology of digestion.
Just by thinking about this delicious meal
stimulated saliva and stomach acid production.
By the time we get that first bite in our mouth,
enzymes in the saliva are ready
to begin breaking down the healthy fat from the salmon
and the carbohydrates from the salad.
Chewing each bite carefully increases the chances
that we're going to absorb these nutrients later on.
After swallowing, we arrive at the stomach, which secretes -
stomach acid.
And unfortunately, stomach acid does not get its due credit
for all the amazing functions it performs for us.
Beyond protecting us from potential bacterial or viral invaders in our food,
it is essential for breaking down protein,
and unlocking minerals in our food to be absorbed later on.
We depend on well-digested protein
from sources like salmon to balance our blood sugar
and to build neurotransmitters and hormones that elevate our mood
and give us energy.
We need access to the rich sources of minerals found in those salad greens -
minerals like iron to prevent anemia,
magnesium to help us cope with stress,
calcium to build strong bones.
And incidentally, salmon is a rich source of vitamin B12,
which is uniquely dependent on stomach acid
for absorption later on in the small intestine.
Vitamin B12 is a critical nutrient.
It supports our neurological function, protecting both memory and mood.
Next, the partially digested food moves from the stomach into the small intestine,
where over 95% of nutrient absorption will take place.
But in order for this to happen,
the pancreas and the gall bladder must work their digestive magic.
The pancreas secretes multi-purpose enzymes
to further break down protein, carbohydrates and fat.
And the gall bladder secretes bile.
Much like stomach acid, bile is simply underappreciated.
Bile helps pull the healthy fat from our food,
food like salmon and that salad dressing, in order to be absorbed.
Don't take offense when I say that you are all big fatheads.
(Laughter)
And I'm one too.
Over 60% of our brain is composed of fat.
We need dietary fat to think, to balance our blood sugar
and to absorb fat-soluble vitamins,
like vitamins A and K, rich in those salad greens.
These vitamins power our immune system and protect our bones.
In the large intestine, our fiber-rich salad
will serve as an additional meal to our friendly intestinal bacteria,
who in turn provide numerous benefits to us,
like boosting metabolism, balancing hormones
and synthesizing vitamins,
like vitamins K for strong bones and biotin for healthy hair and nails.
Dietary fiber is not just about preventing constipation.
We need to feed our friendly, health-promoting bacteria
with lots and lots of fiber.
Assuming we are well hydrated and fiber-full,
rhythmic contractions of digestion will lead to elimination,
and that brings us to the end of our digestive journey.
Or does it?
I mentioned earlier
that if we're going to make the investment in healthy food,
don't we want to increase the chances
that we're going to absorb those nutrients?
Well, I left out one key piece,
and that is
our entire digestive system is regulated by our nervous system.
Our sense of stress at mealtime exerts a powerful force on these nerves.
So what happens to digestion when we're feeling calm?
Let's call it the "rest-and-digest" state.
The answer:
normal physiology of digestion.
Saliva, stomach acid, bile and pancreatic enzymes are all released.
Rhythmic contractions in the intestines gently move the food along.
We eat, we digest, we absorb, we eliminate.
And we just maximized a highly nutritious opportunity.
But what happens to digestion when we're feeling stressed out?
Let's call it the "fight-or-flight" state.
In essence,
the entire digestive system is inhibited,
which can negatively affect the nutrients we absorb,
and can contribute to common digestive complaints.
When we eat while feeling stressed out,
we are less likely to think about the meal at hand,
let alone on chewing.
We then send poorly chewed food down a tube to a stomach
that is not optimally primed with acid
to break down protein or to unlock minerals from the food.
And this can lead to an uncomfortably full feeling in our stomachs.
We have a protective gate at the entrance of our stomach
that blocks acid from going upward,
preventing symptoms of what we commonly refer to as heartburn.
And sadly, some of our most favorite foods and beverages,
like coffee, chocolate and alcohol
can all contribute to a dysfunctional gate.
Being overweight can place added stress on the gate.
And a heightened "fight-or-flight" mindset can enhance the symptoms of heartburn.
So while there are serious diseases
that do require the use of acid-blocking medication,
the indiscriminate use of these drugs over a long period of time
can be nutritionally risky,
and can increase the chances of a calcium or vitamin B12 deficiency
as well as poor protein breakdown.
In the small intestine,
stress inhibits the digestive function of the pancreas and the gall bladder.
Opportunistic bacteria can then take advantage
of the poorly digested food
and decompose and ferment it for energy, creating gas as a by-product,
and this can lead to the common but not normal complaint
of bloating after a meal.
If the gallbladder is inhibited from releasing bile,
this can lead to significant digestive distress, including loose tool,
and we just reduced our chances
of absorbing those beneficial fat-soluble vitamins.
Stress inhibits the normal contractions in the large intestine,
and you combine that with dehydration and a low-fiber diet,
and we end up with symptoms of constipation.
So it becomes quite apparent -
[BON APPÉTIT] (Laughter)
moving on to the helpful stuff -
It becomes quite apparent that it would serve us well
to stimulate our "rest-and-digest" nervous system before mealtime.
And there are simple, effective ways to do this.
First, take a few deep breaths before mealtime.
This is a powerful way to move ourselves into the "rest-and-digest" state.
Practicing slow, deep belly breathing
physically engages the primary nerve that influences digestion.
Deep breathing is not some poorly thought out,
overly simplified recommendation.
It's based on human anatomy and physiology.
We really can improve our digestion through deep breathing.
Next:
Chew your food
until it liquefies and then swallow.
Not only does chewing accomplish the obvious,
of mechanically digesting the food,
and not only does it allow for the saliva
to properly lubricate the food for easy swallowing,
but it also prolongs the time
for all of our senses to get turned on to the meal at hand.
And finally, say words of gratitude before mealtime.
In my home, some evenings, dinnertime can look like this:
my husband or I recently get home from work,
we scramble to create a healthy dinner,
we attempt to capture our two small children,
and sit down at the dinner table,
and by this time, one child's throwing food,
and the other is attempting escape,
(Laughter)
and it can feel chaotic.
But we choose to hold hands, and say words of gratitude
because it brings a moment of stillness and focus to the task at hand,
which is to nourish ourselves with good food.
By taking the time to relearn the normal physiology of digestion,
we're inspired to support it, not suppress it.
Our mindset at mealtime does influence digestion,
ultimately affecting the nutrients we absorb,
and in essence, who we become.
Optimal health requires paying attention not only to what we eat,
but how we eat.
Thank you and bon appétit!
(Applause)