Is Stress making you bloated?

Stop for a minute and take a deep breath………now take another…….and one more……..now you are ready to eat.

Taking 3 deep breathes reduces your “stress” state and promotes your “digestive” state. When we are under stress, our cortisol and epinephrine hormones are increased in our blood. These stress hormones suppress the release of salivary secretions, gastric juices, digestive enzymes and bile, making it more difficult to digest food. When we are under stress, the increased cortisol and epinephrine slow down contractions of the stomach and small intestine, leading to acid reflux, bloating, fatigue after meals, and an overall sense of heaviness. Chronically elevated cortisol can also increase gut barrier permeability. The resulting “leaky gut” allows bacteria to seep into circulation eliciting an immune response of lymph fluid to rush to the site and try to manage the bacterial invasion. This influx of lymphatic fluid pools in the abdomen causing a heaviness and distention of the abdomen.

Let’s be honest, most of us are in a chronic stress state everyday. So let’s focus on small changes that can have a big impact.

Take three deep breaths repeatedly throughout the day.

Deep breathing not only lowers stress hormones and releases digestive enzymes, but it mobilizes the diaphragm. When you take a deep breath your diaphragm lowers down and massages the intestines and the enteric nervous system (ENS), also known as the gut-brain axis. This massaging motion stimulates a relaxing affect on the intestines and the ENS. The ENS is directly linked to your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and has an immediate impact on your overall sense of well being.

When we are chronically stressed we adopt a shallow breathing pattern and we hold more tension in the abdomen which inhibits the digestive organs from moving freely and causes more stress and anxiety.

How do you know if this relates to your digestive problems?

If you take 3 deep breathes and feel any part of your body relax, than this will benefit you. Why? Because the ENS controls approximately 90% of the serotonin production in the body. Serotonin influences bowel motility, and senses and communicates information such as pain to the central nervous system. Research in IBS has found that depletion in serotonin leads to anxiety, depression, stress, and pain.

In the documentary “The Gut, Our Second Brain”, available for viewing on Amazon Prime. Surgeons have found markers for diagnosing neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimers and dementia in the lining of the digestive tract years before the markers ever show up in the brain and spinal cord. By looking into the health history of their patients they found that the majority of their patients had either IBS or some other inflammatory digestive diagnosis earlier on in life. They pose the question, “are Parkinson’s and Alzheimers the end result of untreated chronic digestive diseases?”.

So what can you do to manage stress and its impact on your digestive health?

First, manage stress for optimal digestion. Practice deep-breathing exercises daily, take 3 deep breaths before eating or spend one minute in gratitude to all the steps that it took for your food to go from the growing fields to your plate. It truly is a miracle when you think through all the steps that it took for you to have that meal in front of you. Take digestive enzymes with meals to aid in the digestive process. Consult with a naturopath to create a nutritional protocol to address your digestive health.

For bloating try abdominal acupuncture, visceral manipulation, castor oil packs on the abdomen, colon hydrotherapy, and abdominal massages. Research herbs that lower cortisol like ashwaganda, rhodiola, lemon balm, and chamomile. Try stress reducing techniques like alternate nostril breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. Look into supplementing with magnesium or probiotics that support gut health.