Guidance regarding the effect stress is having on your digestive system.
Prolonged stress adversely affects the body, particularly the digestive system, which ideally functions under the parasympathetic nervous system’s “rest and digest” mode. Chronic stress, such as prolonged work hours, disrupts gut bacteria and digestion, leading to fatigue, illness, constipation, and headaches.
This ongoing stress may deplete essential nutrients, impacting overall health. It’s advisable to incorporate foods rich in magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, chromium, and vitamins A, C, E, and B, like brazil nuts, fatty fish, eggs, pumpkin seeds, turmeric, yogurt, and dark chocolate.
To support digestive health, reduce intake of fast foods, highly processed, and sugary foods, as excessive sugar can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria. Instead, focus on probiotic-rich foods and those aiding in digestive enzyme production.
My advice is to take practical steps to manage your stress. Here are some stress-management techniques that may help you reduce your stress and improve gut health:
- Be observant. Recognize the signs of your body’s response to stress, such as difficulty sleeping, increased alcohol use, being easily angered, feeling depressed, and having low energy.
- Make sure you get sufficient sleep.
- Exercise regularly.
- Try relaxing activities such as yoga, reading, listening to music or baking to minimize your levels of stress.
- Socialize and stay connected. Keep in touch with people who can provide emotional support and practical help.
- Avoid stressors as far as possible or try to manage them in the most effective way.
The reason why some struggle with constipation, could be because the gut can literally shut down during stress which can lead to constipation and interfere with the natural detoxification process in the body.
My advise for this problem would be the following:
- Eat more fibrous whole foods such as fruit and vegetables with high fibre content.
- Mix psyllium with lots of water and drink it or use psyllium in healthy baking snacks as it acts as a fibrous broom.
- Increase your water intake.
- Work on relaxation, deep breathing, and decreasing stress levels.
- Increase your intake of probiotics, beneficial living bacteria in certain foods.