Stress & Digestion

Has anyone else been watching Michael Mosley: Secrets of Your Big Shop?

Monday’s episode focused on gut issues, so I wanted to share my thoughts on this in relation to stress and digestion, as it's one of the key physical symptoms that I observe in my clients.

And why is that?

Digestion starts in the mouth with the presence of saliva. If you are stressed, you salivate less. Have you ever noticed how your mouth goes dry before a presentation?

When we are stressed, our body focuses on survival and forgets the least important tasks like digesting. Have you ever noticed how, during relaxation, your stomach suddenly starts to gurgle?

Stress can cause muscle tension in the gastrointestinal tract. This, in turn, affects the normal movement of food through the digestive system. Have you noticed how, in stress, you can tighten your jaw, forehead, and shoulders?

Stress can change the gut microbiota, which is linked to digestive problems. When we are stressed, we don’t have the bandwidth to use our energy for eating well and might go for sugar and easy carbs, which in the long term will increase bad bacteria. This was also pointed out in the show.

I have this saying that if I can get people to sleep and poop better, then half of the job is done. We can underestimate the importance of our digestive health in stress management, but it adds to the overall stress score.

And I haven’t even started talking about the gut-brain connection.

If you experience chronic or severe digestive symptoms related to stress, please consult your GP or a certified nutritionist.