Three Deep Breaths

Three Deep Breaths.

That's it, I swear! Taking three deep breaths before eating has the power to completely transform your health. Here's why...
 

Breathing Increases Satiety

Breathing brings oxygen to the brain, allowing you to be more mindful while eating! Mindfulness allows you to tune into meal times, surveying what you are actually eating and more accurately determining when you are a good level of fullness. Mindfulness is a widely studied stress-reduction intervention due to its ability to promote parasympathetic nervous system dominance.

Breathing Activates Digestion

Breathing triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for our "rest and digest" state. Eating in a sympathetic or stressed state stunts digestion because our body is focused on one thing only; survival. When in survival mode, the body cannot actively work on food breakdown and nutrient absorption properly. If survival is threatened, the brain will decide to worry about what’s in the stomach later.

Breathing Reduces Bloat

Reducing stress helps maintain a stomach with robust levels of stomach acid. Stomach acid is critical for digestion of foods and the chyme acidity, which triggers a cascade of events later on in the digestion process like gallbladder bile flow and pancreatic enzyme release! In addition, stomach acid is our first line of defense against all types of foreign invaders.

Next time you eat, take three deep breaths before your first bite. Your body will thank you!

In good health,
Morgan