Being stressed or angry at mealtimes can
diminish the nutritional benefits of the
food we eat. There’s good reason to
cheer up before we chow down.
My consistent advice is to exercise, pray,
meditate, write, listen to music, or even
hug the kids and pet the dog before
eating. I haven’t just been making this
advice up as I go along. My source is a
giant of healthcare: Walter B. Cannon,
who was head of the physiology
department at Harvard for many years.
The shortest word for this field is
psychoneuroimmunology, which is barely
descriptive.
Cannon observed that our state of being
and our bodies are inextricably linked.
Our mouths water when we smell our
favorite foods. The nice smell causes
saliva and starts the digestive process.
The aroma sparks a positive association,
and we feel good just being nearby.
All aspects of digestion can be affected by
a positive or negative state of mind.
Stress out emotionally, or even physically
(by, say, forgetting to drink water), and
watch the saliva disappear. Peristalsis—
the muscle contractions that drive food
from the mouth to the intestines—can
stop or slow down. Enzymes can decrease
while stomach acid increases. Nutrients
may become toxic in the presence of
toxic emotions, because of improper
digestion.
Cannon observed that stress is a highly
individualized factor, completely
dependent on how we choose to perceive
things. Some people freak out, running
around like chickens with their heads cut
off, and others breathe deeply and take
baby steps to deal with their problems.
I’ll give you one guess which type of
person typically has healthier digestion.
Stress happens, but distress doesn’t have
to.
The stress reaction is part of the fight-or-flight
response we all need to help us deal
with a tiger that just moved into the tall
grass. It unlocks stored energy and shuts
down our ability to eat new food. But we’ll
feel the same tightness in our gut if we try
to eat while feeling depressed about our day
in the office. Our bodies can’t tell the
difference between the tiger and a profound
need to cry or shout.
In a small way, laughter has even helped
people get over diseases like cancer,
because the patient can now fully digest his
or her food after relieving stress. Most
problems can be handled by laughing,
journaling, meditating or praying. A small
few need professional assistance. In prayer,
the body enters the same state as
meditation, a state of ease, and gets the
same benefits.
It makes sense that people don’t eat
while in distress. A depressed person
will get no nutritional benefit from their
food, causing a cycle downward into
more depression and anger. Remember
that everything works better when
you’re happy. Push away from that plate
and get your head and heart on straight
before eating. Don’t worry; eat happy!
by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.
