The Gratitude and Gut Health Connection
Ah yes, two of my favorite topics!!
When was the last time you paid gratitude for a meal? Maybe it was when you were younger, saying a prayer with your family before dinner. Or, maybe it’s something you still do. Either way, practicing gratitude is an incredibly powerful tool to use in your daily life, with endless positive benefits.
And, one of these benefits is that it supports the gut. Sounds crazy, I know, but incorporating a practice of gratitude before meals actually aids the digestive process. Most people think that digestion starts in the mouth, or even in the stomach. But in reality, the first step of the digestion begins in the head - through a cool little process known as cephalic digestion. This is when the stomach reacts to the sight, smell, and thoughts about the food in front of you. SO, when there’s positive and appreciative thoughts towards the food, the gut responds back positively. The fight or flight response turns off, the body knows it’s safe, and the GI tract prepares to process the meal effectively.
Mind.Gut.Connection.
If this isn’t something you already do, try it out! This can be as simple as saying some words of thanks for the nourishment that the food provides, smelling the spices and flavors before taking a bite, or spending a few extra minutes making the it look a bit more aesthetically pleasing. So find a meal that makes you feel extra grateful, and practicing giving it thanks.
One of those meals for me is a loaded nourish bowl, just like the one in this picture.
Here’s how I made it:
Arugula
Cooked sprouted quinoa
Roasted chickpeas (rinsed and peeled for optimal digestion, not gonna lie it’s an ANNOYING process)
Roasted butternut squash
Raw sunflower seeds
Salmon marinated in olive oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and salt and pepper
Maple tahini dressing: 1 tbsp tahini + 2 tsp maple syrup + 1 tsp olive oil or water to thin
So throw all of your faves into a bowl, show it some extra love before taking a bite, and get that digestion fired up!