Digestive issues are often blamed on something we ate, but food may not always be the only factor at play. Sometimes, stress and the state your body is in when you sit down to eat can also influence how your digestive system responds. The good news is that a simple breathing exercise before meals may help you slow down, relax and prepare your body to handle food better.
Breathing hack before meals
Nikita shares a simple breathing technique to practise before meals that may help calm the nervous system and put your body in a more relaxed state, allowing it to better prepare for and handle food. This breathing technique helps calm the nervous system, which is closely connected to the digestive system. When you are stressed, it can interfere with normal digestive processes, potentially affecting how efficiently your body breaks down and processes food. Nikita explains, “Why? Your digestive system doesn’t operate separately from your nervous system. When you’re stressed, your body shifts toward a more sympathetic, ‘fight-or-flight’ state – and that can influence gut movement, stomach emptying, and digestive sensations. Slow, controlled breathing can help promote a more relaxed physiological state, and may be a simple way to create a transition between ‘I’m rushing/stressed’ and ‘I’m sitting down to eat.’” Many people have a habit of scrolling through their phones while eating, using the constant stream of content as entertainment during meals. However, this ongoing stimulation can keep the body in a heightened state of alertness rather than allowing it to fully relax and focus on digestion. Nikita recommends putting the phone away before a meal and giving your body a moment to slow down and prepare for food. She highlights, “That’s the real point. You don’t need a complicated morning routine, a supplement, or an expensive ‘gut health’ product. Sometimes the first step is simply: put the phone down, take a breath, then eat. If breath-holding feels uncomfortable, skip the hold and simply use a slow inhale + longer exhale.”
Try the 3-4-5 pattern before your next meal and notice how you feel.
