Eat Like A Baby To Enhance Digestion

I was having a conversation with my best friend the other day about digestion and hunger cues and she mentioned how those were so evident in her newborn baby.He eats less at night, eats slowly, naturally stops when he’s full and gets annoyed when there are distractions while he eats. (I thought was especially funny to think about a baby swatting away a toy while attached to a bottle.)

The thing is, we all did this once too. These cues were once very natural for us. But they were conditioned out of us as we got older and became more accustomed to this fast-paced world we live in where everything must be done at super-sonic speed, including mealtime.

However, it’s not how our bodies were designed to optimally function. When we eat quickly we put ourselves into a state of stress, and a stress state actually shuts down the digestive system. This hinders the digestion process, which can lead to a whole host of issues, such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue and lagging energy.

The best way to counteract this constant stress state is to enjoy your meals in a relaxed state by eating slowly. Savor your food without distraction (just like my friend’s baby). Get intimate with the taste, texture, aroma and visuals of the meal. This will not only increase your pleasure and satisfaction of the food, but also will enhance the digestive process.

And just like a baby, slowing down and paying attention to your food will lead you to stop naturally when you’re full and decrease the likelihood of overeating.

Did you know it takes the brain 20 minutes to catch up to the stomach? So what happens then if you eat an entire plateful of food in just 5 minutes? The answer is you probably end up eating more than your body needs because your brain didn’t have the chance to the register the food in your stomach.

If you think you have issues with overeating or often find that your stomach is distended after your meals, get rid of distractions while eating. Becoming more fully present with your food will help you slow down and more readily read your body’s hunger and satisfaction cues.

These are just a few tips that I hope can help you get more in tune with your digestive process. For more strategies, check out my FREE VIDEO where I share 3 bio-hacks to enhance digestion and increase energy…without changing what you eat!

Get the FREE video here!

If you’re still suffering from digestive issues and looking for 1:1 support on your health journey, set up an exploration call with me!