Gut Health, Eating and the Holiday Season
The last two months of the year go by so fast. With all the holiday preparations, celebrations, family and community gatherings, it can feel like a whirlwind. It can be so easy to get caught up in the rush of the holidays and forget to be mindful and in the moment. The connections that we have with loved ones in our lives is so important and helps us to live full and meaningful lives. But there is also an important connection between our mind, body, and pelvic floor that can become strained during the busy holiday season.
The connection within ourselves is highly regulated by the vagus nerve, like that one family member who keeps the family together for the holidays.
The body has a two-way nerve, called the vagus nerve, that runs from the brain to the gut and the gut to the brain, and branches to the pelvic floor. It is able to send and receive signals from all areas of the body. This nerve system is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, the area of the nervous system is responsible for the involuntary functions such as digestion of food, heart rate, and immune system. During times of high stress, such as during the busy holiday season, this nerve can become disconnected which can lead to various symptoms from your head to pelvic floor. This nerve is responsible for the butterfly feelings in your stomach when you are excited, the headache that you get when you overindulge in too much food, and why we don't always feel hungry when we are extremely busy using our brains to manage other things.
The disconnect that occurs in the vagus nerve during times of stress, excitement, or when your brain is hyper focused on the outside world, can lead to stomach issues such as constipation, diarrhea, less hunger cues, and a lack of nutrients being digested. In the pelvic floor, a disconnect from the vagus nerve leads to tension, inflammation, and discomfort. During the holidays it's easy to get caught up in all the festivities and lose the mind-gut-pelvis connection. There are many ways that we can strengthen this connection and help improve total body health through nervous system regulation.
Mindful deep diaphragmatic breathing exercises, singing, and cold-water face immersion are all ways that can help reconnect the mind, gut, and pelvic floor by activating the vagus nerve. One of the most effective, easy, and accessible ways to reconnect the vagus nerve connection is through diaphragmatic breathing exercises. These breathing exercises are also an important part of pelvic floor health. When focusing on diaphragmatic breathing, the goal is to keep all areas of the body relaxed while focusing on the breath in the abdominal region. As we inhale the abdomen will inflate like blowing up a balloon with air. With each exhale the abdomen deflates as the air leaves the lungs. This breathing, when done correctly and with intention, can help reconnect the mind and body, and bring the nervous system into a rest and digest state. Singing resonates with the vagus nerve as the sounds we make vibrate throughout the body. Cold exposure helps to reconnect your vagus nerve by focusing the body to adjust to the cold temperature. As the body adjusts to the temperature, the parasympathetic (rest and digest) part of the nervous system becomes more active. Join us for one of our monthly Breathing Workshops to connect back to your breath!
Although the holidays can be a whirlwind, there are many simple and accessible ways that we can stay connected to our mind, body, and pelvic floor. Taking pause to check-in with your body is a great idea at any time, but specially during the holidays. One of the easiest ways to help reconnect is to set a timer for a mindful minute. This can be done at any time of day, and repeated as necessary. Set a timer for 1 minute, focus on your abdominal area as you breathe into and out of it, and allow your mind to do whatever it needs to do. Your mind may wander and fill with thoughts and to-do lists, that is fine, let it. Just continue to focus on your breath.
Take time for yourself and soothing your vagus nerve over the holidays. Your mind, gut, and pelvic floor will thank you for checking-in and finding balance in your life and body.
Resources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve
