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Dine While You Shop? Why That’s Not Such A Good Idea

The other day I heard a news story and the headline was, “Dine While You Shop.” They were talking about how some grocery stores are now adding restaurants and other entertainment businesses to their stores to encourage more people to go to the stores instead of shop online, but the headline triggered me.

 

The first thing that popped into my head was, “Why is our society so focused on multi-tasking while eating?” As a Health Coach and former sufferer of Acid Reflux, this trend is very concerning to me.

 

I was on reflux medications for 17 years and because they suppressed my stomach acid, I was unable to digest my food well and my joints started breaking down due to malnutrition. I had both of my hips replaced in the same year because of it. I can tell you – that was NOT a good or fun time for me. And when I learned it could all have been prevented, it made me mad!

 

I learned the hard way that just because a doctor tells you to take a medication, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for your body. I also learned that slowing down, chewing my food well, and making meal time focused on ONLY eating my food, is the best way to control my reflux and naturally eat less without feeling deprived.

 

It’s amazing how these simple changes can make a huge difference without having to take a medication to just feel normal.  Yet, we’ve made ourselves so “Busy” that we chow down our food too fast, overeat, and rush to the next thing on our To Do list without thinking.

 

Our bodies weren’t made to eat and run! We can only digest our food well when we’re in rest mode. Your Parasympathetic Nervous System is activated when you’re at rest, and this is the part of your nervous system that can lower your heart rate, increase digestion, and relax your muscles. This is what you want after a meal. Time for your digestive system to do its best work so you can feel amazing and get on with your day.

 

On the other hand, your Sympathetic Nervous System is the part of the nervous system that is called the “Fight or Flight” response. It increases your heart rate, constricts your blood vessels and raises your blood pressure in preparation for running from a predator. Unfortunately, the blood flow is the taken away from your digestive system and causes you to be unable to digest your food.

 

Running around and doing other things while your body is trying to digest the food you just ate, is just a recipe for indigestion, bloating, heartburn, and eventually a host of other medical issues down the line. Your body can’t tell the difference between running to escape certain death, or rushing off to go to work or take the kids to soccer practice.

 

So the next time you’re scarfing down fast food on the way to the ball park, pay attention to how you feel after eating. And if you’re bloated, gassy, and all around irritable, you might want to take a little more time to eat next time. Your gut will thank you!

 

Want more tips on how to feel amazing and banish heartburn and indigestion altogether? Schedule a free 30 minute Discovery call with me so we can chat about how I could help you. Follow this link and we can get it set up!

 

Or, email me at ckramercoaching@gmail.com if you’re interested in being notified when my Reflux Beta Program goes live!

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