Leadership Artifacts

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common digestive health condition and is often difficult to manage. There are many underlying causes for IBS, and both acute and chronic stress can influence the function of digestion. The gut-brain axis is a term used to describe the communication between the central and enteric nervous systems. The enteric nervous system runs through the digestive system and controls motility, mucous production, and blood flow. The gut-brain pathway is bidirectional and involves both emotional and cognitive functions and digestive functions. When there is either acute or chronic stress on the body, this network can become unbalanced. Emotional stress impacts digestive function and the amount of visceral pain in the gut (Foster et al., 2017). People struggling with poor digestion often have difficulty managing stress levels effectively, leading to more symptoms. Mindful eating is a mind-body approach that can quickly slow down the eating process, engage the senses, modify the external environment, and focus on hunger and satiety cues. The research on mindful eating has typically been associated with weight management and intuitive eating, but it might also be effective for overall digestive health (Cherpak, 2019). Mindful eating strategies can help to increase parasympathetic activity in the body and balance the autonomic nervous system, thus allowing the body to focus on the digestive process of breaking down food and absorbing nutrients (Cherpak, 2019). This project aims to increase awareness that mindful eating can be an excellent strategy for reducing stress and improving the digestive process.

            Keywords: digestive health, mindfulness, digestion, irritable bowel syndrome, mindful eating