Parasympathetic State: What is it?
Our autonomic (involuntary) nervous systems have two main states it operates in. The Sympathetic state is the 'fight or flight' state. When we are in this state our heart rate increases, our blood pressure increases, blood flow throughout our body increases, and our stress hormones kick into action.
The Parasympathetic state is the 'rest and digest' state. When we are in this state our heart rates slows down, our blood pressure decreases, blood flow normalizes to assist in proper digestion, and our stress hormones decrease so we are noticeably more calm.
The Sympathetic state is vital to our ability to protect ourself and react if we were in danger. But it is not a healthy state to live in, to eat in. Ideally we want to live and eat in a Parasympathetic state where we appreciate our food, we are anticipating our food, and we are eating slowly enough to actually enjoy our food.
Signs that you are not eating with intention are:
Eat in a hurry, in your car, standing up
Eat our of habit or boredom, you are not physiologically hungry
Crave sweets, fried foods
Overeat
Eat when stressed or angry
Experience gas, bloating, or burps after eating
Think of food as they enemy in your life
Most of us live in a hurried world of work harder and task oriented checklists. We would be much better off if we'd slow down, anticipate our food, appreciate our food, and chew our food. Food is to be experienced. It is to be enjoyed. Being in a Parasympathetic state can also encompass other parts of your life not only food. When we hurry through life we actually miss out. We don't stop to enjoy and revel in the small pleasures. Often we aren't calm enough to even see them.
I lived many years in this rushed state. In the state of working 60 hours a week, eating at my computer, not 'taking time' to exercise. But all I was doing was making myself stressed out and unhealthy. Follow these simple steps below and see if it doesn't help you be more in the moment at meals and throughout your day.
