Have you ever experienced indigestion after eating a meal you ate while feeling anxious? Or had bad dreams or a headache after eating something that you shouldn’t have? There is a logical explanation for the mind responding to the stomach, and the stomach responding to the mind.

Everyone knows for sure that the stomach receives food which has been chewed and swallowed, sending it down into the small intestine. The stomach (a five layered organ) begins secreting hydrochloric acid (HCL) as soon as a piece of food enters the mouth, and often before. HCL can only extract certain nutrients from food particles that have been properly broken down in the mouth first, so chewing your food slowly and carefully are essential if you want a smooth digestive process. Swallowing food in its whole or partially whole state is food wasted, as the particles that are not exposed will remain undigested, and will pass through the system unutilized. The stomach cannot fully digest fats, so if you choose to eat processed, fried or greasy foods, distress will follow, usually due to a taxed gallbladder. HCL also plays a key roll in full body health, as it kills much of the bacteria, fungus and yeasts that, if reach the intestines, can multiply then colonize in the body, resulting in systemic candida. (See article link below.)

When food enters the stomach, it is massaged together with the HCL, by undulating stomach muscles. This wave-like motility is called peristalsis, and churns the food and HCL together, forming a gooey ball, called chyme, which is then passed along into the small intestine.

Remember, the stomach can only digest and distribute what you put into it. Eating foods that were grown from the vitality of the earth, will in turn give you vitality. Think of it this way: you were not manufactured in a lab, so foods that are, will be absorbed as toxins and will confuse and deplete rather than nourish the body.

Digesting food is not the only star talent of the stomach. Much more credit should be given to the stomach’s phenomenal ability to let you know when something “isn’t right.” “Gut feeling” is not just a saying. Did you know that you actually have the same number of brain cells in the GI tract as you have in your head? The gut and the brain are connected with the vagus nerve, and through it they communicate continually. In the beginning stage of embryonic development, a major cluster of cells is formed. When this cluster divides into two parts, they become your enteric nervous system (stomach, esophagus, small intestine and colon,) and your central nervous system (each brain hemisphere and cranial nerves.) Although they inhabit different areas of the body, they are still “twin” entities and are directly affected by each other’s functioning and responses to stimuli. It is therefore crucial to listen to and treat respectfully, what each organ group communicates to you and to each other. This could be in terms of common sense thinking, emotional responses, gut intuition or pain and illness.

Always remember to “think” before you eat! The ability of your entire body to function in a state of health is dependant upon it.



*Please know that I am not a medical doctor or a health practitioner. I cannot diagnose your stomach problems nor can I guarantee a cure. I am here to share my knowledge, which applications have worked for me and to offer suggestions of where you may go physically, emotionally and spiritually for healing and self-empowerment. If you choose to explore alternative medicine, do not independently stop taking your prescribed medications. Always consult with your current doctor as well as your new practitioner when changing your medical program