All drivers understand the risks of drink driving, yet many of us wouldn’t think twice about snacking during even the shortest of trips. As a nutrition gut specialist helping busy women I recommend you think twice about eating while driving. Regardless of what you’re eating, evidence increasingly points to the fact that multitasking your meals while driving can significantly slow digestion, and even facilitate hormone imbalances as gut health goes speeding off in the other direction.

Here, we consider why digestion and on-road snacks are so opposed, and what exactly that means for gut health and digestion. 

Unfortunately, as well as posing the significant risk of blocking your view, creating a distraction, and causing you to take both hands off the wheel, in-car snacking is increasingly rearing its ugly head with regards to overall gut health, and we’re afraid to say that the findings so far aren’t great.

Sympathetic vs parasympathetic processes

In the most simple sense, driving and eating are such a bad pairing because they are diametrically sympathetic and parasympathetic processes. While browsing a Bentley dealership for your next vehicle can most certainly help you to relax and enjoy a few feel-good hormones, driving a high-end vehicle like this, especially, is a wholly sympathetic bodily process that triggers fight or flight responses to keep you aware, safe, and looking after your vehicle.

By comparison, digestion relies on parasympathetic processes that depend on rest, saving energy, and most certainly keeping your heart rate down. Eating while in a heightened sympathetic state (e.g. while driving) altogether prevents the digestion necessary for the proper absorption of nutrients, efficient fat stores, and the regulation of blood sugars among other things.

The fast nature of road-based food

As the above point proves, even healthy snacking while on the road isn’t great. To make matters worse, few of us think to pack a bag of nuts when we head out for a long drive. Instead, we either pick up the first thing we see on the shelf at the garage (often crisps or sweets) without stopping to read the food label, or we fall foul to the temptation of drive-through takeout that’s almost always dripping with unhealthy, saturated fats. Both toxic and inflammatory, these quick-fire snack options pose significant risks to healthy gut functioning, increasing levels of destructive gut bacteria and ultimately harming your gut microbiome. 

Missed mindfulness

When you’re eating while driving, it’s highly unlikely that you’re paying any real attention to what you’re ingesting, or even how full you feel. This is terrible news in light of links discovered between mindful eating and effective digestion. Worse, the distracted overeating inherent in snacking of this nature can see you overfilling on foods that, ideally, you shouldn’t be eating in the first place. 

Luckily, offsetting each of these risks is as easy as making an effort to eat an informed, relaxing meal at least an hour or so before you head off on a long or short road trip. That way, you give your digestion the best possible head start, as well as avoiding the risk of fast food stop-offs that can cause such catastrophic consequences for all-important gut health and your health goals.

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About 70 percent of your immune system lies in your gut. In fact, 95 percent of serotonin –a mood enhancing hormone– is produced in the gut. Which implies that it’s possible that poor gut health might be linked to mood-related conditions like depression and anxiety or even hormonal imbalance.

Yet, for something so important, it doesn’t get as much recognition as it deserves. This means that if your gut health isn’t in great condition, you’re more likely to fall ill, struggle with your mental health and become prone to infections. This is why you must do everything possible to ensure that your gut health is in top shape. 

Here are four important things you can do starting today. 

Start Eating Right

How much fiber are you eating on a daily basis? The average individual eats less than half of the fiber they should be eating every day. 

Your gut has evolved through thousands of years and has figured out what food is best for it –lots of fiber and unprocessed foods. Fiber-rich foods are an absolutely healthy gut-strengthening element that can help improve your gut health. 

So if you’ve been struggling, try upping the quantity of your fiber, and eating more natural foods. Lots of fruits, vegetables, organic farm produce still in their original state, high fiber carbs, and meat. 

Start Working Out More Frequently

If after every meal, you feel like the food is just sitting there, then you need to start moving more and fight that fat. Start exercising more and getting your body moving. Avoid living a sedentary lifestyle. 

If your job entails you sitting at a desk for hours on end, opt for a sit-stand table or a walking desk. If those are out of your budget, just take a 5-10 minute break every hour. Then, try to do some moderate to rigorous exercise for 20-30 minutes every day. 

Take or Eat Probiotics

Sometimes, poor gut health is caused by a low population of good bacteria. Buying and taking probiotics is a proven way to help increase their number so that they can balance the population in your gut, and help improve your digestive processes.

You can easily get these from kefir, yoghurts, and other gut supplements designed to help improve that area. While you’re at this, limit your intake of foods that can disrupt your digestion. 

Examples include caffeine and alcohol –particularly beer. The only alcohol group that can actually help is red wines. These are filled with antioxidants and are capable of encouraging the digestive process.

Reduce or Eliminate Your Stress

Stress is an anti-gut health factor. This is why gut conditions like ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease are often worsened by stress. 

That’s because the sudden dump of cortisol in your gut, triggers the reactions that cause the associated discomfort. Find ways to de-stress: relax, meditate, laugh a lot, avoid stress, and maybe even take supplements like soft gel CBD capsules –these help lower your stress levels by stimulating your endocannabinoid system. 

Also, remember to get enough sleep, and do the things that give you joy. If you practice these few tips, you’ll find your gut health greatly improved and your overall health will be the better for it.  

If you would like to join the FREE Facebook Group designed to improve your gut health click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/154175528467421

Summer is a time for fresh food that are perfect for balancing hormones. Fun foods that you can enjoy on your travels as well as in the garden alfresco. One of the great things about eating in the summer is the myriad of fresh and healthy things you can add to your foods. These are Gloucester based Nutritionist approved. 

Here are a few healthy recipes that you should try this summer that are packed with flavour and character that are perfect for a happy tummy and balanced hormones.  

Refreshing fruity salad 

When you go for regular checkups with your doctor or Wahroonga Family Dental Centre, you won’t be surprised to hear how important fruit is for your body as well as the strength of your teeth. This salad is packed with grilled fruits and nuts to make it perfect fuel for your productive summer days. 

Ingredients 

• 4 peaches 
• 4 strawberries
• 100g feta 
• 100g spinach 
• 100g mixed leaves 
• 100g mixed nuts, chopped
• 1 tbp olive oil, plus extra for grilling
• 1 tbp raspberries, mashed
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

1. Chop up your peaches into quarters and your strawberries into 3 slices. Brush with olive oil and place on a griddle pan, frying for 2 minutes on each side. 
2. Make a dressing with mashed raspberries, oil, and vinegar. Mix well. 
3. Assemble your salad with the leaves, nuts, fruit, feta, and dressing. 

Gluten free vegetable pasta 

This simple GF pasta recipe is packed with some healthy vegetables and can be made into a great lunch option for busy days at the office.  If you are wondering the best foods to eat to reduce bloating get in touch here https://p.bttr.to/2MZVUKN

Ingredients:

• 500g gluten free pasta (your favourite shape) 
• 400ml passata
• 1 tbsp mixed herbs
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 zucchini
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 eggplant
• 1 block halloumi 
• 100g parmesan cheese

1. Wash and chop your vegetables. 
2. In a large roasting dish, place your veggies with a small drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes at 200C.
3. Cook your pasta according to packet instructions. 
4. Slice your halloumi and dry fry in a pan until browned on both sides. Once cooked, chop into bitesized pieces. 
5. In a large pan, add all of your ingredients along with half of the parmesan. Stir and heat through for 5 minutes. 
6. Serve and add remaining parmesan. 

Moroccan chicken tray bake

Moroccan chicken is not only super delicious, but it is a healthy option for your mideweek meals and it will open up your meal plan to so many more flavours and ideas. 

Ingredients 

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp ginger 
• 1 tsp coriander leaf 
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 200g baby potatoes
• 200g butternut squash 
• 1 shallot 

1. Chop your baby potatoes in half, dice your shallot, and cut your butternut squash into bitesize pieces. 
2. Pan fry your chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Add the spices. 
3. Add all other ingredients to your dish and cover. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender. 
4. Serve with couscous or veggies. 

Try some of these fun summer recipes to fuel your body with lots of vital vitamins this season. Stay tuned for the new book out soon. Called Time To Nourish. It will be packed with recipes to support your happy gut and balanced hormones.