Why Do I Lose My Appetite When I'm Stressed?

Let's Dive Right In...

3 POINTS YOU NEED TO REMEMBER:

• FOOD MOVES FROM YOUR MOUTH TO URANUS (haha) BECAUSE OF MUSCLES.

• MUSCLES NEED BLOOD FLOW AND INPUT FROM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TO WORK.

• STRESS IS MORE THAN MENTAL TENSION.

FOOD MOVES FROM YOUR MOUTH TO URANUS (haha) BECAUSE OF MUSCLES.

• Food is pushed along your digestive tract because of muscles. Your tongue, your ability to swallow, your stomach and intestines...all push the food that you eat from the point of entry into your body, mixing it with enzymes to allow for nutrient absorption; until it is finally packaged as a neat little package:  Poop. Yes, you read that correctly.

When you finish blushing, I'll continue...

MUSCLES NEED BLOOD FLOW AND INPUT FROM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM TO WORK.

• Stress in all forms, literally redirects blood flow AWAY from your gut-decreasing digestive enzyme production and causing gut motility to virtually stop. 

STRESS IS MORE THAN MENTAL TENSION.

• We often think of "stress" as being this vague concept of mental overwhelm and anxiety.  While mental stress is indeed a type of stress, one must also look at the big picture to define "stress" as it pertains to its chemical and physical effects in the body. In short, "Stress" is a response. A "Stressor" is something that causes the Stress Response.

FOR MY BOOK SMARTIES:
In this sense, we define "stress" as the chemical and physical changes/effects/response in the body as a result of a stressor. (Something that causes the stress response, placing increased oxygen demands on the body)

SOME TYPES OF STRESSORS:
• Emotional: Worry, anxiety, and extreme excitement

• Physical: Illness, injury, physical work, exercise

• Sensory: sight- visual stimulation, including electronics & lights; sound-auditory stimulation from any noise, sirens, radio chatter; taste; touch/tactile (feel-temperature, pain, vibratory kickback from power tools, etc), & smell. 

• Chemical: caffeine, nicotine, energy drinks, stimulant herbal remedies, pre workout complexes, ADD/ADHD meds, ephedra and its relatives, and of course illicits of stimulant nature.

These stressors occur simultaneously when you're in busy environments, such as on a call, at the gym, or even at home; and their effects are cumulative. Which means, if we remain focused on the effects to the digestive system from being exposed to stressors, your gut isn't receiving hardly any blood flow!

NO BLOOD FLOW, NO DIGESTIVE MOVEMENT, NO ENZYME PRODUCTION, NO APPETITE.

Capeesh?