How Stress Impacts Digestion with Bonnie Wisener
“Stress is a common factor in many people’s lives, and its impact on digestive health is profound and often underestimated,” says Andrea Hecht. In this episode, she tackles the connection between stress and digestion with Bonnie Wisener, a registered holistic nutritionist and founder of Shift Nutrition and Wellness. Bonnie shares insights on how stress affects digestion, often in overlooked ways.
Bonnie's own health challenges inspired her to leave the advertising career behind and pursue holistic nutrition. She starts by recounting her career shift from advertising to holistic nutrition. She emphasizes the healing power of food, which inspired her Shift Your Gut therapy method. Andrea and Bonnie discuss how stressors disrupt digestion, from major life events to everyday pressures like skipping meals and excessive caffeine intake. Bonnie recommends deep breathing before meals to help the body stay parasympathetic, which is essential for optimal digestion.
The episode covers practical strategies for digestive health, such as avoiding skipped meals, planning ahead, and maintaining a balanced diet rich in fiber and protein. Bonnie highlights the importance of sleep and routine, noting that the body’s natural rhythms are crucial for digestion. She explains the gut-brain connection and how our mental state influences digestive function.
Bonnie also shares her personalized approach with clients, stressing tailored strategies for individual digestive issues. Success stories from her practice illustrate how personalized care and nervous system regulation can significantly improve digestive health.
Quotes
“We stress our body out on a day to day basis without even realizing it. Our body is designed a certain way that it kind of needs sustenance to give us the energy that we need. So, unbeknownst to us, that actually does affect our physiology. It does affect how our body functions and which part of our nervous system is activated throughout the day.” (12:37 | Bonnie Wisener)
“Our body loves a routine for digestion. That's what it needs.” (30:09 | Bonnie Wisener)
“I think we need as a society to be mindful of the whole mindfulness and how it relates to just everything in our life, including when we're actually fueling our bodies. And so if we can't fuel our body in a mindful, calm state, how can we then do anything else? So it really goes back to that, which is just fundamental.” (33:37 | Andrea Hecht)
“Stress management techniques can be very helpful, but I also want to say clearly that I think why people walk away from tips, like simple, even everyday tips is because sometimes we try something just for a week or two and we don’t really notice a difference. I think it’s really important to rather than focus on all the things, try and be perfect at doing the food properly and the lifestyle pieces perfectly, pick one or two things to focus on for at least a month and you’ll see over a month things can make a difference.” (52:51 | Bonnie Wisener)
Connect with Bonnie Wisener:
Shift Nutrition and Wellness Website: https://bonniewisener.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/shiftnutritionandwellness/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/shiftnutritionandwellness
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shiftyourguttherapy
Click here to access Bonnie’s tips to support digestive health while traveling:
https://shiftnutritionandwellness.activehosted.com/f/31
Connect with your host, Andrea Hecht:
Connect with Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullyinformedlifecoaching.
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