Why Eating on the Go is a No-No

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Note: Short posts like this one offer a big-picture look at nutrition, lifestyle, and sustainability topics. For a deeper dive into this subject, or any other one, reach out about my virtual classes or one-on-one sessions!

Slowing Down as the World Moves Faster

Eating on the go, especially when driving, has become a norm. Consuming food in general has moved into the column of activities that generate the invention and over-production of gadgets to make it faster and easier. Doing a quick search, I found a huge number of products geared towards helping people eat on the run. The most shocking was a steering wheel food tray with a phone holder! [Feel free to pause for a moment now to take that mental image in.]

Marketing tells us we all want everyday tasks to get easier so we can do more and more and more (and more) other important things with our finite amount of time, right? Hmmmm. When it comes to eating, our body isn’t in a mode to digest food or absorb nutrients when it’s stressed and on the go. That’s why eating, along with so many other things we do, could use some TLC. In other words, there are essential things that human bodies need that still deserve, and depend on, our time and upmost attention to work for us.

Parasympathetic vs. Sympathetic

Let’s take a look at why our body prefers the dinner table over the driver’s seat by talking about our autonomic nervous system (ANS). This system controls all involuntary bodily functions like breathing, blood pressure, sweating, digestion, and heart rate—things our bodies do without any conscious thought. And our bodies seamlessly fluctuate between this system’s two modes as needed to fit the situation.

The sympathetic mode kicks in for anything that requires focused physical activity or when reacting to danger or stress. It is also known as our fight-or-flight response. Some of the everyday things we do in sympathetic mode are intense exercising, driving in traffic, multitasking and even involuntarily responses to loud noises.

The parasympathetic mode, or rest-and-digest mode, is in gear during calming activities like sleeping, intentional deep breathing, walking in nature, reading a book—times when the body isn’t on high alert. It’s also the ideal and natural mode for eating, as it activates digestion by increasing salivation and promoting blood flow to digestive organs, which supports food breakdown and nutrient absorption.

What Happens When You Eat on the Go?

In sympathetic mode, the body is on high alert and ready for action, prioritizing energy and blood flow to where it’s needed most. This means support for calming activities like digestion take a back seat. This mode leads to reduced stomach acid, slower gut motility, and the release of adrenaline and cortisol, while blood vessels in the digestive tract constrict.

In sympathetic mode, blood is diverted from the stomach and intestines, limiting nutrient absorption and causing stomach discomfort, bloating, and indigestion. The more stress, the less we digest. And the more chronic stress we experience, the more likely we are to develop serious illness and disease (a topic for another time!).

Here’s the deal with this: it doesn’t matter if you’re eating a healthy meal or junk food—if you’re eating on the go (driving, vacuuming, showering, doing push-ups, being chased by a lion, running a 5K, etc.), your body won’t properly digest or absorb the nutrients. So even the best food won’t help if you’re in motion or stressed!

How to Engage in Nourishing, Not Just Eating

The world discovered that not all calories are equal some time ago, but now we also need to start focusing on how we eat, not just what we eat. Rest assured though that eating doesn’t have to be complicated! It’s helpful to just keep in mind that our bodies are ecosystems, similar to the ones around us in nature. That means they need just as much attention and care to thrive.

Focusing on mindful eating is a great way to return to our relationship with food how nature intended. By intentionally triggering our parasympathetic mode before and during meals—eating while seated, taking a few deep breaths before we eat, paying attention to the flavors and textures—we can ensure our body gets the nutrients it needs to keep us feeling our best.

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Allow Your Body to Work for You  

You don’t need the latest gadgets to enhance your relationship with and consumption of food. In fact, the opposite is true! By embracing your body’s innate design, you are taking a giant step toward empowering yourself to find a path to better health. Following along this journey will in turn give you all the energy you need to enjoy life. That’s the essentials of holistic nutrition—nourishing yourself from the inside out.

I hope you enjoyed exploring this topic! Feel free to leave a comment below with your experience—questions are always welcome too! Reminder to check back weekly for new posts! You can also subscribe for my monthly newsletter featuring the latest articles and recipes.