Why Your Nervous System Is Sabotaging Your Digestion (and What Food Can Actually Do About It)
You cannot digest well in a body that feels unsafe, underfed, or rushed.
Digestive issues are often framed as a problem of food quality, intolerances, or missing supplements. While those factors matter, they are frequently secondary. One of the most overlooked drivers of poor digestion is the state of the nervous system itself.
Digestion is a parasympathetic process. Stomach acid production, pancreatic enzyme release, bile flow, and coordinated gut motility are all regulated by the vagus nerve and require a state of relative calm. When the nervous system is chronically stuck in sympathetic mode—characterized by stress, rushing, under-sleeping, and constant stimulation—digestion is deprioritized. The body interprets this state as unsafe, and conserving energy becomes more important than breaking down food efficiently.
This is why people can eat nutrient-dense, carefully sourced meals and still experience bloating, reflux, constipation, or loose stools. It is not that the food is “wrong.” It is that the body does not feel resourced enough to digest it properly.
Blood sugar instability further compounds the issue. Skipped meals, coffee-only mornings, or low-calorie intake increase cortisol output to maintain glucose availability. Elevated cortisol suppresses digestive function while increasing gut permeability and altering motility patterns. Over time, this stress-driven pattern can mimic food intolerances or dysbiosis, even in the absence of true pathology.
Food cannot replace nervous system regulation, but it can strongly support it. Warm, cooked meals require less digestive effort than raw or cold foods. Adequate protein and carbohydrate at meals reduce the need for stress hormones to maintain blood sugar. Minerals such as sodium and potassium support adrenal signaling and fluid balance, indirectly improving gut function. Regular meal timing gives the nervous system predictability, which lowers baseline stress.
Digestion does not improve by force or restriction. It improves when the body perceives safety, sufficiency, and consistency. Before eliminating more foods or adding another supplement, it is worth asking a more foundational question: is the nervous system in a state that allows digestion to happen at all?
Savory Breakfast Congee for Calm Digestion
Why this works
Congee is a long-cooked rice porridge that requires minimal digestive effort while still providing steady glucose for the nervous system. Warm, soft foods support parasympathetic activity, reduce cortisol demand, and improve gastric emptying. This makes congee especially useful during periods of stress, postpartum recovery, digestive sensitivity, or chronic under-fueling.
Serves: 2–3
Time: 45–60 minutes (mostly unattended)
Ingredients
¾ cup white rice, rinsed
6 cups water or homemade chicken broth
½–1 tsp sea salt, to taste
2–3 eggs, soft-boiled or poached
Optional:
1–2 tsp freshly grated ginger
Sliced green onions
Drizzle of olive oil or ghee
Instructions
Combine rinsed rice and water or broth in a medium pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice breaks down and the mixture becomes thick and porridge-like. Add more liquid if needed.
Season with sea salt and ginger, if using.
Serve warm, topped with eggs and optional garnishes.
How to eat it
Sit down. Eat warm. Chew slowly. Avoid multitasking. Taking a few calm breaths before the first bite is not symbolic — it directly supports vagal tone and digestive enzyme release.
When to use this meal
If you rely on coffee to function in the morning
If breakfast feels unappealing or causes bloating
During postpartum recovery or high stress
When digestion feels “fragile” or unpredictable
This is not a forever food. It is a regulating food — one that helps the body remember how digestion works when safety and sufficiency are restored.