Digestive issues are often blamed on something we ate, but food may not always be the only factor at play. Sometimes, stress and the state your body is in when you sit down to eat can also influence how your digestive system responds. The good news is that a simple breathing exercise before meals may help you slow down, relax and prepare your body to handle food better.
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Nikita Bardia, a Kolkata-based dietician and health and fitness coach with 10 years of experience, has shared a simple breathing hack to practise before meals that may help calm the body and support better digestion. In an Instagram video shared on September 29, the dietitian states, “Your next digestion hack might take just 12 seconds. Before your next meal, try this for 12 seconds.”
Breathing hack before meals
Nikita shares a simple breathing technique to practise before meals that may help calm the nervous system and put your body in a more relaxed state, allowing it to better prepare for and handle food.
Before you start eating:
3 seconds → inhale
4 seconds → hold
5 seconds → exhale
Repeat once or a few times if it feels comfortable.
Why does this work?
This breathing technique helps calm the nervous system, which is closely connected to the digestive system. When you are stressed, it can interfere with normal digestive processes, potentially affecting how efficiently your body breaks down and processes food.
Nikita explains, “Why? Your digestive system doesn’t operate separately from your nervous system. When you’re stressed, your body shifts toward a more sympathetic, ‘fight-or-flight’ state – and that can influence gut movement, stomach emptying, and digestive sensations. Slow, controlled breathing can help promote a more relaxed physiological state, and may be a simple way to create a transition between ‘I’m rushing/stressed’ and ‘I’m sitting down to eat.’”
“Put the phone down”
Many people have a habit of scrolling through their phones while eating, using the constant stream of content as entertainment during meals. However, this ongoing stimulation can keep the body in a heightened state of alertness rather than allowing it to fully relax and focus on digestion. Nikita recommends putting the phone away before a meal and giving your body a moment to slow down and prepare for food.
She highlights, “That’s the real point. You don’t need a complicated morning routine, a supplement, or an expensive ‘gut health’ product. Sometimes the first step is simply: put the phone down, take a breath, then eat. Try the 3-4-5 pattern before your next meal and notice how you feel. If breath-holding feels uncomfortable, skip the hold and simply use a slow inhale + longer exhale.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
Nikita Bardia is a Kolkata-based dietitian and health and fitness coach with over 10 years of experience. She specialises in weight management, lifestyle disorders, pregnancy nutrition, muscle gain, sports nutrition and diabetes management.
