Non-Food Ways to Lose Weight and Feel Great: Connect More

Do you believe it's already August? The summer always seems to fly by, even though the days are longer, and the pace is (sometimes) slower.

We are really moving through this seven part series on non-food ways to affect weight loss and feel great. Today is post #5!

In case you missed any of the previous posts, you can click on the links below to catch up:

1. Sleep More (Click here if you missed it.)
2. Move More (For that one, click here.)
3. Breathe More (Get that one here.)
4. Chew More (Click here if you missed it.)

Today's post may surprise you...#5 is less about your physical habits, and more about your emotional well-being.  Are you ready for something new and different? The next non-food way to feel great and lose weight is to...

#5: CONNECT MORE

Connection with others has a very positive impact on your overall health and well-being. In fact, having support and a sense of community affects your physical and emotional health as much as choices related to eating, sleeping and moving. In Blue Zones (regions of the world where a high percentage of inhabitants live to be 90-100 years of age, suffer from fewer chronic and life threatening diseases, and generally enjoy more years of good health), researchers have identified a key commonality: a high degree of social interaction among community members, regardless of age.

In contrast, loneliness and social isolation were found to be major contributing factors to sadness, depression and development of chronic disease according to The Journal of Aging Life Care. Studies suggest that the impact of isolation on health and mortality are of the same magnitude as physical risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and smoking. 

The Body's Physical Reaction To Connecting

The brain and our digestive system are actually connected by the longest cranial nerve in the body called the vagus nerve. This nerve is like a super highway that connects your brain to your gut. It passes through several organs of the body and helps them perform many vital tasks, including regulating heart rate and moving food through the digestive tract. It also affects mechanisms that control appetite and feelings of satiety, mood and anxiety levels. So what you think and experience emotionally is actually physically connected to your digestive process! In addition, feeling connected to others stimulates the relaxation response in your body, much like deep breathing. And through the release of various hormones initiated by connecting, the nervous system calms down in a way that benefits the whole body, including your digestion system. Laughter can also help reduce anxiety and boost mood, another way that connecting with people you enjoy can affect your physical well-being.

A Word About Social Media

Connecting through social media is a fact of life as we know it, and certainly has both benefits and drawbacks. There is value in having so many ways to see what's going on within and outside our own communities. And a connection is definitely formed by being able to share what we know with others. I personally have formed good relationships with fellow coaches, teachers and clients from all over the world by joining groups where we can share information, discuss successes and challenges, and hold each other accountable. But contact through social media does not often provide the same sort of physical benefits to the body that in-person meetings do. You can belong to many online groups, but still feel isolated if those connections are your primary way to connect. Social media can also lead you to judge and compare yourself to others as they appear online, which can actually make you feel less connected and less empowered. For the purposes of this email, I am discussing the benefits of live, not virtual, connections.

How To Get The Most Out Of Connecting

• Make time to connect with others in person, one-on-one. While together, put the technology away and enjoy the time focused on what's going on between you. There is joy in staying in the present moment.
• Hug your loved ones. Oxytocin, a hormone produced by your body through close physical connections, has a calming effect on the whole body. The deep sense of relaxation derived from this hormone extends to many systems in the body, including the digestive system.
• Join groups with members who have similar hobbies, curiosities or goals.  Meet-up groups, book clubs and game groups (ie.cards, chess, mah jongg) are popular ways to get together with friends consistently for regular connection and fun. When personal challenges make it difficult to express your feelings in every day life, support groups are another beneficial way of connecting, 
• Volunteer for an organization or cause you believe in. Volunteering is a great way to meet people with whom you have a common interest or goal.  It is very gratifying to do or create something that benefits those in need, and an ego boost to accomplish something that presents a challenge. This way of connecting is helpful to both yourself and the community you serve.

How 'Connecting More' Benefits Weight Loss and Well-Being

• You'll digest your food better. Satisfying connections activate the relaxation response in your digestive system, thereby slowing it down to more completely digest the food. 
• You'll eat more slowly...maybe.  Eating with friends can help you eat more slowly if you are focused on good conversation. Putting your fork down between bites can help. Remember, eating slowly is key to more fully digesting your food.
• You're less likely to overeat...maybe.  When eating with a group of friends, food is sometimes shared among the table. Eating small tastes of several things may in fact result in eating less, while feeling more satisfied through savoring a variety of foods. In these situations, it's a good idea to pay attention to how often you refill your plate!
• You may be less likely to emotionally eat. Eating when you are not truly hungry can sometimes happen when you are not satisfied in other (non-food) areas of life. Sadness and depression can be the result of feeling socially isolated, and can trigger the desire to "fill up" that emptiness with food. This is an important discussion, and should not be reduced to a bullet point comment in this post in order to fully understand the complexity of the issue. For the purpose of this discussion, I will say that feeling connected to others can help improve your outlook and happiness in a way that can benefit your appetite for food.
• You'll feel happier. Again, oxytocin is the "feel good" hormone produced when you experience intimate connections with others. Hugging, kissing and embracing those you love stimulates this hormone to spread a calm feeling throughout the body, thereby activating the body's relaxation reponse and calm, happy feelings.

A satiated, happy body is one that feels nourished and satisfied from both the food and the experiences you feed it. So connect more with others and watch your body respond positively to the emotional love you are giving it.

If you want to learn more about food and non-food ways to create healthy habits, and how you can feel great in your body (without losing your mind), send me an email, or call me at (201) 803-3257.

I'm also offering a free Discovery Call to discuss your health needs and how I can help you. Click here to schedule your free half-hour phone session with no obligation.

Let's talk!

In Good Health,