Our body’s mast cells are critical to inflammation and immune health, and the food we eat can impact their response. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle needed to heal.
It’s fascinating to discover that mast cells, distributed throughout the body, are also present in the limbic system, specifically in areas like the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. This unique positioning suggests that mast cells play a significant role in regulating our emotional responses, influencing neuronal activity and stress behaviors such as anxiety and other mood disorders.
How Stress Can Trigger MCAS
When our body is under stress, our mast cells can become overstimulated. This overstimulation can lead to an overreaction of our immune system when triggered, hindering its ability to heal and recover effectively. Thus, we can be eating all the right foods that support our immune health but not managing our stress levels very well—and still causing our immune system to overreact.
All things to remember as we approach one of the most stressful times of the year – the holidays! Most of us feel like we have to do it all during the holidays in only a few months! This includes shopping, hosting, and the pressure to create magical memories for everyone to enjoy. You are also thrown into social situations you may try to typically avoid, i.e., small talk with others you aren’t used to interacting with… (Where are my introverts?!)
Our environment also changes during the holidays. In the U.S., the weather is cold, and the sunshine is limited (the weather and time change can lead to seasonal affective disorder). Your diet and health habits can change as well. You are surrounded by food and drinks you don’t typically consume daily. This change in eating can impact your body, sleep, and immune health if you are sensitive to any of these ingredients/chemicals. If you’ve read this far and can relate to any of this, you must focus on mindful eating this holiday season.
How Mindful Eating Can Help
If you’ve read any of my previous blogs or follow me on social media, you know that mindful eating is a technique I work with all my clients on, no matter what their health symptoms are, because of its importance to healing our immune system.
To recap, mindful eating activates our parasympathetic nervous system – getting our bodies into rest and digest mode. This is accomplished by:
- Eating slowly and without distraction
- Listening to physical hunger cues and eating until you’re satisfied
- Distinguishing between true hunger and non-hunger triggers for eating
- Engaging your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors
- Learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food
- Eating foods that are both pleasing and nourishing
- Appreciating your food and how it was prepared/grown.
A key concept of mindfulness is that our body and all its components (cells, immune mechanisms, etc.) are “spying” on us. It knows when we are stressed, even when we think we are hiding our stress/anxiety with distractions and look OK from the outside.
To learn more about how to support your immune system and mast cells read one of my favorite posts here!
Join our group for additional mindful eating support this holiday season!
Our Mindful Eating Group is just what you need this holiday season to support your immune system and connect on a broader level with your food experiences and how they impact your health.
During this self-paced program I’ll take you through the process of restoring your relationship with food and finding true FOOD FREEDOM. Simply show up, follow my lead, and you’ll be ready to confidently choose the foods and learn how to discover the best way to eat for YOUR body and life. Sign up here!
References:
- Chen, L., & DiPietro, L. A. (2023). Repeated stress-induced crosstalk between the sympathetic nervous system and mast cells contributes to delayed cutaneous wound healing in mice. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 379(15 June). https://doi.org/578104
- Twahir, A., & Kempuraj, D. (2024). Mast cells in the autonomic nervous system and potential role in disorders with dysautonomia and neuroinflammation. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 132(4), 440-445. https://doi.org/—-
- Mast Cell Nervous System Reboot Course. (2024). https://mastcell360.com/
