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Feeling Sick After Skipping Meals


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I teach special education and have found ways to bring salads as so I don't have to heat anything for lunch and eat on the go when needed - something I have done really well with for about a month. However, today with the school year ending and students needing extra attention and lots of schedule changes I didn't manage to get to my lunch. By the end of the work day, I was very hungry. When I got home (with a slight headache & being extremely hungry) I had a very early dinner (something that I have had many days without issue) and now a couple hours later my stomach hurts and I feel slightly nauseous. I realized when I have skipped meals on other days I had a similar reaction.

Is this common and does anyone know why?

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The hungrier you are the quicker you tend to eat, often gulping food down without  taking the proper time to chew. It is the physical act of mastication which begins the process of digestion. Chewing creates saliva which contains an enzyme called amylase which breaks down the food before it reaches the stomach & small intestine. If you have not chewed your food properly the combined lack of amylase & excess wind due to the gulping will put strain on the eosophagus, the stomach & teh small intestine leading to the feelings of nausea you describe.

Try to take time to chew your food properly, eat without distraction & focus on each bite.

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Thank you!

I know some people do the intermintant fasting and before I stated Whole30 I could go without eating (maybe once a week) for 20-24 hours without getting a headache. However, since starting the Whole30 if I miss just one meal I get a headache. Do you know why?

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Headaches can be caused by low blood sugar. Obviously skipping meals, fasting, dieting or exercising without eating would be a contributor to this. Whole30 is about stabilizing blood sugars, but if you're skipping meals you're upsetting the apple cart, hence the headache, which is really your body's way of telling you it needs sustenance - a bit like the warning light coming on in your car when you're low on petrol.

In short eat, slowly, regularly, & mindfully!

 

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