How Lockdown Changed Digestion And What You Can Do About It
Introduction
The UK’s first lockdown in March 2020 uprooted almost every aspect of our lives overnight. By this point two years in, we’re by no means strangers to Covid-19 or the devastation caused by the lockdowns that followed as a result. However, as a community, we are still learning about the lasting effects of these lockdowns and just how they will shape our lives for years to come. In this post, we’ll explain what this means in terms of digestion especially and how this may affect you. We’ll also provide some expert-backed tips that you’ll be able to follow to help combat these implications on your own.
What Happened
Lockdown brought with it a massive overhaul of the way we lived, worked, ate, and exercised. With so much uncertainty, it’s only natural that many of us chose to prioritise a day-to-day mindset over any long-term plans.
A lot of us worked to find our own ways of coping with this new reality. Looking at the figures, however, it’s clear that these measures may have had a less than favourable effect on our health. According to a 2021 study by Brown, et al., over half of Brits asked reported an unhealthier diet during the first lockdown. Even more claimed to have seen a significant reduction in their physical activity. Most of the participants felt their mental health suffered during the first lockdown, and a staggering 72% reported turning to food for comfort.
What This Means Now
“Many measures taken in a lockdown aimed at protecting human life may compromise the immune system, and purpose of life, especially of vulnerable groups.” Schippers, 2020
In her 2020 article, Schippers acknowledges that some people found healthy coping avenues through all of this, but says for many it has been impossible. An increase in ‘related anxiety, depression, and PTSD,’ along with widespread closure of sports facilities, has led to overeating and sporting less. Any functional coping skills that may have offset negative effects have been largely blocked by the lockdown measures put in place. Many people have gained weight and their health has suffered as a result.
To understand the long-term effects of lockdown, we need only look at the disasters of the past to understand where we might be heading. Quoted by the BBC, Joshua C Morganstain (Centre for the Study of Traumatic Stress) has said that ‘historically, the adverse mental health effects of disasters impact more people and last much longer than the health effects.’ He adds that we should expect a ‘significant ‘tail’ of mental health needs that continue long after the infectious outbreak resolves.’
The effects of these lifestyle changes and the mental distress won’t disappear overnight. We are still very much in the early stages of recovering from the worst of the pandemic, and our health continues to be under fire for many of the same reasons. One aspect we’re particularly interested in is that of the gut and how these repercussions have impacted digestive health.
Mental Health Matters
“Stress (or depression or other psychological factors) can affect movement and contractions of the GI tract.” Harvard Health Publishing, 2021
Mental health and digestive health are intimately linked. It is no surprise, then, that gastrointestinal upset was a frequent concern both during and post-lockdown. The Harvard Health blog post writes ‘A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut.’ Put simply, the connection works both ways. A person’s digestive discomfort can be both a cause or result of anxiety or other mental distress. It is therefore difficult to consider healing your gut without also considering the role of stress on your condition and vice-versa.
Lifestyle Repercussions
Conlon (2014) describes the ways in which your lifestyle impacts your gut. When comparing these facts with lockdown statistics, it’s no leap to start to look at a bigger picture. Smoking, which saw an increase during lockdown, can significantly impact the large bowel. Smoking can increase harmful bacteria in those with Crohn’s disease and can increase the risk to healthy individuals of developing it.
Conlon also states that ‘obesity is associated with excess energy intakes and sedentary lifestyles,’ such as those employed during lockdown. He explains that levels of poor diet and exercise can shift the microbial population of the gut and increase levels of bacteria linked to poor health.
What You Can Do
The Mediterranean Diet
Nutrition plays a key part in maintaining digestive health, so there’s every reason to take the first step towards tailoring what you eat to help you. Gut UK is one of many leading voices championing the Mediterranean Diet for this purpose. Inspired by the eating habits of Spain, Italy, and Greece, the Mediterranean Diet is connected to a reduction in disease. Compared to the Western diet, this European diet is less processed and contains significantly less sugar. The focus instead falls on fresh fruit and vegetables, with complex carbohydrates and healthier fasts from oily fish and nuts. It is also higher in fibre, writes Gut UK, which benefits the amounts of beneficial species living in our gut.’
How do I follow the Mediterranean Diet?
With comprehensive dietary advice available through Gut UK, BHF, and on NHS website to name just a few, there are plenty of resources available for you to learn from. Here are a few tips to help get you started:
- Eat more fresh fruit and salad. If you choose canned or frozen varieties, aim for ones with less added salt and sugar.
- Try to incorporate one or two meat-free days into your week. Choose leaner cuts when you do eat it, and opt for alternative protein sources (beans, pulses, eggs, etc.) on days you don’t.
- Aim to eat two portions of fish each week, with one of these being an oily variety.
- Eat dairy, but try to limit the processed varieties. Milk and milk alternatives are a great option, with lower-sugar varieties of yoghurts strong choices too.
- Remember, you don’t have to be perfect. Even just taking note of which high sugar, high fat foods you consume regularly and consciously reducing your intake of these can work wonders.
Diet is the easiest way for you to fight for your digestive health from the comfort of your own homes. Even in the event of further isolation, it is still possible to put these small changes into effect for the benefit of your or your family’s health.
Psychotherapy
Another option that you may wish to consider relates to the mental side of gastrointestinal health discussed earlier. In this 2019 article, Harvard Health offers guidance from a psychotherapy standpoint. While research in the field is still limited, the evidence suggests that the following therapies may be useful in combatting digestive disorders and distress:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This popular therapy aims to shift your thoughts and behaviour, with a focus on coping skills that improve stress and anxiety management. CBT is recommended to help cope with chronic gastrointestinal distress, as opposed to reducing pain itself.
- Relaxation Therapy. This method involves a combination of techniques that aim to relax and reduce your reactivity to stressors. Types of therapy include muscle relaxation, visualisation, and the use of music. This method is described as effective for digestive disorders when used in conjunction with CBT.
- Hypnosis. Gut-directed hypnotherapy combines deep relaxation with positive suggestions around the function of your gut. This method, Harvard suggests, might be beneficial to those whose complaints don’t appear to result from stress.
To Conclude
As we’ve discussed, lockdown and the isolation associated with it can have a knock-on effect on the whole of your body. Changes in diet, exercise and the effect on your mental health all play a part in the makeup of your gut and the function of your digestive system, which in turn affects each of the above themselves. It’s important to look at your body, your lifestyle, and your gut as all parts of one whole if you truly want to get on top of your post-lockdown health.
Going forward, you should consider which changes are realistic for you. Take small steps, tackling one area at a time. Recovery is never a race, and your digestive system is no exception. Work on your diet and lifestyle at a consistent, manageable pace, and don’t forget to keep an eye on your mental wellbeing as part of this, too.
Take the first step towards a happier gut today.
