Intuitive eating: Respecting the burp.
No, there is nothing gross about a burp.
We are often programmed out of our natural urges early in life. In polite society, talking about things like burping, passing gas, bowel movements and tearing are often frowned upon. As children, we are told to “hold it”, “suck it in”, “make it quiet”, etc - in effect, suppressing the natural urges of the body.
In Ayurveda, this is one of the root causes of disease.
The body has its own language of sensations, sounds and smells that helps it speak to us and tell us what it needs. Long before human beings had language, we had body language to help us communicate with others, and it still forms a large proportion of our first impressions of each other, and the undertone of a conversation. For example, leaning in at a conversation shows interest, while leaning back with your hands crossed in front of you may suggest keeping a distance, or even being skeptical.
Similarly, the body speaks to you in a language only you can experience, like the invisible strings animating a puppet by tugging and letting loose. Burping, passing gas, urination, bowel movements, sweating, coughing, sneezing, crying, laughing are all messages of release passing from your body telling you about what is happening on the inside of you, and how you feel. These messages tell a story that connects the dots of your physical, mental and emotional self in a subtle and nuanced way designed only for you.
Ignoring the signs coming from you body is a cause of disease. As we suppress our natural urges, we ignore the needs and natural balance of the body, and send an internal messages that these needs are not important. Some of the most common urges are delaying or ignoring the urge to urinate or move the bowels, stopping yourself from coughing or sneezing, bypassing hunger and fatigue, and suppressing the burp.
Over time, suppression becomes habitual, and we don’t notice the messages of the body anymore. Like a pet who tried many times to tell you it needs to be let out to do its business, and finally gives up and goes on the carpet, you body internalises suppression by creating a stress response every time its needs are not met. Don’t be fooled - the needs are still the same, and very much there, but the tone and message will change. Often, suppression of natural urges will start to create symptoms. For example, have you noticed that if you try to blink back your tears, your head starts to hurt? If you stop yourself from sneezing, you may get the hiccups or a blocked nose? These aren’t coincidences, and over time, suppressing urges such as urination and bowel movements can have significant consequences on your digestive system, kidneys, bladders and bowels. What goes in, must be let out. And the body will find another outlet, or things will get stuck on the inside and create toxins, stiffness and pain as the body closes in on itself. This is where we start to feel discomfort and anxious.
So let’s destigmatise a truly wonderful bodily urge: the Burp.
Do you burp at meals? Have you noticed your burp? When I was a child, my brother and his friends would burp at meals, and mum and I would be appropriately horrified. “Not at the dining table!” was the common response. Ironically, it was completely acceptable that my grandparents (my grandmother in particular) would produce one or two big burps at meals, and these would pass without comment. As I got older, I would cringe when she did this, especially if we had guests. How ghastly and uncivilised!
Only now do I appreciate the wisdom she had, and the innate understanding children have about allowing the body to do its thing, and delighting in it.
Why is the burp so vital? Here is the Ayurvedic secret to your perfect portion: A full, comfortable burp towards the end of a meal is a sign that your body has had just the right amount to eat! The stomach is like a combustion engine, and it needs air, space and fuel to work efficiently. As food enters the stomach, some of the air and space is displaced by the food and stomach secretions. When enough air is displaced at a slow and relaxed rate, the accumulated gas travels up the digestive tract and is released - as a burp! This is the point to notice whether you are feeling comfortably full, and perhaps it is time to finish your meal. There is a subtle art to finding your burp and making sure it follows a balanced meal, so you are well nourished rather than burping over burgers, pizza or lots of raw food (which are heavy to digest and often cause excess belching). On the other hand, if you burp many times after meals, or are continuously burping through the day, consider this an early warning sign from your stomach and small intestines that something needs attention and care. Look into it and choose simple, natural solutions to get relief before reaching for anti-acids and other pharmaceuticals which only mask the real issues.
Your body provides a number of wonderful tools that help you tune in and intuitively understand what it needs. Eating beyond your natural capacity, or below it, are forms of physical suppression. These cause digestive issues like heartburn, reflux, brain fog, low energy and fatigue, and can lead to high cholesterol, diabetes, irritable bowel, stomach ulcers and gallstones.
Start using the two fundamental tools of holistic health: self awareness and self care. Learn the signs of your body and their translations as a form of self awareness, and then work towards the self care practices of responding to your needs. This is the intuitive, effortless and holistic health of nature’s medicine.
