There are as many weight loss plans and theories as there are people eating!! This health tip looks at – the gut or small intestine (5 metres long). This is the primary area of impact; the place where all your food arrives in preparation for distribution! The more relaxed this organ is, the better our ability to absorb food. The more easily we absorb food, the greater the amount of nutrients that enter the body and the less we need to eat in order for the body to feel nourished and satisfied. In other words – relax and you will naturally eat less!
I believe that as a nation we are suffering from malnutrition. What you might say! Well, even though we eat plenty, due to the stress and tension of the gut, there is an inability to absorb our nutrients. Therefore we eat more to feel satisfaction and nourishment. This leads to blood sugar swings, which in turn leads us to crave sweet foods that absorb quickly and easily though the mouth and add to our weight.
5 keys to a happy gut!
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will help overall movement in the gut.
- Take a moment to stop and breathe before you eat your food. As you breathe, the fragrance of the food will let the gut know to relax. All the necessary body juices and enzymes will prepare themselves to accept your food and process it.
- Chew your food well. It will absorb quicker and more easily.
- Eat in a relaxed environment – not whilst having a meeting or on the run!
- Sitting twist: The following movement will help you to stretch and relax the gut thus adding assimilation and absorption of the food you eat.
- Sit in the kneeling position. Using your right hand to steady you, move your body weight to your right side and come to sit on your right hip.
- Lift your left foot and place it on the floor on the outside of your right knee. Adjust your position so that you are sitting squarely on the floor on both sitting bones.
- Tuck your right elbow around your left knee resting the hand against the thigh and clasp your right wrist with your left hand, gently lifting through your spine.
- Extend your left arm sideways in a wide arc and place it on the floor behind you, fingers pointing away. Inhale and draw your knee towards you. As you exhale rotate your torso to the left without straining your neck. In this position draw your abdominal wall inwards and elongate your spine.
- To come out, release your arms and return to a forward facing position. Return to the original kneeling position and repeat on the opposite side.
Contra-indications
Anyone suffering from a hernia or who has had recent abdominal surgery should not attempt this posture. In addition anyone with spinal disc problems should check with their yoga teacher or health practitioner. Avoid this posture in pregnancy. It is best done on an empty stomach – but definitely avoid the posture if you have recently eaten a meal.
Physical Benefits
1. The internal organs of the abdomen and pelvic area are massaged, and the lymphatic system is given a boost. The muscles in the neck and shoulders are relaxed and can be freed. The entire spine from the base to the top of the back is gently stretched and twisted, increasing mobility between the vertebrae.
2. One of the most important benefits of the spinal twist arises from the increase in intra-abdominal pressure created by the twisting, and the resultant compression of the abdominal viscera. This pressure change should ideally be maintained for a few seconds in order to facilitate a detoxification of the intestinal tract.
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