We find out how yoga may help to ease the symptoms of IBS and other digestive problems.
Yoga may be rooted in ancient Hinduism but, for many, it is less about spirituality and more about health. The NHS states on its website that evidence shows yoga can benefit people with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches and pains including lower back pain, depression and stress. Charlotte Watts, a registered nutritional therapist, senior yoga teacher and author of Yoga for Digestive Health, would also add digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to the list.
A common gut problem that can cause stomach pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea, IBS affects thousands of people in the UK. Although some studies have indicated that yoga could relieve its symptoms,1,2 it’s not known exactly why. However, stress — often a trigger for IBS — is likely to be key.
Watts says various studies have shown that yoga reduces stress and inflammatory markers such as cytokines, which are associated with stress.
“This is particularly good news for those with the IBS, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis,” she says. “Those who practise yoga and meditation know this to be true, but the evidence is building to also show that such practices of ‘embodied awareness’ — like t’ai chi and qi gong — help reduce the trauma symptoms also related to digestive issues.”
Watts credits yoga with helping her own recovery from “crippling IBS” which she suffered with from childhood. And now, even with her training and experience in nutritional therapy, she does not believe that her recovery from IBS would have been as successful without yoga.
Movement
Lack of movement, bad posture and stress, Watts says, can all impact the smooth functioning of the gut.
This story is from the Spring 2019 edition of Optimum Nutrition.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Spring 2019 edition of Optimum Nutrition.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Summer Of
Summer is when we want to be out and about, as the warm embrace of the sofa on a cold winter’s night becomes a distant memory. So where do you go when the brain is willing but the body just can’t cut it at the same level of performance that it managed decades ago? Graeme Wilcockson reviews a few ways to satisfy those competitive weekend instincts that will tax both mind and body — yet leave you able to move on Monday morning
Common Kitchen Practices Making Us Sick
Every year, thousands of us fall sick from food poisoning because of how we have handled food. Louise Scodie and Louise Wates look at common ways in which we are going wrong
Could Antioxidants Save Our Bacan?
Nitrates and nitrites have long been linked to cancer. We look at how they are part of a chain reaction that may not always be harmful to human health... So what’s the case with bacon?
Eat For A Glow That Is More Than Skin Deep
Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
Natural Beauty
If headlines about microbeads from cosmetics polluting our seas have got you wondering how you can do your bit for the environment, try using nature’s harvest to feed your skin. Hannah Maryse Robinson writes
A Summer Selection Of Goods And Goodies
Lazy Vegan frozen Chunky Pulled Peaz is a gluten-free, plant-based protein source suitable for vegans and — with a substantial texture — flexitarians.
Do Something Different
As many of us are concerned about keeping our brains active, Ellie Smith investigates whether trying something completely new could boost both our brain health and mental wellbeing
Lifting Weights, Lifting Confidence
When Bianca Mills was bullied at school she could not have dreamt that she would be able to speak in front of a group of women, let alone coach them in lifting free weights. She told Louise Wates why she believes buddying-up is just as important as physical strength for fostering confidence
Teaching Children How To Forage
Catherine Morgan finds out how foraging can teach children (and adults) about more than nature’s store cupboard, and can foster an understanding of and respect for the environment.
Keep Calm And Curry On
In August, India celebrates the anniversary of Indian Independence, yet the Anglo-Indian community, a legacy of the British Raj with its roots in European and Indian ancestry, still treads the cultural line between both communities. Jenny Mallin, author of A Grandmother’s Legacy, tells us about the fusion food in her family and recipes passed down through the generations
