14 The QUEE NS Courier • health • OCTOBER 1, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶health Yoga helps ease constipation naturally BY JOANNE BARRY In today’s fast-paced world we live in, almost everyone has suffered an occasional bout of constipation. To decrease your risk of constipation, I recommend incorporating the following into your lifestyle: Movement Inactivity is one of the key risk factors to constipation. Exercise helps ease constipation by decreasing the time it takes food to move through the large intestine. Aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging and dancing accelerates your breathing and heart rate, which helps to stimulate the natural contraction of the intestinal muscles. Some of the best exercises for constipation relief are the following: • Walking 10 to 15 minutes daily • Stretching 15 to 20 minutes daily • Yoga The following two yoga poses may help to decrease constipation: • Halasana (plough pose) This posture provides comfort to the liver and intestines. It is a posture that increases blood circulation in the pelvic area and boosts digestion. • Pawanmuktasana (wind relieving pose) This position helps to release gas from the body, a common issue for most of us suffering from constipation. It also helps in relieving acid reflux which is caused by indigestion. Fiber The average adult needs about 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. You would want to gradually add fiber into your diet to avoid bloating and cramping (if you’re not eating the recommended dosage already). Foods that help relieve constipation include kiwi fruit, sweet potatoes, nuts and seeds, pears, plums, berries, flaxseed, broccoli and prunes. Yoga and meditation Studies show that stress, anxiety and depression can cause constipation. Consider taking a daily dose of meditation to help promote a sense of emotional balance. When you experience constipation it means your solar plexus (gut) is blocked. Therefore spending time in meditation, visualizing your sacral (below your navel) and solar plexus (gut) chakras may help decrease constipation. Begin by lying on the floor in a comfortable position with your hands at your side and palms faced up. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Begin to bring your focus to your sacral chakra (below your navel) and visualize a bright orange ball filling up your sacral chakra, then take a deep breath and while exhaling begin to focus on your solar plexus (gut) and visualize a bright yellow ball filling up your solar plexus. Now begin to feel the energy flowing from your sacral chakra (below your navel) to your solar plexus (gut) helping your blood to circulate in your intestines, then continue to visualize this until you feel the energy flowing within. Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. When you’re ready, open your eyes. Water You can decrease constipation by drinking water. By drinking water you are adding fluid to the colon, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass. Dehydration can be a major cause of constipation. It’s extremely important to drink water as it aids in fiber digestion. To prevent dehydration, you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water (if you weigh 180 pounds, drink 90 ounces of water each day). When participating in physical activities you should drink an additional 8 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of exercise. Be sure to drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration and constipation. Be sure to consult with your physician before starting this plan. For best results work one-on-one with a nutrition coach, holistic practitioner or yoga practitioner. Email your questions to healingwithin34@aol.com. MEADOW PARK REHABILITATION & HEALTH CARE CENTER REHABILITATION & HEALTH CARE CENTER Our Subacute Care is designed to handle rehabilitation and complex medical treatment for a diverse range of conditions including: Short-Term Rehab & Long-Term Care Prosthetic/Orthotic Services IV Therapy/TPN/Tracheotomy Palliative/Hospice Care Stroke/Cardiac Rehabilitation Speech Services Physical/Occupational Therapies Subacute Wound Care Services Pain Management Respiratory Services 78-10 164th Street Phone: 718-591-8300 Fresh Meadows, NY 11366 www.mprcare.com Dignity Home Care Dignity Home Care, part of the Sunrise Senior Living Family, brings over 30 years of assisted living expertise directly to your doorstep. We offer personalized health and homemaker services supervised by licensed and professional caregivers. We are able to bring our care and compassion to wherever the senior resides: their private residence, senior living community, nursing home, hospital, or hospice. Dignity Home Care services the following 5 Boroughs; NYC, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island as well as Nassau County and Suffolk County. Contact Fran Ross Certified Senior Advisor 516-519-9561 www.sunriseseniorliving.com
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