Keep your gut and pelvic floor happy through the season of celebration & indulgence with these tips.
It’s that time of year again! It’s customary for cultures around the globe to gather and celebrate with sweet & savory indulgences as the weather turns cooler.
Starting with the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah and the Hindu celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, we start a quick succession of celebrations with Diwali, Halloween, Samhain, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, all of which come with sharing many healthy and not-so-healthy foods with our loved ones.
While we may look forward to this season of celebration, our guts often aren’t the happiest, even for those of us who do not have a diagnosed health condition of the gut or pelvic organs. Gut bloating, gassiness, constipation or diarrhea, and hemorrhoids are usually the unwelcome side-effects of these celebratory months. Read on for our best tips to stay as healthy in your gut and pelvis as possible!
1. Drinks lots of (warm) water
The rule of thumb is for one to consume in ounces approximately half their body weight in pounds. For instance, an adult who weighs 150 lbs should ideally consume approximately 75 oz of water during waking hours. Traditional Indian and Chinese Medicine systems recommend drinking water warm or at room temperature. Those with slower digestive speeds are recommended to only drink warm water or hot tea.
The consumption of hot water improves blood circulation to the gut, keeps the digestive matter soft and easy to move through the intestines.
2. Supplement with Magnesium *and* Fiber
Most celebratory foods during the holidays tend to be high in starches, sugars & alcohol that can slow down digestion and contribute to irritation of the intestinal linings causing gassiness & bloating.
Consciously increasing the soluble & insoluble fiber in your diet can help your gut move at a healthy pace, avoiding the stagnation of food in the intestines which causes increased gassiness. Even those who eat healthy & well balanced diets should consume an additional cup of fruit or a half cup of nuts for adequate dietary fiber during the holidays. Using an OTC fiber supplement daily like metamucil (psyllium husk based) or citrucel (methylcellulose based) may be a hassle-free way to meet our body’s need for additional fiber during the celebratory season.
Supplementing your diet with Magnesium Citrate is another way to keep your gut healthy all-year round. There is also evidence to suggest Magnesium supplementation may help our bodies respond better to stress.
Individuals who routinely experience excessive gassiness, bloating, belly discomfort & fullness may experience benefits from adding aloe vera derivatives to their dietary routines. Please consult with your medical care provider to determine which form of aloe vera – gel or distillate – would best suit the needs of your body. Those who have diagnosed inflammatory conditions of the gut or pelvis, like IBS, IBD, Crohn’s, Painful Bladder Syndrome, Endometriosis etc, may especially benefit from regular supplementation with aloe vera derivatives.
3. Meditate - It's easier than you think!
It goes without saying that the holidays come with increased stress – whether one decides to spend these celebrations with others or in one’s own company. As such, it is very helpful to have an even keel through a regular meditative practice. Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated, and can take as few as 3- 5 minutes to be effective.
Practicing emptying one’s mind and focusing on one task (looking at the sky, talking a walk without any technology on your person, practicing shavasana or corpse pose) is an easy way to meditate. You could also use a mindfulness app like Medito for quick mindfulness breaks through the day to keep your stress well managed, instead of turning to meditation in a moment of crisis.
Trying our pelvic floor focused meditation is also an excellent way to relax your whole body, and especially the muscles in your pelvis. Alternately, one can also practice 5 slow and long exhales through the mouth – such as when blowing out a candle – to decrease stress and muscle tension through the body. Closing your eyes and visualizing all your muscles gently relax towards the ground can further improve the relaxing benefit of this easy breath technique.
4. Get an abdominal "adjustment"
It is now becoming increasingly common to get chiropractic care to improve the mobility and function of one’s spine. Very similarly, getting an adjustment of the soft tissues around the gut and pelvic organs can improve their function and decrease negative symptoms of gassiness, bloating, cramping, constipation and indigestion.
Those who have received care with our pelvic floor specialist, Sujata Martin, may have already experienced the positive benefits of feeling lighter in the gut, experiencing easier bowel movements, and decreased bloating after undergoing this gentle & pain-free adjustment to the abdominal & pelvic tissues.
You can learn more about the advanced practice osteopathic technique of Visceral Manipulation here. Our pelvic floor therapist is among the few professionals in the United States who integrates this effective treatment technique to improve the function of the gut and pelvic organs. To learn more about this or other treatments offered by the best-rated Pelvic Health practice in Tampa, please contact us using the button below.
5. Move your Core & Pelvis
Getting in a 30 minute walk everyday may be the easiest way to make sure one’s gut and overall health stays at its best. For those who may not have the ability to step away from home & work routines, doing a few spinal and pelvic stretches daily can be effective as well.
While ideally performed when sitting on the floor, the seated twist can improve flexibility in the spine and help with pelvic relaxation if performed when seated in a stable chair as well. For more easy stretches which can improve your gut and pelvic health, read our full guide by clicking here.
Pelvic Soul Pelvic Therapy continues to be the best-rated Pelvic Floor Therapy practice in Tampa Bay, and can help you optimize your gut & pelvic health . Call (813) 563-1585 today to claim your complimentary consult.
