Have I been putting on weight during the lockdown?
If you have been googling why you might have been gaining weight during the lockdown. Or have a lockdown belly (yes, that’s a thing)… then you are not alone.
Being bloated is very familiar to me. Pretty much my whole life I had digestive issues, being bloated or constipated. I would wake up feeling normal. And then I’d have breakfast and immediately look 4 months pregnant. Or maybe it would just suddenly happen in the late afternoon.
Getting more aware, studying physiology, researching health, seeing various experts, and most importantly studying Ayurveda certainly has helped me.
The challenge is to practice what actually works. Taking informed decisions. And most importantly enjoy life.
So when a friend reached out asking for advice because she felt bloated as well as suffering from reflux I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you. Because apparently, lockdown belly and gaining weight has been a thing during these strange times.
Tips for lockdown belly and the bloated belly
Breathe
It sounds simple. We all do it. But are we really breathing completely and fully? Allow the belly to relax and expand increasing the expansion into the chest with every inhale. Enjoy the full capacity of your lungs. Then release the breath slowly and steadily. Never any force. Just let the body breathe.
Meditate / relax
This might simply come from doing 5 rounds of the complete breath described above. Or maybe you take a bath to relax, enjoy some chill out yoga, have a specific meditation practice, or a way of finding stillness. Our emotional health and physical health are connected. Our digestion is affected by stress and anxiety (which at the moment and since March has most likely increased). Finding tools and techniques to find balance mentally and emotionally will absolutely benefit your digestion.
Hydrate
Make sure you sip room temperature or warm water through the day. Or herbal teas. Sip rather than drinking a huge glass of water. From an ayurvedic view, you don’t want to extinguish the digestive fire.
Digestives
Herbs and spices can be medicine for your digestion. Using them as food is the perfect way to include digestives into your daily life. My favourites are: cumin (I LOVE cumin), coriander, ginger, cardamom, ajwain, a bit of black pepper… Include them in your cooking and enjoy as herbal teas.
What’s your trigger?
I know mine is wheat. Literally all wheat. I can eat it – in moderations. But it does make me feel bloated. Yet, it sometimes takes someone else (that you pay and trust) to tell you what to do. So on my ayurvedic doctor Dr. Matthews I did a grain-free day a week. Completely grain-free. No kind of grains or wheat at all. My cereal was replaced with stewed apples (which are yummy and excellent for your Agni, digestive fire). I would eat soups or casseroles.
Take a break
Then on his (and following my own) advice, I would also do a Kitcheri day. I have advised clients to do Kitcheri days for a long time and would often do this anyway for myself if my digestion feels sensitive, bloated, inflamed, or irritated. It works and here is a recipe. And this is basically what we do in the Detox and Rejuvenate online immersion along with other educations and yoga.
Be consistent
I am adding the “be consistent” because you may have noticed I wrote in the past tense above. Because it’s so easy to get out of habit. Especially as ALL routine went out of the window during the lockdown. To be honest I am noticing it in my digestion. I eat more regular meals now, always home-cooked, no Pret lunches, or hanging out in coffee shops for hours for lunch, coffee and cake. Regularity and routine are recommended in Ayurveda. However, I did get out of my weekly grain-free and kitcheri days but am now inspired to implement them again.
Need extra help?
Here are some much loved herbal remedies: Triphala is generally a good remedy to support your digestive system and to help our elimination. If you feel hot and inflamed you could also drink Aloe Vera juice. If you truly need a proper cleanse Castor oil is often used in ayurvedic medicine. This is a laxative so as not to be used regularly.
Massage your belly
I am a big fan of oil massage. Give your self a belly massage. It has numerous benefits. Considering the tensions and stress we often feel in the pit of the belly or Solar Plexus it is a wonderful way to release both emotional tensions as well as physical tension. Many people feel very sensitive around the belly so practice with kindness and compassion. Love your belly.
Get moving
Literally, move your body. Most of us are much more stationary now. We don’t walk to the bus/tube/train every day. We don’t walk miles and miles on the underground. Or meeting up with friends. The gym and yoga studios are closed. So get moving. Moving your body improves your digestion. In the Detox and Rejuvenate online immersion we have specific yoga practises to support our digestion, detox as well as rejuvenating. You can also join my Monthly Membership for weekly yoga and a library of recorded classes.
Try this short sequence taken from my Detox and Rejuvenate online immersion:
So whether it’s a lockdown belly (whatever that means), you are bloated, constipated, or put on weight try some of these techniques and allow your health to reset and find balance again.
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