Lisa Souba

Elimination Diet

July 11, 2018 By Lisa Souba Leave a Comment

Has your world been challenged by the need to eliminate certain foods from your diet? Go out to eat with anyone today and you’ll hear things like; “I can’t have that”, or maybe that’s you. I’ve been there, and I get your frustration. I remember the day when my provider told me to go gluten, wheat, dairy, and sugar free. I remember sitting at the book store looking at cookbooks trying to figure out how to cook. I love food and I love to cook, but this change challenged me. I had no idea where to begin or what to do. Fast forward 6 years and I figured it out. I can now enjoy all these things again because I treated my digestive health and made some lifestyle changes.

Unfortunately, we’ve succumb to the new age of The Elimination Diet. While it’s important to eliminate foods that are creating distress in the body, it seems as though we’ve missed the boat on treating the underlying root cause of the issue at hand. As I begin to work with client’s through my Digestive Health Coaching service, I hear more about foods being eliminated, but less about the understanding of why or how to treat the cause. Probiotics and digestive enzymes are great alternatives, but still do not treat the underlying root cause. I also hear about the different diet’s out there such as Paleo, Mediterranean or Ketogenic. While these can prove good results, what is your reasoning for going on the diet? I’ve seen some of these diets work for a short period of time, but some can aggravate the digestive system when done during certain times of the year. Take for instance the Paleo diet. If someone has what Ayurveda calls a Pitta body type, this means they have more heat in the body. A Paleo diet in the summer can be aggravating to their system as animal proteins or tomatoes are harder for a Pitta body type to digest in the hot summer months. Learning your specific body type and seasonal eating is critical to proper digestion and part of the Ayurvedic lifestyle.

According to the New York Times, food allergies have doubled in the last ten years. It begs the question; “What is going wrong”? Our bodies are becoming more delicate or perhaps our immune system is becoming a little bit more aggressive. Take for instance a wheat intolerance vs wheat allergy. An intolerance is an inability to digest wheat which will cause signs and symptoms of indigestion such as gas, bloating and/or constipation, nausea, or loose stools. There could be smelly gas or burping, some cramping in the abdomen. A wheat allergy is a specific type of intolerance. It means that the immune system gets activated and that the body cannot tolerate any contact with wheat. Basically, your immune system thinks it’s under attack and mounts a counter attack. This type of intolerance is caused by digestive enzymes that have lost their oomph to process wheat. The war creates a lot of inflammation and actually damages the intestines. In particular the small intestines. The small intestines are lined with little villi that are finger-like hairs. These hairs increase the surface area of the intestines so that you can easily absorb nutrients, vitamins, sugar, fat and proteins. Without these villi, or when they become damaged, the food can’t get into the blood, which creates malabsorption, which is known as Leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome is when the food we eat easily passes through the gut, affecting the guts ability to effectively select the right nutrients from the small intestine. Food particles now enter into the bloodstream where the immune system then becomes radically overexposed to anything we eat. In an allergic situation a single teaspoon or bite of the food can cause a reaction such as eczema, hives or angioedema where your lips, face, and/or hands swell. You could also have hay fever, seasonal allergies, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, rheumatoid arthritis or migraines. Or even a more severe symptom of feeling like your throat is closing. Any time we eliminate food from our diet we need to ask; “is it a sign of a weakened digestive system”? If you do have a food sensitivity or allergy, you definitely want to first remove the allergen from your diet. Secondly, you want to calm the immune system by detoxing the intestines. Eating cooling, astringent, anti-inflammatory herbs like aloe vera, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, and cooked cabbage. Marshmallow root is a demulcent that can coat your intestines and sooth them. Fennel, cardamom, and licorice root are good digestives when there is inflammation in the digestive tract. Eating leafy greens such as cooked kale, or foods high in beta carotene like blueberries, carrots, and beets will help heal the liver. Toxicity that builds up in the body affects the liver. Entering into a gentle cleanse helps to rebuild digestion. Lifestyle changes are important too, such as, getting to bed by 10 p.m. and reducing as much stress in your life as possible.

The type of allergy or sensitivity is very specific to our unique make up, as is how we bring balance back into the body so we can enjoy the foods we love to eat. All of this takes time. Contact me at lisa@yogamassagerenew.com or 406/600-7267 for your initial Digestive Wellness Coaching session. These sessions can be held remotely via video conference calls as well.

Those with celiac disease should avoid gluten, and those with severe and/or life-threatening allergies to dairy should avoid dairy, etc. If you have one of these conditions, please follow the instructions of your primary care physician.

Digestive Health Benefits of Sun Salutations

June 20, 2018 By Lisa Souba Leave a Comment

Did you know that a Sun Salutation, a series of yoga poses linked together, has digestive health benefits? The diaphragm, which is where the rib cage meets the abdomen, is a muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen and regulates breathing depth and patterns. Ideally, your stomach should hang underneath the diaphragm, however, stress, shallow mouth breathing, lack of exercise, and indigestion can begin to tighten the stomach and pull it upwards. In Ayurveda, this is also known as a Vata imbalance. The elements of Vata are air and ether with the qualities of dry, light, cold, mobile, rough, and clear. Therefore, whenever an individual has upward movement of energy or upward moving pressure, it would be considered part of a Vata imbalance. Symptoms of upward moving energy would be constant belching, heartburn, acid reflux.

There is also a sphincter called the lower esophageal sphincter. The esophagus travels through the diaphragm, however, it is at this juncture where the lower esophageal sphincter opens and closes to allow food through and keeps digestive acids from refluxing up into the esophagus. If the stomach begins to adhere to the underside of the diaphragm, it can begin to compromise the total function of the stomach. This creates the upward movement of acid and causes the diaphragm to tighten. When this happens, the stomach is unable to contract and produce acid it needs to digest hard to digest foods such as wheat, dairy, and fried foods.

So how does the yoga sequence called Sun Salutation help with digestion? A sun salutation provides flexion and extension during a series of postures that are coordinated with each nasal inhalation and exhalation. The extension, or back bending, postures move the rib cage up and back while the diaphragm pulls the lower chest and abdomen down and in giving a deep stretch to the diaphragm, heart and lungs. The abdomen, stomach and liver are pulled down creating more space under the diaphragm for optimal digestion and freedom for deep breathing. The flexion, or forward bending postures all for brings the rib cage and abdomen together. At this point the diaphragm is relaxing and the rib cage squeezes the lungs in an effort to exhale, it’s like an accordion bringing the rib cage and abdomen together. The tissues and organ around the diaphragm soften allowing for increased blood flow.

Click here to view a short video on two variations of Sun Salutations.

Hope you enjoy adding a few Sun Salutations into your daily routine.

How to survive this time of year

February 12, 2018 By Lisa Souba Leave a Comment

As we begin to close out winter, the days begin to get longer, but the temperature can ebb and flow from 20’s to 40’s, sometimes rain and/or snow. Our ancestors found this time of year difficult as the food supplies were sparse, even wild animals find this time of year difficult. You might notice that the Winter Farmers Market is starting to get sparse as well. You’ll find more sprouts and pea shoots, maybe some root veggies and greens, but for the most part, there’s not much to choose from. Sauerkraut is popular right now.

Internally, our body begins to release fats that were stored over the winter to keep us warm. However, our blood and liver typically remain stagnant from the cold temperatures. Stagnation and congestion also affects the gall bladder, which is often why there is a rise in gall bladder attacks in the early spring. You may experience a loss of appetite and sticky stools this time of the year, which are all a sign of the body shedding fat.

Our emotions can also be impacted this during this time of year leaving you feeling aggravated, frustrated or even bitter. This is another sign that your body is preparing for spring by releasing stored winter fats, which congest the liver.

Spring becomes a time of fasting, from the Christian observance of Lent to Native American traditions. Spring fasting help cleanse the blood and east the burdens on the gall bladder after a long winter of fatty, heavy foods. The body starts a natural cleanse cycle in February. Some of the symptoms of this process might be looser stools, mild headaches or insomnia, and feelings of frustration. Warm days will especially aggravate these cleansing symptoms, which may subside on late winter cold spells. This is why we recommend a Spring cleanse. The cleanse is designed to support the body in the cleansing cycle by eating specially designed meals that ease digestion and support the body through the detox cycle.

Cholagogues are a good addition to your diet during the spring. Cholagogues release bile and cleanse the liver. Since bile is fatty and the primary pathway for cholesterol metabolism, releasing bile also reduces triglyceride levels in the blood. Cholagogues include anything bitter or sour. Some examples include beets, dandelion greens, lemon, vinegar, aloe vera just to name a few.

You may notice your skin is puffier this time of year. Puffy skin implies lymphatic stagnation, inflammation, and edema, overall a Kapha condition in Ayurveda and dampness in Chinese medicine. Possible causes include poor circulation, an allergen, and toxins. Kapha lymph is naturally thick & gooey. This type of lymph doesn’t drain very well therefore leaving the skin swollen. Increasing circulation through vigorous movement, dry brushing, self-massage with warm oil, or a Manual Lymphatic Drainage massage are some lifestyle recommendations. Pungent taste like cumin also helps to increase your circulation for cleansing. Cumin is an ideal spice offering natural warmth and dryness. Kapha and Vata types can break out the cayenne and chilis to fire up digestion and shake off any remaining winter sluggishness. Turmeric also helps to improve circulation and thin the blood, which cleanses the lymphatic through its warming and cleansing properties. It helps to move the blood, dries dampness and increases heat.

Adding bitters (dandelions, leafy greens, spinach, arugula) and sour tastes to your meals helps to cleanse the liver. However, on colder days you’ll want to continue eating your root veggies (sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips). As we approach Valentines Day, buy your sweetheart dark chocolate vs milk chocolate. The darker the chocolate the more bitter the taste.

Hang in there SPRING IS ON IT’S WAY! Continue to nourish yourself and help your body through this season with the tips mentioned above. Have questions or are interested in signing up for the Spring Cleanse, contact me at lisa@yogamassagerenew.com or 406/600-7267.

In Health

Lisa

Heart Palpitations – An Ayurvedic Approach

February 5, 2018 By Lisa Souba Leave a Comment

February has been set aside as National Heart Awareness Month which helps raise attention to heart disease. According to The American Heart Association®, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

Ayurveda associates diseases of the heart to one’s blood chemistry, including hormones and toxicity. Fermentation of food in the digestive tract causes aggravation in the blood which leads to heart palpitations. Fermentation happens when we’re unable to digest the foods we eat. It might start out with gas, bloating, indigestion and/or constipation which then create toxicity in the blood leading to heart palpitations. The definition of Heart Palpitations is when there is a noticeable increase in the rhythm of your heartbeat. If you’ve ever experienced your heart beating in your chest while sitting or casually walking down the street, you might be experiencing heart palpitations. Your heart, while resting, may feel fast, slow, pounding, like it’s skipping beats, or simply beating at a normal rate. When you experience heart palpitations, you may also notice shortened, quick breaths, chills, or a light sweat. While it’s extremely important to seek medical care from your health care provider, it’s also important to look at what’s causing the fermentation of foods in your digestive tract and lifestyle habits that might also be contributing to the issue. Everyone’s body is unique, and the root causes of a disorder are particular to an individual. Addressing the unique imbalances in your blood and circulation is usually more accurate than following a diet for the general case.

Some of the causes association with heart palpitations might be from stress or anxiety. A recent trauma or ongoing emotional challenge can make your heart race. Some medical conditions and medications may cause palpitations or murmurs as well. If your palpitations accompany dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, or chest pain, please contact your doctor.

Stress
Anxiety
Caffeine
Pregnancy
Underlying Heart Disease
Low Blood Sugar
Anemia
Hypothyroid
Constipation
Gas, Bloating, Indigestion
Dehydration

An Ayurvedic approach to treatment would be to determine where the imbalances are coming from. Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in simple and easy way, using gunas or qualities. Gunas are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. Typically, Heart Palpitations, are an imbalance of one or more of the following qualities: oily, heating, sweet, sour, salty that may be aggravating your system. A person with heart palpitations should avoid these qualities. Because we are all uniquely made, treatment recommendations will vary, and are based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance. Some of these recommendations might include eating warm meals at regular times, getting enough rest, gentle breathing exercises, calming treatments like massage and/or lymphatic drainage. For best results, schedule a one on one Digestive Health Coaching session. These sessions can also be booked in the evening via phone or on Tuesday’s.

In Health

Lisa

True Confession

January 8, 2018 By Lisa Souba Leave a Comment

As I entered into the holiday season all was going well. We only had two parties to attend, so eating remained normal for me. Then all of the sudden as the month went on I began to put on weight. It started with just two pounds, then by the end of the month it was five pounds. Now some of you might say, “you’re being silly”, but for me it was not silly. I’m very in tune with my body (thanks to yoga and Ayurveda) and knew something else was happening. What I was also noticing was my low back feeling tight and my desire to hang out in cat pose. I also would wake up with swelling in my hands and had an increase in mucus. I was experiencing an emotional heaviness and bad dreams. So, I began to dial into my Ayurvedic knowledge. I was experiencing a Kapha imbalance: Excess water, and heavy. Like anyone trying to get their weight under control I increased my workouts, but wasn’t noticing a difference. The excess fullness around my midline and upper body wasn’t changing.

The first of the new year started with a digestive reset for two days, eating a mono diet with no fat. Then I added herbs to burn the mucus and ignite my digestive fire, which had to be balanced carefully as I already have heat in my body.

Then I had lunch with a friend, who is also a personal trainer. I was explaining my symptoms to her. She quickly told me how I needed to be exercising in the off season. In all my years of triathlon training, I never had an off season, or took it into consideration. My off season consisted of training in doors with maybe some weight training. It was such an a-ha moment, as it SO aligns with the Ayurvedic world of seasonal living and living according to my specific body type. My body type needs to honor the winter season and shift my workouts. Some body types need to increase their exercising no matter what the season. Once again proving that we are all uniquely made.

I’m happy to report that my low back feels better, the weight is slowly dropping off as is the swelling in my hands. I am so thankful for the wisdom of Ayurveda and how it’s taught me when my body is out of balance and how to bring it back into alignment. When our bodies are left out of alignment and we keep pushing, ignoring the check engine light, ignoring the dis-ease signs, over a long period of time we invite a whole host of issues into our lives.

You too can take control of your health. Schedule a Digestive Health Coach Initial Strategy Session to learn how to establish strong healthy digestion, learn about your body’s strengths and weaknesses, and help find freedom, energy, and live an abundant life. Prior to the session you will complete a comprehensive Health Intake and digestive assessment form. During the session we will discuss current imbalances, and come up with a treatment plan to help you move into a more balanced state of being for optimal health and well being.

In Health

Lisa