This 2-Minute Massage Will Give You Better Digestion
On days you are feeling incredibly hungry,
it may seem like a good idea to wolf down your meal to ease your hunger
pains. But, in doing so, it may actually cause another kind of pain -
the agony of an upset stomach. Although a stomachache can signal a
variety of things - from constipation to gas, to food poisoning, there
is one thing that you can do to relieve the pain and prevent tummy
troubles: a stomach massage.
McKel Hill, MS, RDN, LDN, founder of
Nutrition Stripped, says that digestion starts in your mouth, so taking
the time to chew your food and truly savor each bite in your meal will
promote better nutrition absorption. "You can promote better digestion
by eating slowly and not wolfing down your food. Taking sips of water in
between bites helps your body break down the food and allow it to pass
through the esophagus to your stomach."
When you're feeling stressed, however, it can cause inflammation to
build up in your gut, resulting in gastrointestinal issues like
diarrhea, constipation and bloating. Stress can also cause your
abdominal tissues to tense up, which can impede the digestive process.
So, what can you do to help ease digestion?
Start by relaxing your abdominal muscles so they do their job at
breaking down food in your stomach. You can also do this two-minute
stomach massage before eating a meal, this will relax your nervous
system so it signals to your gut that it's time to eat. "This belly
massage can help you practice breathing and get your body, mind, and gut
into 'rest and digest' mode," Hill explains.
Here's how to do an abdominal massage for
constipation and indigestion:
1. Lie down on your back, with your knees bent and your feet, flat on
the floor.
2. Place both of your hands on your stomach and massage it in a circular
motion with your palms and fingertips. Start in a clockwise motion,
then counterclockwise.
3. Apply gentle pressure to areas that feel tender to you and move from
the left to the right side of your abdomen, then along the bottom of
your rib cage.
4. Repeat until the tight areas of your abdomen feel relaxed
5. Make sure to use your breath throughout the massage, inhaling and
exhaling deeply.
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