AYGMyJune2015

Answers to your questions about detoxifying yoga,

back pain, digestive distress and more

Have questions for the experts?

Send them to [email protected]

I switched to a

standing desk, but I

often get lower-back

aches. Which yoga

poses can prevent

the pain?

Working at a standing desk orients your spine

into proper posture – your chin is parallel to the

floor and your belly is firm. But standing for too

long (even with good posture) can also place

pressure on your lower back, as it’s forced to

engage muscles that run along the length of

your spine. Incorporating a twice-daily yoga

routine can help improve posture and relieve

back pain: practise upon waking in the

morning and again in the afternoon. Start

in Downward Dog, roll through to Plank,

lower into Chaturanga Dandasana and finish

in Upward Dog. Repeat twice. When you’re

at your desk, it’s wise to alternate sitting and

standing, so use a desk with an adjustable

height. Or if you have a standing desk, get

a taller chair, so you can alternate sitting

and standing every few hours throughout

the course of the day.

Dr Kenneth Hansraj

Orthopaedic surgeon

My teacher always describes certain poses,

especially twists, as detoxifying. Can you

actually wring toxins out of your body?

Not exactly. Your liver and lymphatic system constantly flush harmful toxins

out of your body on their own. And although twists have benefits ranging

from increased flexibility to stimulated appetite, there’s no scientific research

that proves twisting asanas improve liver and lymphatic-system function.

Practising deep yogic breathing, however, will assist your organs in the

detoxification process. You can also decrease the toxic load on your body

by reducing the amount of toxins you put into it. Try to replace packaged

foods (which can be loaded with undesirable processed flour, sugar and

preservatives) with nutrient-dense whole foods like nuts, fruits, vegetables,

ancient grains (such as quinoa, farro, and spelt) and seeds. And swap out

chemical-based personal-care products for natural, plant-based alternatives.

Dr Eric Grasser

Functional-medicine and Ayurvedic doctor

I’ve tried going off gluten

to relieve stomach issues.

It seems to help at first, but

then my symptoms come

back. What’s going on?

Not everyone who experiences gastrointestinal

distress is gluten intolerant or suffering from

coeliac disease, an autoimmune disorder that

causes damage to the small intestine when gluten

is digested. Your doctor can do a blood test to rule

out coeliac symptoms. They can also assess you for

irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), another condition

characterised by bloating, gas and diarrhoea. Or

it may be a group of short-chain carbohydrates

called fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides,

monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) that’s

to blame. Found in wheat, barley, onions, garlic,

legumes, apples, pears and more, these carbs

pull water into the intestines and quickly ferment,

creating excess gas and symptoms in sensitive

people. While FODMAPs are not a known cause

of IBS, a low-FODMAP diet may provide relief

for those who suffer from IBS symptoms.

Kate Scarlata

Dietitian and digestive-health expert

The best pose for

scoliosis sufferers?

Side

Plank

Recent research published in

Global Advances in Health and

Medicine found that scoliosis

patients who held Side Plank

Pose for 90 seconds per

day for about seven months

reduced their spinal curvature

by an average of 32 per cent.

ask tHe experts

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yogajournal.com.au

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