We have become so conscious of needing a ‘flat tummy’ that we very often believe ‘looking thin’ is ‘being healthy’! Why is it then that the ancient science of yoga never gave any credence to a six pack ab? Because it is more important to have a ‘functioning’ abdominal corset than a ‘flat’ abdominal corset.
Developing and maintaining a functional inner unit is critical to far more than how one looks in the mirror. And most importantly automatically ensures you end up with a flat ab! Just because someone has a six pack for abs doesn’t mean your inner unit works correctly or that a person is anything close to healthy.
There are two units that make the abdominal wall – the outer unit which one can see and actually has nothing to do with a flat ab; and the inner unit made of the Transverse abdominis (TVA) and the internal oblique – which can cause enormous ill health if not functioning properly and gifts us a flat tummy when working well. So naturally, having a flat tummy is related to ensuring the TVA is working fine – not just during exercise but all the time.
If you notice, every morsel you eat reaches the small intestine by the contraction action of your ab muscles. With respiration and movement, the abdominal corset begins its cyclic movement of pushing fluids around aiding in both digestion and elimination. A weak abdominal muscle bombarded with indigestible foods and drinks, results in a weak rhythmical contraction of the digestive tract that moves the food around. When efficient passage of food is hampered, elimination also becomes an issue. Proper breathing is related to the correct functioning of the ab muscles. Stabilization is a key effect of a strong core. Visceral support to all the organs is a main function of the ab muscles that when hampered can lead to viscereptosis and continence. So you see, having a flat ab is more crucial than just the vanity of an aesthetically pleasing mid-section!
When we see the ‘pot bellies’ we immediately think we need to isolate and address that aspect alone – how to reduce belly fat? The truth is there is no ‘spot reduction’ ! If the adipose tissue is very active in your mid-section, you accumulate fat there. If it is your butt region, that is where it will store! But very often we find that the pot belly is not only because of fatty foods but more often because of lack of proper recruitment of ab muscles and inflammation of the gut caused by unhealthy foods. Much more than food allergies, what concerns us today is food intolerances that over a period of time cause so much irritation to the entire gut wall that it remains constantly inflamed. This nagging irritation can lead to a host of problems including a leaky gut that triggers an immune response causing so much stress to your body that it begins to fight itself!! It is time to understand and implement lifestyle changes to ensure the health of every organ is not compromised for a few seconds of palatal bliss !
Written by Gita Krishna Raj | Published in Food & Health in December 2013
