Exercises
That Facilitate Stomach-Emptying
Richard K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E., F.A.C.N., C.W.S.
The
paretic stomach may be described as a flaccid bag, deprived
of the rhythmic muscular squeezing present in a stomach that
is properly “wired” to the vagus nerve. Any activity
that rhythmically compresses the stomach can crudely replicate
the normal effect. You may perhaps have observed how a brisk
walk can relieve that bloated feeling.
A patient of mine learned a
trick from her yoga instructor that eliminated the erratic
blood sugar swings caused by her moderate gastroparesis.
The trick is to pull in your belly as far as you can, then
push it out all the way. Repeat this with a regular rhythm
as many times as you can, immediately after each meal. Over
a period of weeks or months, your abdominal muscles will become
stronger and stronger, permitting progressively more repetitions
before you tire. Eventually shoot for 100 reps. This should
require less than 4 minutes of your time — a small price
to pay for an improvement in your blood sugar profiles.
Another patient discovered
an exercise that I call the “back flex.” Sit or
stand while bending backward as far as you can. Then bend
forward, about the same amount. Repeat this about 20 times.
Although these exercises may
sound excessively simple, even silly, their potential benefit
to you if you suffer from gastroparesis can be significant.
Chewing Gum Can Make
a Big Difference
The act of chewing produces
saliva, which not only contains digestive enzymes but also
stimulates muscular activity in the stomach and tends to relax
the pylorus. Trident “sugarless” gum contains
only 1 gram of sugar per piece and so will have very little
effect upon your blood sugar. Chewing gum for 1 hour after
meals is probably the most effective treatment of gastroparesis
outside of major dietary changes.
Coming Soon:
Another potent exercise created
by a portable electric device will be described in the new
edition of my book Diabetes Solution that will be released
later this year, 2002.
The above was abstracted from
Dr. Bernstein’s book “Diabetes Solution”.
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go to
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book “The Diabetes Solution” go to
www.rx4betterhealth.com or visit Dr. Bernstein’s
site at http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com
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