Dieting and Fascia

If you are looking to change your size and shape, there are many different approaches that you can try. This can be overwhelming as there is so much information, and much of it can contradict from one viewpoint to another. In my view, it comes down to how you feel with the foods that you eat, but also, how you eat is incredibly important.

The mechanical aspect of eating is often overlooked as a method of creating a healthy digestive system. Chewing is something that most people don’t do well. There is an enzyme in the mouth that begins the breakdown process, yet many don’t chew their food until it becomes a liquid. As much as eating with family or friends can be an enjoyable way to connect, eating and chewing use the same muscle but for a different purpose. If you are talking while you are eating, likely you are not chewing your food enough.

Also, the diaphragm rests above the stomach organ. When working properly, there is a continual massaging to the stomach which creates energy and aids in the breakdown of food. If you are breathing from the muscles of the upper chest as many do, the diaphragm, the foundation of the ribcage, becomes weak, causing the weight of the ribcage and everything above to crash down into the abdominal space, compressing the organs. This causes displacement of the organs, as well as creates tremendous stress. Combining this with the lack of movement of the diaphragm from the upper chest breather, you have a recipe for disaster. Not only will size and shape be impacted, but also gut health in general.

I view how you eat as being as responsible for your health, as much as the foods you eat. Oxygen is the most important nutrient for the cell, so the act of breathing diaphragmatically not only aids in the digestive process, but also feeds the cells. You can feel hungry because the cells are literally starving if you aren’t consciously breathing and if you aren’t able to break down and absorb the nutrients you are putting into your system. The mechanics of eating need to be considered as it all works together to ensure your body is properly fueled.

For some people, changing your diet alone will impact your size and shape, for others, changing your food habits may not create the expected changes. In my twenties, diet and exercise didn’t have the results expected. It was when I learned that breathing was a necessary component to heat and fuel the body that change began for me. I also became aware of the patterning of fascia and how compression from collapse created ballooning of tissue.

Even if you do lose weight, and for some who have lost a lot of weight rapidly, there can be frustration as now you may be left with sagging/loose skin. This is because overtime, the collagen/elastin balance in the fascia is disrupted from incorrect posture and breathing. As you fall from balance, the collagen migrates to areas of need to keep the body from tipping. Adhesions grip to bone to create stability but end up blocking flow to cells. That combined with the upper chest breath creates a body that deflates over time, becoming shorter and wider with each passing year. The patterns of the fascia can be seen in this case, where the adhesions are holding on. Wherever there was compression, there would be ballooning – if weight is lost, the ballooned areas now turn into saggy areas. The great news though is that this can change with Fascia Decompression.

The key is to get to the areas of accumulated collagen and release the seal of tension they created. The seal is magnetic, so to release this there needs to be a shearing approach taken in the layers of tissue. This is demonstrated in Block Therapy, we access the deeper adhesions, along with instruction of diaphragmatic breathing, to move blood and oxygen into the newly created spaces. Like blowing up a balloon, the cells begin to inflate and as they absorb the oxygen, are filled with life. This combined with strengthening proper postural foundations changes how your body uses fuel and removes waste. Metabolism increases as cells become integrated and your body becomes more efficient with each passing day.

The breath is the key for everything. Learning how to move the toxins out and feed the cells with diaphragmatic breathing changes how you view food and exercise. The key is to simply begin and notice the changes along the way. Learn to listen to how your body feels after you eat and notice what doesn’t serve you. The more you connect to your cells, the more they provide you with the information you need to live your healthiest life.

Learn more in this week's episode of The Fascia Masters below.