subject: Can Yoga Control My Appetite? [print this page] We all know what it is like to get hungry. We feel a gnawing sensation in the belly, we might get shaky, we get nervous or angry or anxious and we know that it is an unpleasant sensation. But what triggers hunger and why do we feel hungry only a few hours after our last meal? Believe it or not, yoga can help regulate hunger and Yoga can help you lose weight.
Hunger begins in the Hypothalamus, which is a part of your brain. The Hypothalamus connects the nervous system to the endocrine system through the pituitary gland. The Hypothalamus tells the pituitary gland to secret hormones in the liver which start to create bile and trigger our hunger response. If our Hypothalamus or pituitary gland becomes dysfunctional we suddenly find ourselves hungry all the time without really, physically, needing food.
The liver is an organ of digestion. If it becomes toxic or loses function due to diet or disease, our metabolism is directly affected. The liver creates hormones that regulate hunger sensations and metabolic rate. We are completely dependent upon the proper functioning of our liver: without it, we cannot live.
Digestion is the breaking down of molecules into smaller molecules for the creation of waste. If there is too much waste material, it will become stored in the tissues of the body as fat cells. Fat, or adipose tissue, is loose connective tissue made up of fat cells, or adipocytes. Once digestion begins to bog down, metabolism slows, liver activity drops, and the pituitary gland begins to increase hunger hormones triggered by the Hypothalamus, we are in trouble. Not only does the risk of weight gain increase, but the risk of disease increases.
Currently 64% of Americans are overweight. The causes are many: poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, long commutes, work at desks and computers, tvs, sodas, depression, side effects to medications, etc. The answer to the problem is at once simple and complex: better diet and more exercise.
But, if hunger begins with Hypothalamus and we see the connecting points of the pituitary gland and the liver, is there an exercise program that could benefit all of these systems, glands, hormone production, and brain function? Yes. Yoga. How? Through the movements of yoga that were designed over 5000 years ago, ancient yogis studied channels and pathways of energy and absorption in the body. They realized that moving in certain ways, doing what we now call postures/poses/asanas, you stimulate the nervous system. This central axis, recharges the brain, and regulates the Hypothalamus. Certain specific exercises massage the pituitary gland and twists and forward bends regulate and cleanse the liver.
Yoga is a complete, holistic science, based on thousands of years of research and self-study. By using yoga in conjunction with developing a healthy diet, the systems of the body become properly balanced. Hormone excretion is regulated. Hunger, or the feeling of needing to eat food, is tempered. Hunger, or the zest of needing to live fully and more healthfully, is increased. Yes, yoga can help you lose weight!
by: jhoanne031
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
