Haque's Health Hacks
Haque's Health Hacks with Dr. Anita Haque
Haque's Health Hacks
Healthy Digestion 101: Simple, Practical Ways to “Keep Things Moving”
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Digestive issues are far more common than many people realize. Constipation, bloating, irregular bowel movements, and discomfort are often accepted as “normal,” even though they can significantly affect energy levels, mood, weight management, and overall quality of life.
In this episode, Dr. Anita Haque is joined by office manager, Katy Sosine. Together they discuss healthy digestion and the role it plays in how the body absorbs nutrients, manages stress, and supports the immune system. The good news is that small, consistent habits can make a meaningful difference.
Ready to feel lighter, steadier, and more yourself? Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to tell us which tip you’ll start today.
I've been on a diet since I was a kid. And with that, dieting and starvation and maybe not eating the most nutritious foods, there was a point not very long ago, maybe about 10 years ago, where I probably wasn't having a bowel movement for three to four days. So that left me feeling very sluggish, uncomfortable with my own skin. It left me not being as hungry, but I needed to eat. I was always uncomfortable, not just physically, but it also leaked into my psyche, my emotional well-being, because I just didn't feel great.
Intro/Close:Welcome to the Haque's Health Hacks Podcast, your trusted source for wellness, fitness, and healthy lifestyle insights. We believe in empowering you with knowledge to take control of your health. Join us as we explore the latest in self-care, share expert advice, and guide you on your journey to optimal well-being. Let's embark on this path to a healthier you together.
Anita Haque:Hello and welcome to this episode's Haque Healthy Hack. I'm so excited to have you here, whether watching or listening, because we're going to be talking about something that a lot of people don't like to discuss, but it's so important. And a lot of my patients talk to me about it behind closed doors. And that is your digestion, healthy pooping. Because now that the new year started, one of the biggest things that we hear, myself included, is how do we get healthier? How do we jumpstart 2026 and feel better with weight loss and doing the things that you know we need to undo for maybe the holidays? And instead of just talking about New Year's resolutions and weight loss goals, I think it would be most important for us to break down a little bit more about how to have healthier digestion. Since that is kind of how things move through your body. And today I'm so excited and honored to have my office manager, Katy Sosine, with me to talk about this topic. Since her too here, she hears all these questions and comments from our patients talking about poop and digestion. So, Katy, thank you so much for coming on with me today to talk about this topic for our listeners. And let's get started.
Katy Sosine:And let's face it, we all at one time in our life, if not now, or have suffered with digestive problems and pooping and not being able to go. And it's normal and and you feel so much better when you do it. I mean, it's just, you know, it's just not so much talked about. And I'm so excited to talk about how chiropractic care and digestion go hand in hand and how getting adjustments and moving your body can help you go to the bathroom. It's so important.
Anita Haque:Yeah, I'm so excited. No, thank you so much. And I know, Katy, you are actually one person who's brought this up to me to talk about on this podcast because I know that you, like I mentioned earlier, hear from our patients a lot of comments about how their digestion has changed or how many times they get to have a bowel movement after they receive an adjustment. And I think one of the most common things that I've heard from patients when I do a consultation and talk to them about their back pain, and I usually ask them about their digestion since it's such an important part of our functioning. And a lot of things that I've heard from patients, which is red flags, is people not having a regular bowel movement. Now, what does that even mean, right? What is a status quo? What should you maybe hold as a standard? Well, definitely minimum once a day is at least needed for us to have proper functioning and for us to be able to digest our food better and absorb nutrients. So we want to make sure we are having at least one bowel movement a day. However, I have learned over the years and doing more research about digestion and health is that we are meant to have a bowel movement every time we eat. So once you start eating something and your body starts to digest it, you're supposed to have the urge to move things through. So when you're really healthy, then you would have a bowel movement maybe two, three times a day based on how frequently you're eating. And I personally noticed those shifts as I made some changes in my life because um share some personal things about me is I've always, you know, had an issue with eating and weight loss through most of my life. I've shared it on other podcasts prior to this one where, you know, I've been on a diet since I was a kid. And with that dieting and starvation and maybe not eating the most nutritious foods, there was a point not very long ago, maybe about 10 years ago, where I probably wasn't having a bowel movement for three to four days. So that left me feeling very sluggish, uncomfortable with my own skin. It left me not being as hungry, but I needed to eat. I was always uncomfortable, not just physically, but it also leaked into my psyche, my emotional well-being, because I just didn't feel great. So that's kind of why digestion is such a hot topic for me personally, and reason why I share so much of it and try to help patients with it because it is taboo to talk about and sometimes embarrassing. And I want us to be able to like take those walls down. Yeah, let's take those walls down and talk about something that's really important to our functioning, to our weight loss, to our well-being today.
Katy Sosine:Right. And you bring up uh the, you know, it's no, you know, normally to go, it's normal to go once a day, but it's even better if you can go twice a day, if you can go three times a day. People don't know that. I mean, they think it's normal. I hear from people all the time, oh yeah, I go like maybe once a week, and I'm just like, what? Oh my god. And how do you feel? And and not great is what I get. It's like, no, you know, I feel heavy. I feel um like I have I'm forced to eat even when I feel yucky and full and heavy because I'm hungry still. My body still needs, you know, nutrients. And these things could be solved by what you put in your mouth, water. And I know we're gonna talk about that. It's so important. And then movement and chiropractic care, it's all so important.
Anita Haque:So yeah, I'm so excited. Definitely. I um completely agree. There's solutions to this. And the one thing I do want to mention though, and it's a very poignant part of this conversation, is our guts is like another brain in our body. Our gut health is maybe even overlooked of how important it is because it is your gut that is your first line of defense, your immune system. You know, you breathe in dust, you breathe in germs, we swallow, you know, we sneeze, we swallow our saliva, and we swallow, you know, um, you know, things that we're sneezing in. And that means our gut has to fight off the germs, the bacteria, the viruses first and foremost. So you need to have a healthy gut. So that is one thing I want to mention is our first line of defense. And the other thing that our gut is so important is it's also a second emotional center to your body. Our emotions are stored in our gut. That's why we get nauseous when we feel certain things. That's why our hunger could be fake hunger because we're feeding maybe anxiety or certain emotions that we're just trying to avoid facing. So then we go to eating certain things that don't make us feel that great uh in the long term, but maybe temporarily, whether it's like chocolate or having a glass of wine. We're soothing ourselves sometimes emotionally through our gut as well.
Katy Sosine:So those are building up and making it worse, right?
Anita Haque:Exactly. And that's why, you know, it can snowball Katy into these, you know, uh scenarios where people are having regular bowel movements and it's become their new normal. But we both know it's absolutely abnormal and very unhealthy for having a you know a functioning body at its optimal level. So let's talk a little bit about some things. I know you're gonna ask me a little bit about like how people behave.
Katy Sosine:So what are some uh common issues that people face and what is what is causing them these issues?
Anita Haque:Yeah. So I kind of touched a little bit about about some of it already. I think our emotional mental health absolutely affects the digestion of your body. So if you are very, very high stress, if you are emotionally stressed, if you have a lot of anxiety, this will slow down your digestive's ability to contract. Because really, your digestive tract is just smooth muscle. It's not like muscle like this, it's smooth muscle where your brain is and your parathetic parasitic parenthetic. Basically, your nervous system here. Your nervous system, you're not your sympathetic parasympathetic system, is what controls it. So, what I mean is without having to think about contracting a muscle, your brain is is working to you know have that lotility, move food through, move the nutrients through all the way to the end. But if you're stressing out and if you aren't relaxed enough to stimulate those parts of your nervous system, that's when we get congestion, like traffic jams, and and it leads to constipation, it can lead to even diarrhea, it can lead to malabsorption. So your emotions is a big part of your digestion. You mentioned the second thing, which is your diet, your water intake. I think water is something that's overlooked that helps our bodies in so many levels. And the reason why I say it is overlooked, we all know when to drink water, we all have water, but I think why it's overlooked is we forget how much water we need because we forget how much caffeine and things we do to drain the water. So sometimes, you know, when you have a cup of coffee, maybe you're having an energy drink, maybe you're having iced tea, and then you forget, I need more water after drinking these things. Alcohol, right? It's dehydrating you, it's taking away from your body's ability to digest your food and function optimally. So I suggest to patients, first and foremost, to wake up and before you even get out of bed, have a glass of water right by your bedside that you can just chug some fresh water, nothing else in it. You can put a lemon in it, of course, but if you just have water overnight that you can kind of grab first thing in the morning, drink yes, before you even go to the restroom. What that does is it starts basically hydrating your body and gets you a little bit more thirsty to drink water. So it sets the tone for your body to function, you know, to want water as well. So what you have more of, what you consume more of, our bodies are designed to want more of. So if you're eating that, you're gonna want more of it, right?
Katy Sosine:It's sending signals, right? It's sending signals. This is how we're gonna start our day, and we're gonna continue to give it this water, exactly.
Anita Haque:And that's just a small like watering up a flour. Yes, exactly. It's just watering a flour. So starting your day off with drinking some water can make a huge, huge difference. The other thing that helps a lot, of course, is what you're feeding your body. What's it feeding? Now, a lot of people talk about fiber, right? And I know that there's a lot of fiber substitutes out there, you know, that I want I don't want to mention. There's a bunch of different names out there. You know, you can add powders into your water, you can take supplements or pills to help with fiber and digestion. But I have found, tried and tested myself, there's nothing better than just eating more water-filled foods. So we're talking fruits, we're talking veggies, anything with more water, you know, filled foods, they're gonna have a lot of fiber as well, which is what's amazing. And the water in the food that's naturally made. So you're having a cucumber, for example, it's full of water. There's also fiber in it. Apple, same thing. It's got fiber. You eat the actual food and not just the juice of it, you're getting the fiber and the hydration to move it through your digestive system. So it's like our food naturally that grows from the ground has been designed to keep our digestive systems at its peak, but a lot of us just aren't eating enough of it. So I urge our listeners, if you're having a sluggish digestive system or you just want to improve it, have more motility, have easier weight loss and more functioning, if you could just consume more veggies, more green, leafy veggies, more water-filled veggies and fruits in your days. You've got to work taking things out of your diet because we focus so much on dieting and removing foods that make us feel deprived. I'd like to offer a solution to our listeners today to what can you add to make you healthier? Because most of us are starving nutritionally, but we're overweight. So you can eat a lot of food, but you're still overweight, but your body's still craving the nutrients for it to be healthy. And those nutrients are coming from healthy, natural foods that maybe we're not consuming. So could you add more greens in your diet? Could you add a serving of vegetables at lunch? Could you add or replace maybe your dessert with an apple instead, at least two, three times a week, maybe not every day, if you really want the ice cream or you know, piece of chocolate or what it might be. So I suggest to you, you know, once we should drink your water, eat more water-filled and fiber-filled natural foods, which is just fruits and veggies. That's as simple as it is. And then another thing are supplements, things like probiotics. Right. There are things that can be very, very helpful, helpful to your gut bacteria. And really, the bacteria in our gut is made to keep us healthy. So we, in order to keep that bacteria healthy, we have to feed it with nutrients. And those nutrients are coming, like I said, from those natural foods. Uh, and if you're not getting enough of that, adding a probiotic, I consume a probiotic pill every single day, right after the largest meal. And that was a game changer in addition to thought from healthy.
Katy Sosine:I was getting tummy aches. Um, I I would eat sometimes. I would, I thought I would, you know, self-diagnose myself, thinking, oh, I must have IBS or something because why am I eating? And then I get a stomach ache, and then I'm constantly going to the you know, bathroom right after like something's all right. Oh, yeah, of course I have IBS. And then I started reading and I started hearing about the probiotics and prebiotics. And I was like, I'm just gonna start taking one and see what happens. You know, I couldn't even eat a yogurt or ice cream without getting a stomach ache. And I I I have not had any problems. I take one every morning and I I just I can eat dairy now and I can eat foods, and I, you know, I'm moving my bowels more consistently, and um, it's just been such a game changer for me. Just that little change of of taking those is great thing.
Anita Haque:And and you know what, TD, so many people, so many of my patients have shared that to me too. After I was, you know, they start taking a probiotic, a prebiotic, um, and adding, you know, healthier foods, it it it is a game changer. And when you start to see the difference and how much better you feel, it's it's like a weight lifted, right?
Katy Sosine:You just feel lighter, and when you feel lighter, you feel happier. And that is when the mood comes in, right? Yes. And when you were talking about, and I just wanted to bring this up, when you were talking about um your mood and you know, how that can affect your digestion, that made me think of babies and toddlers when they are fussy, it's no it most of the time it's because they're constipated or they're colicky. It's because they're not being able to go to the bathroom. And and you think it's really making them upset and they're crying and they're voicing that. And so you have to really, that happens to us too, what we eat, and then it, you know, it makes us feel yucky, and then we can't go to the bathroom, and then we feel heavy and sluggish, and then we're mad, we're angry, and and we can't function, you know, and do go about our day because we're not feeling great. We we take it out on other people and we're just like, oh, I just don't want to be here.
Anita Haque:That's exactly what I was saying. Is like when your mood is off and you don't feel your best, it affects every single person around you. It affects their energy, it affects their their their, you know, the way that they see you, um, whether it's your kids, your husband, you know, it affects your relationships. Um, and it also affects how great you can be in your life. So something as simple as having healthier digestion will impact your weight loss, it will impact your self-esteem, it will pet impact your emotional well-being, it will impact your relationships. You just sometimes don't realize how much it does until, like you just mentioned, Katy. I totally agree with that. So I did talk a little bit about um another thing that most of us don't always think about, which you mentioned, and that is motion and motility and and how that plays a huge role with our digestive system as well. And so one of the things that I noticed too is people who exercise, people who get regular activity through stretching and yoga and walking and you know, weight training and do that consistently, they seem to have way more healthier bowel movements on a regular basis and way healthier bodies in general. So um, when you realize that your digestive system, like I mentioned, is just smooth muscle, it's just moving things through. And if you feel like you're stagnating, perhaps adding some movement and simple movements that really can help, even if you're on the toilet, for example. You know, we get really kind of the TMI here for our listeners, because I think it's important for us to just head on discuss it. Even if you're constipated and you're having a moment, you're trying to, you know, get a bowel movement out and you're feeling kind of congested and stuck. We've all been there, and you're sitting in the toilet. Sometimes just by twisting your body, your upper body side to side, kind of you know, going side to side with your elbows, kind of doing a twist, that can help. Yeah, it's kind of like easing it. It's your digestive system basically, which is like a lot of tract, right? The the small intestine, the large intesticle, it basically gives it kind of a massage and it helps to push things through a little bit better. And sometimes that can even give a little bit of assistance. Plus, the other thing I sometimes have found myself doing is giving myself a mini stomach massage. Basically, you take your fingers, your hands together and gently in a circular motion, you go through your stomach down below your belly button, you rub all through there, kind of push a little bit in gently, not painfully, to kind of just massage those organs to get that to wake up sometimes. That can also help if you're feeling like things are sluggish and you're maybe constipated. So a little bit of movement like that, even could be helpful.
Katy Sosine:Right. And we've all heard, I'm sure, about the squatty potty. And I'm I have like a makeshift one, and it's just a little stool that my kids used to use to stand up in front of the sink and brush their teeth. I kept it and it's right by the the the the bath in the bathroom by the toilet, and I just scoot it over and I put my feet up there, and I've learned that that helped everything come out and much easier. And I know this is TMI also, but it's like what when your legs are elevated up a little bit, it helps your track open and and really and as simple as that. And sometimes, and if you're real flexible, sometimes you can even get your feet all the you know up all the way onto the toilet if you're really having trouble, and you'll be amazed how quickly it will work and you don't have to be in all that pain. Exactly. And I know we look like we look like gymnasts there on the toilet sometimes, but you know, sometimes it's you're it hurts and you gotta do what you gotta do.
unknown:Yeah.
Anita Haque:And you know, in cultures and countries uh throughout the world, and you know, my background, Pakistani. I remember when I went to go visit Pakistan and as a kid, the toilets are holes in the ground. So they're not like our seated toilets, and they're designed that way so that you're basically squatting, kind of like the squatting, you know, uh that you know, putting your feet up, you're in position so that your digestive tract is is open so that you can have easier.
Katy Sosine:It makes so much sense. It really makes so much sense, and it's like it really people think, oh, that's so um unhygienic or whatever, but really it is they're getting everything out, and they feel good, you know.
Anita Haque:It's like not air, yeah. They're getting it out. You need to get it out. Now, I know you also mentioned, and I'm I'm sure you want to talk about this too, Katy. And I think it's maybe a perfect time in terms of movement, but chiropractic adjustments, right? And and and and digestion and how that goes hand in hand. I know you maybe had a question for me in particular.
Katy Sosine:Yeah, just how does chiropractic care, how is that intertwined and how does that influence your digestive mobility and and how does how I know they work hand in hand, so how does that connect?
Anita Haque:So basically, you know, our spine is housing or the vertebrae itself are housing the spinal cord, and the spinal cord connects to the brain, okay? And out of the spinal cord are these nerves that go to all the organs and it transmits all the signals and messages, you know, to your heart to pump blood, to your lungs to expand and contract, to your muscles to contract when you want to walk, to your smooth muscle, your digestive system moving and digesting food. So if a nerve that affects your digestive system is getting impinged because of vertebrae is out of alignment, there's degeneration, there's been an injury, and these vertebrae that specifically affect digestion is kind of towards the mid and lower back region. So it's kind of like below the rib cage, in the small of your lower back. Most of those vertebrae are affecting the nerves that affect your large intestine, small intestine, the core. Colon, um, and also up in the mid back between the shoulder blades, those nerves affect the stomach and the esophagus. So you can see your spine affects so much of our digestion because it affects our organs and is basically the nerves. So what I found in my practice of, you know, 22 years almost now is that when somebody has a misalignment in that area of their spine, maybe they're complaining of back pain, and then we work on adjusting that area. We relieve the pressure off the nerve by realigning the vertebrae. Patients often report to me, especially when I ask, how are your bowel movements now, that your back is feeling better. And nine and a half times out of 10, I would say, oh my God, I can't believe I've been going in the bathroom. I didn't even know that. And then I actually get to educate the patient about how the chiropractic adjustment does influence their nervous system and particularly their digestive system. So that's kind of how there's that relationship with chiropractic adjustments and healthier digestion. But chiropractic adjustments really helps just the nerves in general to open up so that the body can communicate from the brain, you know, to all of its organs and systems more effectively. And hey, we're all going to be much healthier and and you know, performing more optimally in our body if there's open communication. Yeah.
Katy Sosine:Yeah, I I I was gonna say mention we we probably have one of the heaviest flowing working bathrooms in in in town. Because I mean it's I mean, not to like shout out our patient or put him on the spot or anything. Um, but even for me too, I mean, so often I see here at the office, I they right and they get an adjustment, they go to the bathroom and then they walk out and they're happy. They got their adjustment, they went to the bathroom and they're already for their day. And it's, you know, it's just like I I love it. And I think it's just amazing because I remember when having children, I do have two, when they were babies, it was such a it was a celebration when they, you know, didn't feel good and they didn't go to the bathroom. And you know, and this brings up to how chiropractic care is kind of related to to moving the bowels. Do you ever see those YouTube videos with the babies and they they're you know, you move and they toot and then they go to the bathroom. I remember doing that on my kids, and because I would be emotionally in pain because they would be hurting, and they would, you know, I would do that and they would move their legs and you know, do their little stomach rubs and stuff, and they would go to the bathroom and we would celebrate and have a party because I thought happy that they would be relieved and and it worked, you know. But you do. I've seen those YouTube videos where they're moving their legs and they tell you to, you know, do that, and and then they go. And and so it's just amazing that how it's correlated.
Anita Haque:It's so correlated. It actually reminds me of a story. I had a uh patient come in and she had neck pain and back pain. And um, I remember giving her her first adjustment and she jumped off the table. You know who this patient is, Katy. I won't mention her name, but she jumped off the table right away. She's like, Oh my god, I have to go to the restroom. So she was she goes to the restroom, then she comes to grab me after she gets back. And I was thinking of, you know, adjusting another patient. She kind of, you know, and peers in and I leave to go talk to her. She's like, I didn't tell you how constipated I was. And after you adjust me, I finally had a release. I cannot believe she thanked me up and down. And then ever since then, she has been coming in regularly and seems to always mention, hey, did you get the one for my digestive assistant? Did you get the one for me to have my bowel movement? And she's want to miss that one.
Katy Sosine:Exactly. So that's amazing. I'm glad that she that she was open enough to tell you. And so that now you know, you know, mental note, this is my patient that really wants that spot, you know. But yeah, I think it's great that that that to be open about it. I mean, because we all poop, right? Yep. And we've all had problems with it. It's it's a common thing. And um to suffer with it and not say um anything. Um, I you know, it doesn't I I just don't want anyone to be like that. I that's why I I this is my I I know every time we have a meeting, you always say, okay, what should I talk about on my next and I my next podcast? And I'm always like, let's talk about the open to movement with, you know, it's so happy that you finally picked me for this one. And so I'm like, I just want everyone to know that don't be shy or afraid to talk about it. It's about it's your mental health, it's your well-being, it's your whole attitude. And you could you could live so much better if you could just um move and do all of the things and just you know, little baby steps on eating better and all, you know, all the things that you mentioned.
Anita Haque:I think um, you know, everyone would be so much happier if it's like I I think we talked about this already, but you know, like I said, your emotional health and your emotional stress, all important your digestive tracks so so much. And um, as I was kind of getting tongue twice tongue twisted and tied earlier, see it's happening again, I was talking about your parasympathetic nervous system. And that's the part of the nervous system that you don't think about that's regulating motility, like I said, your heart, your lungs. You're not having to think about, you know, breathing, you're not thinking about pumping your heart, you're not thinking about your smooth muscle of your stomach and your you know small intestine moving things through. Uh, but it's constantly happening. But when we get, you know, into this stress mode, that you know, fight, flight response, it turns off our parasympathetic nervous system. And so many of us in this day and age, especially with what's you know going around with all the things in our world, they are so high stressed in that, you know, stress flight, uh, flight, uh, fight response mode that they're no longer allowing their parasympathetic nervous system to really flow and shine. So sometimes what can help with that, just a little. If you are finding that you're super stressed and you are not having healthy digestion and you want to stimulate, you know, your parasympathetic nervous, you want to calm down this fight-flight response, this anxiety that you're always feeling, a small, simple solution, humming or singing. When we sing and hum and go into that sort of vibe of our body, it helps us to shut down, you know, some of that fight-flight response and get more into our natural, relaxed, parasympathetic state of our bodies, which can actually help digestion, help us stay more calm, make us a little bit more happier, get out of that stress, you know, um, fight, flight, response mode. And that can actually be a game changer as well. Just a small little tip is you're feeling stressed, you're feeling constipated, you're feeling like your digestion's off, sing to yourself. Maybe you alone if you don't feel like you want to sing in front of other people other people. I do it all the time. And it does make a difference, it changes a little bit of your spiritual, you know, your spiritual state too in a really positive way.
Katy Sosine:Right. And I don't know how much uh time we have left, but I do was want to talk really quick about um when when you are stressed and when you do have anxiety, and I know for me, I don't normally think of picking up something healthy. Like I immediately think, what do I need that's gonna make me happy that'll like maybe take my stress away or you know, and I'm I'm thinking candy, I'm thinking something sweet, some pastry or something. So what's a good uh tip to avoid those foods that are gonna ultimately cause the patient worse and your digestion worse? Well, I mean what should you be grabbing?
Anita Haque:Yeah, okay. So I mean, a few things. One is if you know you have it, it's so hard sometimes to not be tempted by it. So if you are already, you know, really wanting to commit to not being, you know, so you know, addicted, I use the word addiction because we are addicted to the foods we eat. So if you feel like you have like, you know, I always have a craving for chocolate, I always have a craving for chips, I always have craving for cookies, whatever it might be, like when you're stressed, first step is let's eliminate it. Number one, stop having it around. And I I used to have a gripe about this, Katy, where you know, I would feel like I'm wasting food if I tossed food until I started to learn that junk food, the term junk food, will just become junk on my body. So once I've had enough of my pie or my cake, instead of saving it in my fridge and keeping it in my cupboard, the, you know, the cookies, I toss it. And I try, I don't even have guilt about it anymore because I feel like this is garbage food. Why, why am I saving it for myself? I've had my thing. Exactly. Let's let's get rid of that. Let's donate, let's get rid of it. Um, not to be wasteful, but again, waste on my body is still waste. So one is don't have it around. Two, if you are having craving and you do have it around, what should you grab? Maybe instead of just going for the chocolate or the sweet treat, go for a sweet treat that I mentioned that's healthier, that's full of water, full of fiber, like an apple, like your favorite fruit, like strawberries, berries. Eat that first, then reward yourself if you still want it with your little chocolate or with that little cookie. But again, do the healthier thing for yourself first, and then tell yourself you'll reward yourself with the treat. And the reason I'm saying that is because half the time when I've done that for myself, I realize I don't even want that reward. I need a quick come down, right? And have a craft. I'm already satisfied. I just didn't even give my body the chance to see that I can be satisfied with the healthier item. So that would be kind of like my little trick there is try to eliminate, eliminate it so that you're not having that weak moment of will power. And two, if you do still have it, tell yourself you reward yourself after you do the healthier thing for you. And that can also kind of trick your brain or kind of teach you to maybe use better habits for yourself.
Katy Sosine:Right. That's great. Yeah. That's yeah. And then the and the come down and then crash, it is almost instant from the sugary, you know. So you don't get a lasting effect. It's very temporary. But if you put something kind of healthy in your mouth, that lasts longer. That serotonin's gonna carry on.
Anita Haque:And you start to kind of like train your body and you train your mind, even your psyche of doing healthier things for yourself and being proud of yourself for it. And there is something really powerful that like starts to become magnetic and maybe even like kind of on a roll for yourself, especially as we start this new year and you're trying to maybe get into healthier habits, is just starting small. These small little things that you can do will compound. And I've also realized, you know, with my journey of health and weight loss and trying to be as fit and healthy as I can, is the smallest little things that I can do are really the biggest things. If I can implement them on a daily basis, the small things that don't feel so daunting to me. It doesn't feel like I'm I'm making such a huge shit, you know, like to say, okay, I'm gonna go dry for January. And I know a lot of people do, I'm not having alcohol and uh hey, go dry Monday through Thursday, you know, do small little things that are not so daunting so that you don't give up on it. And that might serve you and your health goals that much more.
Katy Sosine:Yes, that's great.
Anita Haque:I love that.
Katy Sosine:What else could we talk about? Oh, I wanted to ask too, what are your thoughts about? I know you touched on a little bit about there is fiber that you can put into, you know, uh your water or whatever, and and um, and then also is it ever a good time to use a laxative? Sure.
Anita Haque:You know, I I really always prefer and I recommend to patients to do the most natural things you can do. And I don't think things that are processed, and that includes those powders that are you know that you would add to your water, you know, things that are processed in a box and a container, those are not gonna really serve your body in the most healthiest ways. And the fact that we have natural resources for the fiber, like an apple, that will not only give you the fiber but give you nutrition and give you some sustenance. I always they do that. Now, you also mentioned, you know, laxatives. And I was guilty for a phase in my life when I was dealing with a lot of my emotions and weight loss and wanting to have a quick fixed weight. Uh, I would use laxatives to help me after I ate bad food. I would eat junk food and binge, and I was guilty of taking a laxative to help me, you know, um release the guilt and think that I was, you know, managing what I just did by taking that laxative. What I found was I was absolutely wrong because that laxative, yes, although it did move things through, um, gave me, you know, that sense of like, oh, it actually didn't help with my weight loss at all. I still put on weight because your body is still absorbing and um, you know, containing a lot of the junk foods you're eating, or at least if that's what you're taking the laxative afterwards, like I did, um, and you're still making your body very unhealthy. And really, when you can't process certain foods, you're you know, eating unnatural foods, what your body does is as a defense mechanism, is it stores things that you eat into your fat cells because our fat cells, you know, protect our bodies, our blood system from toxicity. So that's why we end up putting on more weight. And you could say, I'm hardly eating anything, but you're eating a lot of fake foods. Things are not natural process, and you're still putting on weight and you're in a calorie deficit, and you're like, what is happening here? Why am I not gaming, you know, the success or reaching my goals of dropping a pound or two pounds a week or whatever it be? It's because you're eating a lot of fake foods and your body doesn't know how to digest it. So laxatives is another process, it's a fake thing. So I say, don't get into bad habits. If you're already taking laxatives, you're probably not feeling great. Your digestive system is no longer working naturally, and it's actually best to just remove yourself of those things.
Katy Sosine:Right. And and won't your body also, if you are continuing to take it for a long time period of time, well, once you stop, your body will say, Well, where's that laxative? I can't go now. I can't go now because you didn't give it to me. Exactly. Then, you know, then you're right back to being you're just in this bad cycle.
Anita Haque:And so, yeah, feed your gut. Think about how your gut, your bacteria of your gut is the healthy bacteria that you want to feed. And guess what? It wants to eat green leafy vegetables more more than anything else, truly. So, can you add some more spinach to your diet? If you hate kale, hey, kale's great too. Collard greens. Can you add things that are your gut wants? It's gonna serve you tenfold. It's gonna make you full, it's gonna give you digestion, it's gonna help that gut bacteria, it's gonna serve your immune system, which I mentioned is in your gut. Um, and it will help with natural weight loss without having to do so much restrictive dieting that can be really, really uncomfortable to your psyche as well.
Katy Sosine:And I know a lot of people with those, a lot of leafy greens and vegetables, they like to use salt to make it better. Does salt have any effect on your water intake and digestion?
Anita Haque:You know what? I think salt is needed. Good Himalayan sea salt, something like that. There's a kind of salt, right? Yes, you know, I wouldn't, you know, just use any iodine salt. I like to use some more natural salts, right? But salt is actually has minerals in it when you use, like I said, Himalayan salt, you could do like celtic salt. There's a lot of great salts that are natural. And to absorb the water, sometimes I actually put a little pinch of salt in my water. Um, because you know, I I sweat, especially someone who sweats a lot of water out. Like if you work out a lot, if you do saunas and I do all those things, I sweat a little bit. Yeah, having exactly so having a little salt actually in your water with maybe even some lemon can really help you digest and absorb more of the water. So salt is not the enemy. It's so I didn't doubt that. Okay. Sodium, that's the fake salt that's in our processed foods, that type of salt to kind of make the food last longer, right? Because that's what it does. Salt can do that too. But it's not the natural salt they're putting in this, but the it's the processed salts, it's the the sodium, the chemicals. That type of salt is not healthy for you.
Katy Sosine:So there's a so good to know because I think a lot of people are like, I'm, you know, I can't eat vegetables because then I, you know, I like salt, and I don't you know they think they can't season their vegetables, and you can, you can make them so good. Yes, about like Brussels sprout. Man, there are so many great recipes and cauliflower. Oh my gosh, I there's just so much that you can do. Yep. Rice it, mash it, you know, broil it.
Anita Haque:No, they have to eat it, you know, completely raw, which is amazing, but you don't have to, you can you can make it good and and yes, and some fruits are actually better on your digestive system when you do cook it slightly, like broccoli and things like that. You know, yes, uh we know that there's been a big hype about the raw food diet. I maybe people have heard of that too, where you eat a lot of raw veggies. Um, but in science, they find that, yeah, some raw foods are great, but having some lightly cooked foods can actually aid the absorption of the nutrients too. You know, you don't want to overcook and overboil something because you know, we've all maybe had that when we're growing up, right? Like, like you mentioned, like boiled Brussels sprouts that turned into mush. That's what made a lot of people say, Oh, I'm never eating that again. But then when you Brussels sprouts, maybe even at a nice fine dining place that's like, you know, crisp and roasted and delicious. Yes, how come I don't eat this all the time, right? So, yes, you know, how you season your food can be a huge game changer too, and you're wanting to eat more of these natural healthy things. Right, right.
Katy Sosine:And then also chiropractic care, and I know with uh with babies is great to m to you know move their digestive system. What what about seniors? Seniors that is another because they also are a big proponent of being constant and having their issues.
Anita Haque:Yeah, and and also, you know, with seniors, I think what um the trend that a lot of dogs find, like myself, is when you ask them about their diets, they're hardly drinking water. They are not eating as much food, you know, they're their their sense of uh of wanting to eat also diminishes as we get older. Our metabolism shifts, you know, slows down. And so when they are eating, a lot of times as they get older, they're not even eating healthier natural foods. They're eating things that are processed as well. So, and and a lot of times elderly seniors are not moving as much. So they're not having a hydration, they're not eating a lot of healthy natural foods filled with watered fiber, and they're moving a lot less. So that is gonna catapult, you know, the sluggishness that and in the in digestion and in their health altogether. So for a senior, I would say the same thing as I would say to an adult or a child. We need more water, healthier foods, more motion, more movement, um, and also less stress, you know, dealing with our stress and our emotions will also affect our digestive system.
Katy Sosine:Right. And it's perfectly safe as well for a a senior uh at very old older age to come in and and get an adjustment. Not, you know, I you usually see all those YouTube videos where they're joking and you know, the throwing grandma around and stuff. It's not like that at all. No, it's not it's just crazy enough. Um, but it yeah, it they I think they think when they're much older that they, you know, no way, I'm not going to a chiropractor, I'm too frail or I'm too but um we see people at older people come off of their canes coming in here, um not using their canes as much, and not, you know, just walking better in general and moving and their mood, they're they're they came in, they're a little grumpy. They leave, they're happy. You know, they they so I think it's I I I just think it's great at any age to to get in and get your body moving and get adjusted and um get your body moving and flowing and doing all the things it's supposed to do.
Anita Haque:Exactly. And uh, you know, motion is life, motion in your digestive system, motion of your body, I mean, motion in general is like what keeps us going, right? So um I I'm just hoping that all of our listeners can take one of these tips and and health hacks of digestion and and put it in play because it will serve your body, will serve your health and serve everybody around you too, as we mentioned. So um, so you know, just drinking that water first thing in the morning, adding more veggies, adding more greens and fiber water-filled foods like fruit, fruits and veggies, things like that, without in its natural state. In its natural state, not just, you know, like I said, juicing something, because then you're missing sometimes the fiber of the skin of the vegetable or the fruit. So um doing that as well as having more motion in your body, twisting your bowels around, learning maybe to sing to calm down your fight-flight response that's slowing your digestion down, you know, um, getting an adjustment, talking to a health professional can make uh, you know, all those things and combined is gonna just catapult the success of healthier digestion, more weight loss, healthier body, healthier life. Right.
Katy Sosine:And I think too, really quick, because I I've heard you talk about it before, and I think it's uh important to probably mention again with about the canned vegetables versus getting uh fresh vegetables, how important that is too.
Anita Haque:Yeah. I mean, listen, I don't want to knock a canned vegetable, a vegetable is still a vegetable, but it's just not as great or superior as maybe having something fresh. However, I must also say if you're one person who shops at your local grocery store that's a big chain, sometimes by the time you pick, you know, the fresh the vegetable, it's not. So fresh, you know, because they picked it when it wasn't ripe and then it's been sitting on a truck and then it took like two, you know, a week to get there, and then it's been sitting in the store and it's been, you know, kind of losing its uh its you know luster and shine and nutrition. So an alter alternative or one of the best, you know, freshest vegetables, to be honest, a lot of times is frozen organic. Yes, because a lot of frozen organic veggies are frozen at the peak level of freshness. So then when you are consuming it or you're roasting it or taking it out of your freezer, it's actually more fresh than sometimes the you know non-frozen state that you could purchase. So that could also be very helpful. So good to know. Yes, that's great. So if you're debating between a can or frozen and you can freeze something, I would say go with frozen. Go with frozen, yeah. And then you don't have to use it right away. And if you have a farmer's market that you can go to that, you know, has your local produce, you know, it's picked fresh, then that for sure is going to be amazing produce to purchase and consume as well. Absolutely. Yes. Great questions. Thank you for putting that up.
Katy Sosine:Yes. I like to soak it all in and get all the good information so I know too what to do, how to keep things moving.
Anita Haque:Well, I appreciate that because you influence and and educate our patients every single day in there in the practice with, and it makes such a difference to them as well because they don't always ask me, and I know they ask you, and uh, you know, right for all of us to know and have on hand. So thank you so much for you know encouraging us to talk about this topic today. And um, without I if unless there's any other questions, I'd love to leave our listeners. You know, is there any other questions?
Katy Sosine:No, we're gonna I think we're good.
Anita Haque:I think we're ready to give our tip and your give your tip. So, you know, I I kind of gave most of my health hacks and tips throughout this this uh conversation today on digestion. But just to recap, wake up, have water first, drink as much of it as you can. It will make you thirsty, it will help your digestion. Two, add more leafy greens, veggies, and fruits as naturally as you can. Add them into your, you know, add a serving here and there, things that you like. The more you do it, the more you'll want it, the better your digestion will be. And three, manage your emotions. And when you're feeling high anxiety and stress or you're feeling constipated, sing, hum, move your bowels around, twist your torso, give yourself a little mini stomach massage. And then, you know, never resist a bowel movement. Sometimes what gets us constipated is a health hack too, is sometimes when you have the urge to go and then you resist it, you don't want to go in a public place. I always say, don't care, go, make it a priority. Don't ignore your body's urges because the more you ignore them, the more they stop, the more it starts to listen to you. And you don't want to be doing that. You want your body to be able to, you know, be as healthy as possible. And when we don't listen to our intuitive state of when we're really hungry, when we're really thirsty, we really have to go to the bathroom, it really wreaks havoc on our health. So yeah, and we all do right.
Katy Sosine:So don't be afraid to get up from a table or you know, go if you have to go. It we all do it, and it's a little thing, and and and be selfish because do it because you want to feel good. Yes, because you're you're trying to hide it from anybody.
Anita Haque:Exactly. And at the end of the day, that's not really selfishness, is it? It's actually just self-care, self-love, and self-respect, and that actually disturbs everybody around you as well. So it's it's a time when you can be selfish. Yes, totally. Thanks so much again, Katy. And hopefully our listeners can benefit today with healthier digestion.
Katy Sosine:Yes, I am so happy uh that I was here today and for this topic. Um, and yeah, you guys come in and get an adjustment and feel better.
Intro/Close:Thank you for tuning in to the Haque's Health Hacks podcast. We hope today's discussion has provided valuable insights into achieving and maintaining your health. Remember, your well-being is our priority. Visit us at haquechiro.com or call at 925-960-1960 to learn more or schedule an appointment.