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Why does my belly look pregnant?

You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates.

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Do you still have a poochy belly despite exercising and eating well? You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates. Men, women, and children can all develop DRA, since conditions such as obesity and chronic constipation can cause an increase in abdominal pressure. People who have a history of abdominal surgeries across the midline are also at risk for DRA. However, DRA is most common in women who are pregnant or postpartum. Almost all pregnant women will have some kind of separation of their rectus abdominus muscle during pregnancy. Most separation resolves on its own after delivery, but approximately 33 percent of women still have DRA six months after giving birth.

How to Tell if You Have DRA

To see if you have DRA, simply lie down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hand on your stomach so that your fingertips are pointing downward into your belly button. Lift your head and neck of the floor and see if you feel a space that you can sink your fingers into. Repeat this above and below the belly button. If you can sink at least two or three fingers into this space, DRA is present. If you do have diastasis recti, therapy is important to prevent future injuries such as low back pain. Many websites and articles claim that you can do one exercise every day to fix your “mummy tummy,” but no one magic exercise can correct DRA; minimizing or healing DRA requires a multifaceted approach. You can’t strengthen only the abdominals and expect a “cure” if you aren’t properly performing other everyday tasks such as lifting, walking, breathing, sitting, eating, standing, carrying children, squatting, and exercising. Similarly, you are not limited to certain types of exercises because you have DRA as long as you are performing helpful exercises correctly and are strong enough to do so without increasing abdominal pressure even more. If you have a poochy belly and suspect you have DRA, call us at (804) 764-1000 or click here to request an appointment. Your evaluation with a Sheltering Arms physical therapist will not only include an assessment of your abdominal muscles, but we will also assess your posture, gait, body mechanics, breathing, and diet as well as an evaluation of your back, hip, pelvic floor, and leg strength. Treatment will include a customized exercise plan to address your specific problems and lifestyle changes that will improve all of these areas.

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What is the weight loss tea trick?

Some studies have shown that people who took an EGCG-rich green tea extract or drank catechin-enhanced green tea lost a modest amount of weight (about 3 pounds over 3 months). To get the same amount of EGCG used in the research, you'd need to drink about six to seven cups of your typical green tea every day.

People around the world drink tea. Hundreds of varieties exist, from white to black and green to oolong. They all naturally have high amounts of health-promoting substances called flavonoids. So they’re thought to bring down inflammation and help protect against conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

But can tea help you lose weight?

A cup of this herbal brew each day isn't likely to get you back into your skinny jeans. But some research suggests tea may help you lose a very small amount of weight when you pair it with a sensible diet and exercise. And consider this: If you swap out your morning mocha latte for a cup of tea with lemon, you'll trim almost 300 calories from your daily total. Teas have a type of flavonoid called catechins that may boost metabolism and help your body break down fats more quickly. And the caffeine in many teas increases your energy use, causing your body to burn more calories. These two compounds probably work best together for any weight loss that may occur.

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