Independent fitness start-up Workout.lk kicked off 2021 with an informative Zoom webinar on 3 January, discussing health, vitality, and immunity and covering topics like physiotherapy, mindfulness, general health and fitness, the health of our gut microbiome and how all these factors come together to affect our physical health, our mental health, and our immunity.
The panel included national bodybuilding champion and Crossfit Head Coach Mothilal Jayathilake; US-certified natural health professional and biological medicine practitioner Shanez Gunatilaka; yoga therapist, mindfulness-based life skills coach, and author of The Vedic Science of Personal Advancement Angelica Chandrasekeran; and physiotherapist and Physio Medicare Founder Nilakshi Kasilingam.
Shanez Gunatilaka explained that 80% of our immunity comes from the gut and that gut health is heavily interlinked with immunity and mental health, which means the food we eat plays a part in the regulation of our mood. She went on to explain that the gut contains an ecosystem of microbial activity (the gut microbiome) and that it is this microbial activity that converts the food we consume into the various components we need. This happens in the lining of the gut, which is one cell thick and can easily be damaged by irritable bowels and the chemicals we consume. In terms of mental health, many neurotransmitters including serotonin and dopamine are made in the gut by the gut microbiome, as vitamins that boost immunity.
Gunatilaka stressed that appropriate diet and nutrition is vital to keep the gut microbiome functioning optimally. She recommended avoiding refined carbohydrates, artificial sugars, chemicals, additives, colourings, and MSG in food, as these put a lot of pressure on the system and cause inflammation and weakening of the gut microbiome. Gunatilaka recommended eating more complex carbohydrates like manioc, kurakkan, wholewheat bread, and lots of vegetables and leafy greens, especially for immunity. She encouraged the audience to stick with real and fresh foods as well as to be more aware of how these foods have grown, adding that many pesticides and weed-killers affect the nutritional value of the produce they are used around.
Mothilal Jayathilake spoke on the importance of consciousness when exercising and training, stressing the importance of paying attention to posture, poses, and movement when training. He explained that all trainers absolutely must know process, points of performance, and nutrition, which is sadly not always the case with trainers as they often lack knowledge of process and promoting supplements.
Jayathilake also spoke about the huge change that has taken place in the human diet over the last 100 years, which, coupled with lifestyle changes, has led to obesity becoming a major health issue across the world. He stressed that exercise, nutrition, fasting, and recovery play a huge role in fine-tuning health and looking healthier.
Nilakshi Kasilingam shared that the most common ailment she has treated post lockdown was neck pain, adding that the shift to work from home, despite all its comforts, comes with drawbacks because people are a lot less focused on posture and the amount of time spent in front of computers. Activity has also been minimised, as opposed to pre-lockdown times, during which time most people engaged in a fair amount of movement in the course of the day, even when socialising. This has contributed to more repetitive stress injuries (RSI) being reported and muscular-skeletal disorders becoming the second biggest cause of disability worldwide – this has been the case since 2012.
Kasilingam also spoke about how people today heavily depend on painkillers, which is very problematic because pain is a symptom of something bigger, and painkillers treat the symptom but not the problem, often making it worse in the long run. She urged the audience not to rely on painkillers but to visit physiotherapists at the onset of any problem or injury as opposed to seeking help during the late stages of an injury, where it is much more difficult to get muscles back to their original state.
Angelica Chandrasekeran shared that the basic act of breathing can be used to increase clarity and awareness. Chadrasekeran also addressed the misconception of yoga, explaining that it is not simply something someone can do to lose weight but is a philosophy based on external ethics (moderation, generosity, non-harming, non-hoarding, and simplicity of life), internal ethics (clarity of mind, discipline, contentment, regulating yourself, and controlling and focusing the senses to maintain a state of flow), willpower, and the physical aspects of breathing and posture combined with understanding scriptures and philosophy.
Chandraesekeran also explained that we often function at a high stress level because of our fast pace of life, and this makes our nervous system feel like it is in a “sympathetic” state – a state of crisis. Mindfulness helps the body achieve a “parasympathetic” state, where through mindfulness we slow down and give the body a break.
Our jobs and the corporate world play a large part in putting our system in a sympathetic state. Chandrasekera explained that we need to ask ourselves what we want in life, adding that yoga therapy shows that altruistic actions are best for creating bliss. However, the very foundation of the corporate world is based on “give and take” and expecting something in return. So then, it is up to us individuals to decide how much we’re willing to do and give ourselves breaks for our bodies to regenerate.
