The majority of Americans suffer from occasional digestion problems like gas, bloating, stomach discomfort, constipation, heartburn, and fatigue after eating.
The act of eating is life-giving, and the process of digestion, according to Maharishi Ayurveda, is critically important. Eating for maximum benefit requires awareness, and is important for the development of consciousness as well as our physical health. In this article, we’re going to share some quick tips and Ayurveda secrets for promoting healthy digestion.
Quick tips for good digestion
From The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians:
- Eat sitting down, in a settled environment, without the TV on.
- Eat a fresh piece of ginger and lemon before a full meal (or Pomegranate Chutney to balance Pitta).
- Drink lassi at lunchtime.
- Avoid ice-cold drinks and food.
- Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day. Dinner should be lighter and eaten before 8:00 p.m.
Where you eat is important…
When we sit down to eat with our stomach in a relaxed posture and our awareness on the taste, texture, and smell of the food, digestion will be greatly improved.
There is a connection between food, mood and digestion. For optimal digestion our bodies need a suitable environment for digestion to start; an uplifting and settled environment allows the body to process and absorb the nutrients from our meals. If that isn't available, Maharishi Ayurveda experts advise that you should at least be sitting when you eat. Standing, walking, driving and other similar activities can inhibit digestion.
… so is when you eat your meals
Have you ever gone out for a late dinner and found that it was a strain to wake up the next morning, or that it was difficult to be efficient during the following day? These are often the side effects of improperly-digested food. The best way to avoid these problems is to follow nature's prescription of suitable times to eat.
Digestive strength is closely tied to the solar cycle. When the sun is strongest between 12 and 2 p.m., the digestive fire is also strongest. Agni is associated with the sun. Maharishi Ayurveda recognizes this connection, and recommends choices that move in harmony with the primary connections with Nature. Maharishi Ayurveda recommends that lunch be the largest meal of the day, since that is the time the digestive agni is at maximum potency. As the sun goes down, so does our agni.
Dinner should be lighter than lunch and should ideally be eaten before 8:00 p.m. Late-night meals interfere with sleep, and after 10:00 p.m. the body is working to burn off toxins and continues to digest food from the day. If you eat after 10:00 p.m., the food may cause toxins to accumulate in the system, causing you to wake up tired the next day. If you are not able to wake up fresh and clear, then it's important to analyze the quantity of food and the time of night you are eating dinner.
Balance your digestive fires
Another way to improve the digestion is to stimulate the agni, or digestive fire, before we begin eating. Weak digestive agni may result in fatigue after eating. Balancing your agni is a key principle in Maharishi Ayurveda.
Digestive agni can be compared to a burning fire. If the flame is very low, it will take a long time to cook the food. In the same way, if the fire is too big it can burn the food. If we put a huge log on a low fire it will extinguish it. The goal is to balance our digestive fires so we digest our meals efficiently and smoothly.
To handle this, try an ayurveda drink for digestion. Maharishi Ayurveda recommends eating a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger with a few drops of lemon juice and a few pinches of salt on it before a full meal. This blend of spices activates the salivary glands, producing the necessary enzymes to help digest the nutrients in the food and help support absorption by the body. It also helps to increase the digestive power.
However, if you suffer from an overactive agni, because of which there is too much internal heat and acid, then Pomegranate Chutney may be more suitable for you.
Drink lassi at lunch time
Lassi is light yoghurt drink that contains lactobacilli, a necessary bacteria that lubricates the intestines to help digestion go smoothly. Like other Ayurvedic digestive drinks, lassi help to reduce gas and bloating—it also taste delicious and can make a meal more satisfying and nutritious.
Sweet lassi consists of ¼ cup fresh homemade yoghurt, 1 cup room-temperature water, and sugar to taste. Blend it for one minute in the blender.
Introduce more herbs and spices to your diet
Good nutrition goes beyond eating foods that are fresh and wholesome. If the process of digestion is sluggish, your body creates sticky food residue called ama that can clog the channels in the body and hinder the process of assimilation. Proper digestion and metabolism, on the other hand, results in the conversion of the foods you eat into healthy body tissues.
Herbal Di-Gest is a blend of 10 Ayurvedic herbs and spices that helps improve assimilation and elimination, so you won't feel dull and heavy after meals. Other herbals for digestion can help balance digestion — herbs like Aci-Balance, Organic Digest Tone, Herbal Cleanse, Liver Balance and Glucostat.
Avoid cold drinks and foods
Ayurveda recommends avoiding cold drinks at meals, and ice-cold foods in general. This is because it weakens agni — it's like putting cold water on the burning logs. Iced water, normally served at restaurants, extinguishes the digestive fire. Even juice or milk right out of the refrigerator is too cold for the digestion. Juice should be taken at room temperature and water without ice.
Once you get into the habit of drinking beverages at room temperature, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your digestion and the way your body feels while eating and after the meal. Cold drinks and foods mixed with warm cooked foods can cause stomach cramps, bloating and general discomfort in the stomach area.
If you have a Pitta imbalance, you can take cool drinks between meals. Cold or frozen foods are not recommended for Pitta because, even though they may temporarily cool down the heat, the agni is still being overstimulated and the imbalance will continue. Try slightly cool drinks made with Organic Rose Water, or milk blended with dates or fresh mangoes.
Build healthy ojas
Ojas is the essence related to immunity, wellbeing, vitality, health, happiness and stable energy. By being mindful of our agni and providing the body with nourishing, prana-rich foods, we can strengthen our ojas.
DISCLAIMER: These results may not be typical. Results with products may vary from individual to individual. Information in this newsletter is presented for the sole purpose of imparting education on ayurveda and neither the information nor the product is intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional. Before making changes to your diet or routine, it is recommended that you speak with your physician
