Ayurveda and Digestion
Balanced digestion is the foundation of good health and disease begins in the gut. Balancing digestive fire or agni is important, and a strong agni allows the body to eliminate the toxins, maintain energy and vitality and absorb nutrients from our food.
Types of agni
-Balanced agni is known as Sama agni with consistent digestion
-Weak agni is manda agni and is with slow digestion , bloat and heaviness
-Irregular agni is visham agni and is with inconsistent digestion and appetite
-Excess agni is tikshna agni and is with more heat, inflammation and acidity
Your dosha constitution shapes the tendencies of digestion and your vikruti is the imbalance that can be on top of this. A vata constitution or Prakriti can have. more of visham agni and irregular digestion. A pitta Prakriti can have more inflammation and heat and acidity, and a kapha have more heaviness, and sluggishness.
Bloat, gas, constipation, acidity, low energy, indigestion and all the above are signs of impaired digestion.
There are many food combining principles in Ayurveda but the most obvious ones to follow are to avoid dairy with fruit, and in general to follow the principle of eat fruit alone or leave it alone. Do not mix raw and cooked food and generally most people benefit from warm, cooked foods over raw foods , especially in colder, wetter seasons. Keeping meals simple is always the best approach, trying to combine too many ingredients often makes it harder to digest. You are not just what you eat, you are what you digest, so keep your agni in mind when preparing meals. Eat mindfully, chew well, eat calmly rather than on the go, listen to your body and do not eat a very large meal, the portion size is normally two anjalis or small handfuls , depending on the constitution and other factors.
Eat regular meals at regular times to avoid visham agni.
Eat lighter in the morning, and heavier at lunchtime and light in the evening and early. This may require preparation and planning if you are taking things to work.
Start your day with warm water.
Manage your stress levels with mindfulness, meditation and breath work as more stress creates a weaker agni . Stress is responsible for most disease.
Movement in between meals, shortly after meals gentle walking (Ayurveda says 100 steps or Shatapawali to stimulate agni and reduce heaviness and improve digestion and metabolism.) This also leads to better blood sugar regulation and nutrient absorption. Also some form of movement in the morning is good whether walking, cycling, dancing, weight training etc…
Include plenty of warm foods, ginger, turmeric, well cooked vegetables and soups and stews and spices to suit your dosha. This strengthens agni and reduces symptoms.
Addressing digestive challenges with Ayurveda
If you experience any digestive issues you can consult with your Ayurveda Coach and Counsellor to get personalised recommendations on lifestyle and herbal remedies to restore balance.
Seasonal cleanses are one way to restore digestion, clear toxins, rekindle agni and reset the system. The natural season patterns will support the cleansing process much better than doing a cleanse in say December, when it is not a natural cleansing time. Contact your Coach for cleanse sessions which they will be running regularly, usually in March and October. Clearing toxins allows for dis-ease to be improved too, and lightness to be felt. Mental fog, physical heaviness, weight, toxins all can be cleared more easily at this time.
The next blog will be on cleansing .
