Ayurvedic Tips For Good Digestion
devika asked:
In ayurveda, diet and digestion are accorded equal importance in maintaining good health. Just as choosing improper foods for your constitution can lead to imbalances, following improper routines and habits can wreak havoc on your digestion, turning even carefully chosen and prepared foods into ama or toxins in your system rather than ojas, the biochemical essence that supports all aspects of life, health, bliss and longevity.
Here are some universally applicable principles of eating that ayurvedic healers recommend to keep your digestion working efficiently:
1. Eat three meals a day. Fasting and skipping meals are not recommended in ayurveda because they throw the digestion rhythm off. A light breakfast, a substantial lunch and a light dinner allow you to keep in tune with the ebb and flow of the digestive fire, which builds up during the morning, peaks around noon and then ebbs again in the evening.
As soon as you get up, drink a cup of hot water to which a tablespoon of lemon juice has been added. This will help elimination, get the digestive juices flowing, and cleanse out the digestive tract. Caffeinated beverages are not recommended in ayurveda.
A light breakfast is essential to kick-start the digestion and provide energy necessary to get through the activity of the day. If you wait until lunch to eat a proper meal, chances are you’ll be tempted to wade into that packet of potato chips or get a doughnut some time during the morning. Have a stewed apple or pear, and then follow 30 minutes later with some warm cereal or a whole-wheat flatbread spread with a little honey or almond butter. Warm cooked foods are preferred as breakfast items over cold cereal, cold milk and cold juice, all of which are harder on the waking digestive fire.
For a mid-morning snack, choose fresh fruit—an apple for Kapha, a sweet pear for Pitta and a mango or some strawberries for Vata. Fruit is best eaten in the morning, and on its own.
The ideal ayurvedic lunch includes two or three kinds of vegetables, one of which should be a leafy green; a lentil or bean dish or a paneer dish; a whole grain; a chutney or relish; a small helping of a warm salad or soup; and lassi, a beverage made by blending together fresh yogurt and water. All of the dishes should be cooked with dosha-appropriate spices, and using a dosha-appropriate healthy fat—ghee for Vata and Pitta and olive oil for Kapha are good choices. This may seem like a huge meal, but portions can be kept small to moderate—the variety is crucial for wholesome, balanced nutrition.
If you need a mid afternoon snack, eat a small helping of soaked nuts (almonds should be blanched) if you are trying to balance Vata, or some sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you are trying to balance Pitta or Kapha. Popcorn in moderation without salt or butter is also fine for Kapha, and soaked blanched almonds for Pitta.
For dinner eat a small, light meal a one dish vegetable grain casserole or a vegetable/lentil soup with a whole-wheat flatbread, for example.
Drink lots of pure water through the day, but limit your water or beverage intake at meals. Do not drink iced, carbonated or caffeinated beverages and avoid alcohol and milk with meals.
At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk spiced with nutmeg for Vata, cardamom for Pitta and ginger for Kapha.
Fresh foods are easier to digest, so cook only what you think you will eat at a meal. To enhance the appetite, have a slice of fresh ginger root spiked with some rock salt and fresh lemon juice about an hour before a meal. Chew fennel seeds after a meal to enhance digestion and freshen the breath naturally. Taking rasayanas such as Amalaki and Triphala after a meal also boosts digestion and assimilation and helps the system flush out ama regularly.
2. Eat at around the same times each day Like your sleep ,wake cycle, your digestion will also benefit from a regular routine. Pre program meal times into your day so that you have the time to take care of sustaining yourself. Water and food are next only to air for survival.
When your digestion is trained to kick in at those set times through regular practice, it functions efficiently to build more ojas from the foods you eat. Ojas is the most refined product of the digestive process—the biochemical essence that sustains life and health. Nutrients from the foods you eat are absorbed and assimilated to the maximum extent by your body, and wastes are flushed out effectively, leaving little room for ama–digestive toxins—to build up in the body and act as a breeding ground for imbalances and disorders.
3. Avoid incompatible food combinations Ayurvedic texts outline some food combinations that overtax the digestion and lead to increased ama build-up. Milk and cream, for example, should not be combined with salty or sour tastes. Melons should not be eaten with heavy foods like cheese, deep fried foods or the heavier grains. Fruit, in general, should be eaten on its own because it is very quickly digested. Meat or fish should not be taken together with milk. Honey should never be heated or cooked.
In general, if you follow the meal guidelines and food suggestions given above, you will avoid most incompatible food combinations. One general rule to follow is to not eat foods with different digestion times at one sitting.
4. Prepare your meals with care and love Everything is connected. For the food to eat to become ojas, you have to prepare it with attention, a positive attitude, caring and love. Many traditions hold the acts of cooking and eating sacred. In the Vedic tradition, the chef bathes and offers thanks to agni—fire— before beginning the task of preparing the first meal of the day for the family. Do not prepare meals (or eat) when you are upset or stressed, because your liver and digestion are adversely affected by negative emotions and will not digest that meal efficiently.
Eat in the area or room designated for eating in your home or place of work, not in front of the television or at your workstation. Diffuse a pleasant aroma blend in your dining area about an hour before you will begin eating lemon, coriander, sweet orange and mint are good choices to whet the appetite and get the digestive juices flowing. Dress up your dining table with fresh flowers or a pretty tablecloth. Make sure everything you need for your meal is at hand before you sit to eat so you do not have to get up or be distracted from your meal once you start eating.
5. Practice mindful eating Ours is, sadly, an on the run, 24/7, get everything done yesterday world. Extending multi tasking to eating is one often-seen habit that probably causes many health problems that could be avoided if one only took the time to accord the meal the attention it deserves. The time that is perceived as lost by doing nothing but eating can more than likely be made up in increased energy and productivity the relished, well-digested meal returns to you. Eating in silence, with all your senses focused on the aromas, flavors, colors and textures on your plate is best, with muted, pleasantly relaxing conversation or soft music in the background a second-best option. Arguments, highly stimulating discussions and disciplining children are activities not suited to mealtimes.
Other mindful eating habits to follow:
Do not work or speak on the telephone when you eat. Do not read or watch television.
Offer thanks or sit in silence a minute before you begin eating.
Do not gulp down your food; savor each mouthful and chew well before you swallow. A few sips of warm water during the meal will help digestion, but do not drink too much of any beverage.
At any meal, do not eat until you are very full. The ideal ayurvedic portion is what you could hold in your two cupped hands joined together. Leaving some room in the stomach when you are done enhances digestion.
After you are done eating, sit quietly for a few minutes; do not immediately rush off to do the next chore of the day.
Reference: HealthOnclick
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In ayurveda, diet and digestion are accorded equal importance in maintaining good health. Just as choosing improper foods for your constitution can lead to imbalances, following improper routines and habits can wreak havoc on your digestion, turning even carefully chosen and prepared foods into ama or toxins in your system rather than ojas, the biochemical essence that supports all aspects of life, health, bliss and longevity.
Here are some universally applicable principles of eating that ayurvedic healers recommend to keep your digestion working efficiently:
1. Eat three meals a day. Fasting and skipping meals are not recommended in ayurveda because they throw the digestion rhythm off. A light breakfast, a substantial lunch and a light dinner allow you to keep in tune with the ebb and flow of the digestive fire, which builds up during the morning, peaks around noon and then ebbs again in the evening.
As soon as you get up, drink a cup of hot water to which a tablespoon of lemon juice has been added. This will help elimination, get the digestive juices flowing, and cleanse out the digestive tract. Caffeinated beverages are not recommended in ayurveda.
A light breakfast is essential to kick-start the digestion and provide energy necessary to get through the activity of the day. If you wait until lunch to eat a proper meal, chances are you’ll be tempted to wade into that packet of potato chips or get a doughnut some time during the morning. Have a stewed apple or pear, and then follow 30 minutes later with some warm cereal or a whole-wheat flatbread spread with a little honey or almond butter. Warm cooked foods are preferred as breakfast items over cold cereal, cold milk and cold juice, all of which are harder on the waking digestive fire.
For a mid-morning snack, choose fresh fruit—an apple for Kapha, a sweet pear for Pitta and a mango or some strawberries for Vata. Fruit is best eaten in the morning, and on its own.
The ideal ayurvedic lunch includes two or three kinds of vegetables, one of which should be a leafy green; a lentil or bean dish or a paneer dish; a whole grain; a chutney or relish; a small helping of a warm salad or soup; and lassi, a beverage made by blending together fresh yogurt and water. All of the dishes should be cooked with dosha-appropriate spices, and using a dosha-appropriate healthy fat—ghee for Vata and Pitta and olive oil for Kapha are good choices. This may seem like a huge meal, but portions can be kept small to moderate—the variety is crucial for wholesome, balanced nutrition.
If you need a mid afternoon snack, eat a small helping of soaked nuts (almonds should be blanched) if you are trying to balance Vata, or some sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you are trying to balance Pitta or Kapha. Popcorn in moderation without salt or butter is also fine for Kapha, and soaked blanched almonds for Pitta.
For dinner eat a small, light meal a one dish vegetable grain casserole or a vegetable/lentil soup with a whole-wheat flatbread, for example.
Drink lots of pure water through the day, but limit your water or beverage intake at meals. Do not drink iced, carbonated or caffeinated beverages and avoid alcohol and milk with meals.
At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk spiced with nutmeg for Vata, cardamom for Pitta and ginger for Kapha.
Fresh foods are easier to digest, so cook only what you think you will eat at a meal. To enhance the appetite, have a slice of fresh ginger root spiked with some rock salt and fresh lemon juice about an hour before a meal. Chew fennel seeds after a meal to enhance digestion and freshen the breath naturally. Taking rasayanas such as Amalaki and Triphala after a meal also boosts digestion and assimilation and helps the system flush out ama regularly.
2. Eat at around the same times each day Like your sleep ,wake cycle, your digestion will also benefit from a regular routine. Pre program meal times into your day so that you have the time to take care of sustaining yourself. Water and food are next only to air for survival.
When your digestion is trained to kick in at those set times through regular practice, it functions efficiently to build more ojas from the foods you eat. Ojas is the most refined product of the digestive process—the biochemical essence that sustains life and health. Nutrients from the foods you eat are absorbed and assimilated to the maximum extent by your body, and wastes are flushed out effectively, leaving little room for ama–digestive toxins—to build up in the body and act as a breeding ground for imbalances and disorders.
3. Avoid incompatible food combinations Ayurvedic texts outline some food combinations that overtax the digestion and lead to increased ama build-up. Milk and cream, for example, should not be combined with salty or sour tastes. Melons should not be eaten with heavy foods like cheese, deep fried foods or the heavier grains. Fruit, in general, should be eaten on its own because it is very quickly digested. Meat or fish should not be taken together with milk. Honey should never be heated or cooked.
In general, if you follow the meal guidelines and food suggestions given above, you will avoid most incompatible food combinations. One general rule to follow is to not eat foods with different digestion times at one sitting.
4. Prepare your meals with care and love Everything is connected. For the food to eat to become ojas, you have to prepare it with attention, a positive attitude, caring and love. Many traditions hold the acts of cooking and eating sacred. In the Vedic tradition, the chef bathes and offers thanks to agni—fire— before beginning the task of preparing the first meal of the day for the family. Do not prepare meals (or eat) when you are upset or stressed, because your liver and digestion are adversely affected by negative emotions and will not digest that meal efficiently.
Eat in the area or room designated for eating in your home or place of work, not in front of the television or at your workstation. Diffuse a pleasant aroma blend in your dining area about an hour before you will begin eating lemon, coriander, sweet orange and mint are good choices to whet the appetite and get the digestive juices flowing. Dress up your dining table with fresh flowers or a pretty tablecloth. Make sure everything you need for your meal is at hand before you sit to eat so you do not have to get up or be distracted from your meal once you start eating.
5. Practice mindful eating Ours is, sadly, an on the run, 24/7, get everything done yesterday world. Extending multi tasking to eating is one often-seen habit that probably causes many health problems that could be avoided if one only took the time to accord the meal the attention it deserves. The time that is perceived as lost by doing nothing but eating can more than likely be made up in increased energy and productivity the relished, well-digested meal returns to you. Eating in silence, with all your senses focused on the aromas, flavors, colors and textures on your plate is best, with muted, pleasantly relaxing conversation or soft music in the background a second-best option. Arguments, highly stimulating discussions and disciplining children are activities not suited to mealtimes.
Other mindful eating habits to follow:
Do not work or speak on the telephone when you eat. Do not read or watch television.
Offer thanks or sit in silence a minute before you begin eating.
Do not gulp down your food; savor each mouthful and chew well before you swallow. A few sips of warm water during the meal will help digestion, but do not drink too much of any beverage.
At any meal, do not eat until you are very full. The ideal ayurvedic portion is what you could hold in your two cupped hands joined together. Leaving some room in the stomach when you are done enhances digestion.
After you are done eating, sit quietly for a few minutes; do not immediately rush off to do the next chore of the day.
Reference: HealthOnclick
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Oxygen is Necessary For Healthy Digestion
Steven A Johnson asked:
A healthy digestive system is crucial for maintaining a healthy body. Over time food that doesn’t digest and waste material can build up along the intestinal tract and colon. This could lead to the development of impacted fecal matter or development of bad bacteria called anaerobic bacteria. Bacteria require certain conditions to develop to a dangerous or problematic level. By making sure you have an oxygen rich colon you will eliminate the conditions that these harmful bacteria need to thrive.
The digestive track makes up the digestive system, it is comprised of hollow organs that join together in a long tube that starts in the mouth and ends in the anus. Other organs are connected by the tube to break down and absorb food in the form of nutrients.
There are seven organs that make up the digestive tract; these are (in order) the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and the anus. All of these organs have a special lining inside of them called the mucosa. The mucosa inside the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, has small glands whose job it is to create juices to help the digestion of food. There is also a layer of muscle located inside the digestive tract that aids in breaking food down and moving it along the tract.
The liver and the pancreas are considered solid digestive organs, and their job is to produce juices that promote digestion. Although these organs are not connected to the main digestive tract, the juices that they excreted travel through small tubes called ducts, which lead to the intestine. The gallbladder’s purpose is to store the digestive juices created by the liver until the intestine needs them. The digestive system is also indirectly affected by parts of the nervous and circulatory systems as well.
Foods that you eat are not in a form that your body can use as sustenance. Items such as food and drink must be converted into smaller particles that the body can absorb into the blood and carry throughout the body to its cells and organs. In order for the body to be able to use food as nourishment for its cells, digestion must take place.
Digestion is the process your body uses to extract the energy from food! It begins by mixing food with digestive juices, starting in the mouth. It moves the food from the mouth through the digestive tract, continuously breaking down large particles of food into smaller ones. The muscle lining of the hollow organs pushes the food along the digestive track. The process of digestion is finished when it leaves the small intestine.
In some cases the result of poor digestion leads to poor nutrient absorption and the result of impacted fecal matter. This is experienced as hard feces that are difficult to excrete of the colon. If the food moves through the digestive system too slowly, too much water may be absorbed from it, causing dry and hard feces. Sometimes impacted fecal matter can be very painful and lead to obstruction of the bowels.
To maintain healthy digestion the use of a digestive system cleanser is recommended. Digestive cleaners break down unwanted fecal matter and use magnesium to transport oxygen throughout the intestinal tract to eliminate harmful bacteria that may develop as the result of fecal matter. A digestive system cleanser that has a slow release of oxygen over a 12 hour period is Mag O7 Oxygen Digestive System Cleanser, it has a timed release to provide an adequate amount of oxygen to help break down and eliminate unwanted fecal matter and bacteria.
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A healthy digestive system is crucial for maintaining a healthy body. Over time food that doesn’t digest and waste material can build up along the intestinal tract and colon. This could lead to the development of impacted fecal matter or development of bad bacteria called anaerobic bacteria. Bacteria require certain conditions to develop to a dangerous or problematic level. By making sure you have an oxygen rich colon you will eliminate the conditions that these harmful bacteria need to thrive.
The digestive track makes up the digestive system, it is comprised of hollow organs that join together in a long tube that starts in the mouth and ends in the anus. Other organs are connected by the tube to break down and absorb food in the form of nutrients.
There are seven organs that make up the digestive tract; these are (in order) the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and the anus. All of these organs have a special lining inside of them called the mucosa. The mucosa inside the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, has small glands whose job it is to create juices to help the digestion of food. There is also a layer of muscle located inside the digestive tract that aids in breaking food down and moving it along the tract.
The liver and the pancreas are considered solid digestive organs, and their job is to produce juices that promote digestion. Although these organs are not connected to the main digestive tract, the juices that they excreted travel through small tubes called ducts, which lead to the intestine. The gallbladder’s purpose is to store the digestive juices created by the liver until the intestine needs them. The digestive system is also indirectly affected by parts of the nervous and circulatory systems as well.
Foods that you eat are not in a form that your body can use as sustenance. Items such as food and drink must be converted into smaller particles that the body can absorb into the blood and carry throughout the body to its cells and organs. In order for the body to be able to use food as nourishment for its cells, digestion must take place.
Digestion is the process your body uses to extract the energy from food! It begins by mixing food with digestive juices, starting in the mouth. It moves the food from the mouth through the digestive tract, continuously breaking down large particles of food into smaller ones. The muscle lining of the hollow organs pushes the food along the digestive track. The process of digestion is finished when it leaves the small intestine.
In some cases the result of poor digestion leads to poor nutrient absorption and the result of impacted fecal matter. This is experienced as hard feces that are difficult to excrete of the colon. If the food moves through the digestive system too slowly, too much water may be absorbed from it, causing dry and hard feces. Sometimes impacted fecal matter can be very painful and lead to obstruction of the bowels.
To maintain healthy digestion the use of a digestive system cleanser is recommended. Digestive cleaners break down unwanted fecal matter and use magnesium to transport oxygen throughout the intestinal tract to eliminate harmful bacteria that may develop as the result of fecal matter. A digestive system cleanser that has a slow release of oxygen over a 12 hour period is Mag O7 Oxygen Digestive System Cleanser, it has a timed release to provide an adequate amount of oxygen to help break down and eliminate unwanted fecal matter and bacteria.
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