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5 Ways Ayurveda Can Help With Digestion
According to the Ayurvedic healing system, our ability to digest what we take in from the environment determines our health and well-being. This comprises physical things such as food and drink and our feelings, emotions, and sensations received through our sensory gateways. Ayurveda says Agni is the digestive fire that breaks down the food and other items we take in from our surroundings, allowing us to absorb what is necessary and eliminate the rest.
Ayurveda is a traditional Indian form of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years to improve total health and well-being. Ayurveda for digestion plays a significant role in maintaining good health. In this article, we'll discuss five ways that Ayurveda can help with digestion, including dietary suggestions, herbal therapies, and lifestyle modifications.
Root Causes of Digestive Issues
Whether we are dealing with weight issues or troubling abdominal discomfort like bloating, gas, or indigestion, the underlying cause is weak agni or poor digestion.
Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong agni to achieve optimal health. By taking the right steps, like consuming the correct food, engaging in physical activity, managing emotions, and following a healthy daily routine, one can enhance their digestion and maintain a healthy body free from toxins.
If our Agni is weakened due to incorrect food, a lack of physical activity, negative emotional energy, or an unhealthy daily routine, our digestion will be obstructed, and toxins will be produced and accumulate in the body. Ayurveda says this accumulation of toxins, called ama, is the root cause of illness.
How to Improve Digestion with Ayurveda
Ayurveda for digestion provides a few cures that you can simply implement into your daily routine to keep the digestive fire strong, which may promote weight loss, improve your metabolism, regulate bowel movements, and help you live a better life. Here are five ways that can help with digestion.
1. Meditate Regularly
Studies are progressively validating that the genetic changes that occur with regular meditation can help lower levels of inflammation markers in their blood compared to those who do not practice. Inflammation in the gut can cause digestive issues like bloating, gas, and indigestion. Regular meditation helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system, which controls the digestive process. This regulation can lead to improved digestion and reduced gastrointestinal issues. Furthermore, regular meditation has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can contribute to digestive problems. By reducing stress levels, meditation can lower the production of stress hormones like cortisol, which can interfere with digestion.
To get the maximum benefit, practice it twice a day.
2. Improve your Gut Health
Ayurvedic eating habits play a crucial role in improving gut health. Gut health requires a well-balanced diet. A long interval between your bedtime and your last meal encourages a healthy digestive system.
According to Ayurveda, digestion is not just about the food we eat but also about how we eat it. Eating mindfully and incorporating all six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent - in each meal is recommended for optimal digestion. Each taste has a unique combination of energy and information that provides nourishment to the body and helps in the absorption of nutrients.
The sweet taste, for example, is nourishing and grounding, while the sour taste aids in digestion and helps in the absorption of minerals. The salty taste helps in maintaining electrolyte balance, and the pungent taste improves digestion and metabolism. The bitter taste supports liver function and helps in detoxification, while the astringent taste helps in toning and strengthening tissues.
Incorporating these tastes in each meal can help in balancing the doshas or energies of the body, which play a vital role in digestion. When the doshas are balanced, the digestive fire or agni is strong, and food is digested efficiently, producing healthy cells and eliminating waste products.
Most importantly, remember to enjoy your meals and be appreciative of the delicacies on your plate. A diet rich in nutrients, sattvic foods, fruits, and nuts is helpful in improving gut health and the digestive system. As a result, healthy digestion is beneficial to general health maintenance and the body's ability to compensate for the thorough functioning of everyday activity.
3. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is an indication of digestive system exhaustion, so staying hydrated is crucial for a healthy digestive system. Drinking enough water every day promotes the efficient movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract. The nutrients are then supplied to the rest of the body. As a result, the kidneys effectively remove toxins from the body.
Staying dehydrated for a prolonged period of time has a direct impact on digestion. Staying hydrated not only improves digestion but also aids in weight management. Drinking water before a meal has been shown to reduce overeating. It is advisable to drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning because it promotes easy bowel movements and helps in the elimination of toxins. A hydrated body also helps to keep the mind calm, preserving necessary minerals in the body and eliminating harmful chemicals
4. Follow a Healthy Eating Pattern
Since a healthy diet promotes sustainable and disease-free health, you should adopt a diet that boosts the microbiome and facilitates digestion for better gut health. According to Ayurveda, all digestive disorders come from an imbalanced Pitta dosha. The Ayurvedic diet helps to balance the body's major doshas and maintain digestive health. Some of the widely accepted dietary recommendations are:
- Ayurveda also recommends eating according to one's Prakriti, or constitution, as each person's digestive capacity may vary. For example, a person with a Vata constitution may have a weaker digestive fire and should incorporate warm, cooked, and oily foods in their diet to aid digestion.
- Drink lukewarm water all throughout the day.
- Avoid eating incompatible foods.
- Consume meals only if you are hungry.
- Drink herbal beverages such as fennel seed water, green tea, or coriander water for proper digestion.
- Eat appropriately at the right intervals.
- Eat sitting down in a comfortable manner to improve digestion.
- Don't eat in a hurry Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.
- Incorporate five essential spices in food, such as fennel, coriander, cardamom, ginger, and cumin, for good digestion and the generation of digestive enzymes.
Including sufficient dietary fiber in the everyday routine helps preserve overall wellness. The dietary fiber that we consume is known as "roughage" and is mostly found in plants, fruits, legumes, vegetables, and whole grains. This helps to maintain health and reduces the possibility of IBS, piles, acidity, and constipation.
- Soluble fiber dissolves in water, which helps reduce glucose and cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber is found in foods such as oats, beans, fruits, almonds, and barley.Â
- Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and stimulates food movement through the digestive system. It includes foods like whole wheat flour, walnuts, brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower, green beans, etc.
Ayurvedic herbs are revered for their remarkable properties and offer a wealth of advantages. For example:
- Turmeric has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects and can help reduce stomach bloating and improve liver function.
- Cinnamon has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal qualities and promotes appetite and blood circulation.Â
- Caraway is a herb that supports the maintenance of a healthy digestive tract by alleviating cramps in the abdomen and nausea.
5. Switch to a Healthy Lifestyle
A disease-free lifestyle requires a healthy and active lifestyle. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes fresh, clean food choices, exercise, and meditation is essential. Ayurveda believes that small modifications in lifestyle can help promote disease-free living. In the case of digestive tract issues, controlling gut health and making lifestyle changes can be beneficial.Â
These changes are classified as follows:
- Modify and personalize your diet: Avoid processed foods, foods containing saturated fats, and refined sugar, as these might worsen the condition. Instead, Ayurveda recommends a plant-based diet that is natural and encourages healthy gut function.
- Avoid bad habits: Our everyday habits contribute to the maintenance of our health and well-being. Avoid bad habits such as smoking, lack of activity, and stress in order to achieve healthy living. These also help manage a healthy gut.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise plays a major role in stimulating digestion and eliminating toxins from the body. Some of the best exercises for a healthier digestive tract include brisk walking, yoga, and pranayama.
Santhigram Herbals Gut Recharge for Good Digestive Health
Santhigram Herbals Gut Recharge is a completely organic dietary supplement that promotes a healthy gut microbiome. It contains a potent combination of prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes that work together to enhance digestion, promote nutrient absorption, and lessen inflammation.
Gut Recharge has been proven to improve the natural cell healing of the intestinal lining. It is typically used as a restorative and mild laxative to help maintain regularity in cases of periodic constipation and to promote general colon health. Its gentle cleansing and restorative properties enable the body to refresh and revitalize the intestines for a healthy microbiome.
Some of the key benefits of Santhigram’s Gut Recharge may include:
- It contains a synergistic blend of Ayurvedic herbs that support digestive health.
- The digestive enzymes in Santhigram's Gut Recharge help maintain a well-balanced gut flora by keeping unwanted microorganisms in your stomach at bay.
- It promotes regular and healthy digestive juices for proper digestion of food.
- It aids in the maintenance of healthy intestinal walls and gastrointestinal tract tissues.
- It promotes proper nutrient synthesis and absorption.
- It promotes peristaltic activity in the gastrointestinal tract and stomach.
- The combination of these organic herbs and spices has an effect on Vata and Pitta balance.
- Stress, an unhealthy lifestyle, and a poor diet can all contribute to digestive imbalance. This slows metabolism and prevents micronutrient absorption. Santhigram's Gut Recharge helps strengthen and rekindle the stomach fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where does digestion start, according to Ayurveda?
According to Ayurveda, digestion begins in the mouth, with saliva's digestive enzymes breaking down food. Chewing food thoroughly helps mix it with saliva, which enhances digestion and signals the stomach to prepare for incoming food. Ayurveda recommends chewing until the food becomes liquid, improving taste and satisfaction. Mindful eating and proper digestion are crucial for overall health, making proper chewing an essential step toward optimal health.
2. How is Ayurveda helpful in digestion?Â
Ayurveda recommends CCF tea for optimal digestion. This herbal tea of cumin, coriander, and fennel stimulates the digestive fire while also cleansing the digestive system. Cumin boosts enzyme production and nutrient absorption, coriander reduces gas and bloating, and fennel aids digestion and relieves discomfort.
Final Words
The first step towards living a balanced lifestyle is to have healthy digestion. Poor digestion can cause serious issues such as weight gain, exhaustion, depression, anxiety, and cancer.
However, digestion is more than just a simple process that occurs within our stomachs. Proper digestion, with a powerful agni, is essential for our physical and mental wellness. According to Ayurveda, we are not what we consume; rather, "we are what we digest." We lay the foundation for great health and energy by opting for choices that improve our digestive abilities.
Improving digestion is a multi-faceted process that requires understanding and tailoring to one's unique needs. Ayurveda provides a holistic approach to optimizing digestion, incorporating dietary choices, lifestyle habits, and specific practices to improve overall health.
To improve digestion, Ayurveda recommends making conscious food choices that include all six tastes in each meal. These tastes, including sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent, provide a unique blend of energy and information to the body, supporting optimal digestion. Additionally, eating in a relaxed and mindful state can improve the body's ability to process food efficiently.
Ayurveda also emphasizes lifestyle habits, including regular exercise, managing stress, and getting enough sleep. Exercise helps stimulate digestion while managing stress and preventing the production of toxins that can accumulate in the body. Getting adequate sleep supports the body's natural detoxification processes, enabling the removal of harmful substances from the body.
In conclusion, improving digestion is a multifaceted process that requires a holistic approach. Ayurveda provides a wealth of knowledge and practices that can help optimize digestion, including dietary choices, lifestyle habits, and specific practices like drinking CCF tea and incorporating herbs into one's diet. By understanding what works best for their unique needs, individuals can implement these techniques and activate their digestive system to get rid of toxins and improve their overall health.
We are passionate about sharing valuable information on Ayurveda and its benefits. Digestion is a vital aspect of our overall health, and Ayurveda offers powerful tools and techniques to support and enhance the digestive process. Stay tuned for more insightful content on Ayurveda and holistic well-being.