Digest Naturally:
Harness The Healing Power Of Ayurveda
Digestion
The Ayurvedic approach to digestion focuses on balancing the digestive fire or “Agni,” which is considered the core of holistic good health in Ayurveda. In this ancient Indian healing system, a strong and adequately powered Agni produces good health, while weak or imbalanced Agni results in digestive problems, among other issues. Detoxification practices, lifestyle changes, dietary guidelines and herbal remedies form part of Ayurveda’s approaches to improving digestion.
Ayurvedic Approaches
- Balanced Diet: The Ayurvedic diet is based on the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), which are balanced depending on an individual’s constitution and the season. All six tastes should be included in every meal: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent.
- Eating at Regular Times: This helps regulate Agni by creating standard eating patterns.
- Mindful Eating: It is important to eat meals slowly in a quiet environment without overeating
- Warm and Cooked Foods: Cooked warm foods are better for digestion than raw or cold foods.
- Spices and Herbs: Digestive properties make spices such as ginger, coriander seeds, ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds commonly used to enhance digestion.
- Triphala: A combination of three fruits, Haritaki, Bibhitaki, and Amalaki, is known as Triphala, which most frequently supports digestion and detoxification.
- Ginger: The fresh or dried root of ginger can make a very effective digestive stimulant, boosting Agni levels.
- Ajwain (Carom Seeds): Ajwain seeds are known for their digestive properties, so they are often taken to relieve indigestion, bloating, etc
- Peppermint and Fennel: These are herbs that soothe the digestive tract, thereby reducing gas and bloating.
- Daily Routine (Dinacharya): A consistent daily routine, including adequate sleep and exercise, helps maintain good digestion.
- Hydration: Drinking warm water, especially in the morning, stimulates digestion.
- Stress Management: Some of these practices include yoga, meditation, pranayama, etc., which help reduce stress levels, which can negatively affect digestion.
- Panchakarma: This is a set of five treatments meant to purify the body of toxins through Vamana (therapeutic vomiting), Virechana (purgation), Basti (medicated enema), Nasya (nasal administration), and Raktamokshana(bloodletting).
- Herbal Cleanses: By taking gentle herbal cleanses on a regular basis, you can always maintain your digestive health.
Symptoms
- A burning sensation in the chest or throat after meals often occurs.
- When acid from the stomach flows backward into the esophagus, causing this problem most times.
- Discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen.
- Bloating or early fullness during meal or discomfort after meal
- Feeling full or swollen in the abdomen.
- Often accompanied by excessive gas.
- Excessive release of gas through the rectum leads to flatulence.
- It may cause abdominal pain and discomfort.
- Infrequent bowel movements, typified by less than three times per week.
- Difficulty passing stools or straining during bowel movements.
- Frequent loose or watery stools.
- Often accompanied by urgent bowel movements and stomach cramps.
- Pain is located anywhere in the stomach.
- It could be sharp, dull, stop-and-start, or constant.
- A sensation of feeling sick to one’s stomach or throwing up.
- If nausea is severe, a person can vomit too.
- Decreased desire for food.
- Typically associated with other digestive symptoms.
- Losing weight without intending to do so.
- This could imply an underlying, more serious condition.
Chronic Digestive Conditions
- A chronic condition that results in symptoms such as cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and alternating diarrhea and constipation.
- This includes conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Severe diarrhea, stomach pain, tiredness, and weight loss are among the symptoms of this ailment.
- This is when the acid inside you flows back into your esophagus hence causing a burning sensation in your chest called heartburn. It may also make swallowing difficult at times.
- An autoimmune disorder in which consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestines, leading to malabsorption of nutrients from food and resulting in bloating and diarrhea.
