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Digestion is the process by which the body generates energy from the food that has been consumed for the functioning of the body. It is the basis of life. When digestion is hampered, it throws the functions of the body off balance. Even in Ayurveda, the importance of proper digestion has been emphasized.
The digestive power is called Agni and when food is not properly digested the resultant product is called Ama. The role of Ama in the development of diseases is very important. Just like the fire outside, the digestive fire inside the body also burns according to the fuel it gets. Insufficient or excessive fuel can lead to its destruction. The fuel for the fire inside the body is the food we eat. Therefore, one must incorporate effective strategies for proper digestion, especially during the winter season.
Ayurvedic Strategies For Proper Digestion
In an exclusive interaction with OnlyMyHealth editorial team, Dr. Lakshmi Varma K [BAMS, MD(Ayu)] Consultant & Advisor, LYEF Wellness shares a few fail-safe ways to improve your digestion through Ayurveda in winters. Here is what she shared with us.
1. Eat light food
Light food is easy to digest. Based on the time it takes to digest a particular food, the food we eat can be categorized as heavy or light for digestion. Meats, cheese, fried items etc are heavy to digest whereas fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses etc. are light in digestion. Excessive consumption of heavy foods can lead to indigestion.
Also read: 8 Possible Causes Of Unexplained Weight Gain
2. Do not eat till your stomach is full
Our stomachs are like elastic balloons, they can swell up according to the food we provide regularly. Therefore the feeling of a full stomach may not always be an indicator of how much food we require to live, it may just be a habit. Again, in the stomach, the food is churned up for better digestion. This is not possible when there is no extra space. For proper mixing of the food, there should be enough space for liquids and air. According to Ayurveda, if we divide the stomach into four parts, only two of these quadrants should be filled with solid food. The next part is for liquids and one last part is to be left free for proper digestion.
3. Eat at the proper times
The body functions in a habitual cycle which follows a proper timetable. This makes the body feel hungry and sleepy etc. at a particular time every day. This is called the biological clock or the circadian rhythm. Thus when it is time for the body to eat, the digestive system produces digestive juices and expects the food to arrive. Thus if food is not eaten at that time it leads to digestive problems.
4. Do not drink a lot of water just before having food
As mentioned earlier, when it is time to eat, the stomach produces acids to digest the food. Thus when a lot of water is drunk just before eating, it dilutes the acid and causes indigestion.
5 Eat hot & fresh food
Food freshly prepared and hot is easy to digest and cold food is not easy to digest.
6.Exercise
Exercise is a very important part of the daily routine which helps in the proper assimilation of the digested food. It also helps in the proper movement of food through the gastrointestinal system and the proper excretion of waste. Proper elimination of waste is very important to maintain the proper Agni.
Also read: 8 Possible Causes Of Unexplained Weight Gain
How to know if you are suffering from improper digestion?
Indigestion is a very common condition that many would experience during cold temperatures. Some of the symptoms include:
- Not feeling hungry
- Feeling nauseous
- Bloated feeling in the stomach
- Bowel problems like incomplete bowel movement, constipation or loose stools
- Stomach pain
- Feeling dull and without energy
- Repeated burping and sour belching
- Lack of interest in eating/tastelessness
Home Remedies To Improve Digestion
- Drink hot water boiled with ginger
- Eat a small piece of ginger with salt.
- Use more hing in food preparation
- Drink masala buttermilk with ginger and turmeric
- Trikatu choorna / ashta choorna with first morsel of food
- meta rebalance
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