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Last year, I spent a week at an Ayurvedic spa in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, and quickly learned that in Ayurveda, the quality of your digestion is the biggest key to your overall health. A smoothly functioning digestive system helps prevent illness and makes you feel better. It’s that simple.
See also Stimulating the Digestive Fire: The Detoxification Sequence
But let’s be real. If you aren’t holed up in the nice confines of an Ayurvedic retreat center or don’t have a degree in nutrition, there’s a good chance you take your digestive system for granted. You expect it to work by turning food into energy and disposing of waste products effortlessly, but your eating habits (skipping meals, frequent takeout, snacking all the time, eating less food overall) (e.g. too much) makes it difficult. It’s about getting the job done. result? Minor digestive disorders such as bloating, gas, and constipation cumulatively have a huge impact on our health.
The good news is that Ayurveda can help correct the imbalances that cause these problems, says author Kate O’Donnell. daily ayurvedic cookbook A yoga instructor based in Boston. Here, she and other Ayurvedic experts share her five simple tips you can start using today to improve your digestion and health.
5 ways to improve digestion with Ayurveda
Tip #1: Stimulate your digestive system before eating.
The digestive system loves to be stimulated by twisting, says Aadil Palkhivala, founder of Purna Yoga, based in Bellevue, Washington. Poses like Marichasana are ideal because the twists occur in the gastrointestinal tract. “What Twist creates is agniFire and heat cause gastric juices to flow out,” says Palkhivala. “They help tell the digestive system, ‘I’m ready to eat, I want food.'”
See also Quiz: What is your Agni type?
Tip #2: Eat your food in the correct order.
Ayurveda places great importance on food combinations. Palkhivala says he has two basic rules to follow. First and foremost, always consume protein. “The stomach can only produce a certain amount of hydrochloric acid at a time,” says Palkhivala. “And protein is the only food that requires hydrochloric acid to digest, so it’s best to eat it first while it’s plentiful.” Second, never eat fruit after a meal (papaya, mango, (excluding pineapple). Fruits are digested faster than other foods. This means your body will focus on breaking down the fruit first and not fully break down other foods that take longer to digest. The exceptions are mango, papaya, and pineapple, which are ideal after-dinner snacks because they contain enzymes that help digest proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and starches.
See also 12 Ayurvedic Foods to Add to Your Meals
Tip #3: Drink a digestive tea with your meals.
According to O’Donnell, drinking cold water while eating can wreak havoc on your digestive system. It’s essentially like asking your digestive tract to break down food when you freeze it, she says. Much easier on the stomach is drinking warm water during meals. This aids digestion. Even better? Drink this digestive tea during meals.
Digestive tea recipe
material:
1/2 teaspoon fennel
1/2 teaspoon coriander
A pinch of crushed cardamom or 1 crushed cardamom pod
2 cups of water
direction:
Boil the spices in water for 10 minutes, strain and drink slowly with or after meals.
See also All-day Ayurveda: Transform your daily routine
Tip #4: Practice this pose after meals.
The best and only pose to do after a meal is Virasana (Hero Pose) or Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose). “Virasana stimulates the digestive meridian that runs along the front of the legs,” says Palkhivala. “Doing these poses immediately after a meal will speed up digestion.” To reap the benefits, hold the Hero Her Pose for two to five minutes.
See also Master Hero Pose (Virasana) in 5 steps
Tip #5: To optimize digestion after a meal, lie on your left side for 10 minutes.
If you can’t strike a yoga pose on the floor after a meal, head to a nearby couch and lie on your left side for 10 minutes, says O’Donnell. “Put a cushion up under her left armpit to give her more tummy space and let her stomach relax and expand,” she says. Her liver and gallbladder are on the right side, so she says that when you sleep on your left side, gravity pulls bile into your stomach, where it helps digest the food you’ve just eaten, where it is slowly expelled from your stomach. . . Conversely, sleeping on your right side puts too much pressure on your stomach, allowing food to pass through faster and enter your intestines faster.
See also 8 poses to improve digestion
