The stomach is the powerhouse of the body. Gut health is the base on which overall health and well-being rest. The principles and practices of Ayurveda have been a source of hope for healing and cure and a dependable guide to healthy living.
Here are a few easy-to-follow ayurvedic diet hacks for better digestion and gut health.
Healthy diet
According to Ayurveda, fasting and meal skipping upset the natural digestion cycle. Consume three meals per day. You may regulate the changing state of the digestive fire by eating a light breakfast, a hearty lunch, and a light dinner. The digestive fire builds up in the morning, peaks midday, and rises again in the evening.
- Drink a cup of hot water with a spoonful of lemon juice as soon as you wake up. This will stimulate the flow of digestive fluids, aid in excretion, and clear the digestive system.
- Fresh foods are easy to digest. Plan the quantity of food well before you cook.
- Eat a slice of fresh ginger root flavored with fresh lemon juice and rock salt around an hour before a meal to increase your appetite.
- Chew fennel seeds to improve digestion. It also acts as a natural breath freshener after a meal.
- After a meal, taking rasayanas like triphala and amalaki helps the body regularly drain out ama and improves digestion and absorption.
- Eat around the same time every day. A regular schedule will help your digestion.
According to Ayurveda, coffee-based drinks should be avoided.
Avoid contraindicated foods
Steer clear of bad combinations of foods. Certain dietary pairings are listed in Ayurvedic scriptures as burdening the digestive system and increasing the accumulation of ama. For example:
- You shouldn't mix sour or salty flavors with milk and cream.
- Melons don't go well with heavy meals like cheese, items that have been deep fried, or heavier grains.
- Fruit should generally be consumed on its own as it digests fast.
- Ayurveda asserts milk shouldn't be consumed with fish or meat.
- You should never cook or heat honey.
- Avoid eating foods with varied digestion periods in one sitting.
Preparation and presentation of meals
Cook your food with affection and care. Everything is intertwined.
You must prepare food with care, love, and attention if you want it to become ojas. Eating and cooking are important rituals in many cultures. Before starting to prepare the family's first meal of the day, the cook in the Vedic tradition takes a bath and gives gratitude to Agni, or fire. When you are angry or anxious, don't cook or eat since your digestion and liver will be negatively impacted, and won't be able to properly process the food.
- Eat in the room or space allocated for dining in your house away from the TV or your working desk at your place of employment.
- About an hour before you start, diffuse a nice scent combination in your dining area.
- Consuming lemon, coriander, sweet oranges, and mint might help stimulate the digestive system and promote hunger.
- Before you sit down to eat, make sure you have everything you'll need. This will save you from having to get up midway through once you've started.
Eat with awareness
If people take time to focus on their meals, they might certainly prevent many health issues that are caused by the common practice of multitasking while eating. It is ideal to eat silently while concentrating all of your senses on the tastes, scents, colors, and textures of the food on your plate.
Mealtimes are not the appropriate time for arguments, intense debates, or child discipline.
Other mindful eating practices include:
- Avoid using a phone or computer while you are eating.
- Avoid reading and watching TV.
- Give a quick thank you or just sit quietly for a minute before starting to eat.
- Eat slowly, enjoy each bite, and chew thoroughly before swallowing.
- Never eat until you are full. What you could grasp in your two cupped palms together is the optimal ayurveda portion. Digestion is improved when you leave some space in the stomach after eating.
- Once you have finished eating, take a few minutes to sit quietly; don't go right into the next task for the day.
Follow these ayurvedic diet hacks for better digestion and if these hacks fail to give you the benefits you are looking for, try ayurvedic remedies to boost gut health. But taking consultation from a registered physician isn't a bad idea before you start any medicine or supplement.