Upgrading To An Ayurvedic Diet: Five Secrets of Good Digestion

The majority of Americans suffer from digestion problems: gas, bloating, stomach pain, constipation,
heartburn, and fatigue after eating. Maharishi Ayurveda provides simple solutions to these
complaints by looking at what we eat and how we eat.

The act of eating is life-giving, and the process of digestion, according to Maharishi Ayurveda, is
critically important. Eating for maximum benefit requires awareness, and is important for the
development of consciousness as well as our physical health.

When we sit down to eat and our stomach is in a relaxed posture and our awareness is on the taste,
texture, and smell of the food, it will greatly improve the digestion.

For optimal digestion our bodies need a suitable environment for digestion to start: an uplifting and
settled environment allows the body to process and absorb the nutrients from our meals. If that isn't
available, Maharishi Ayurvedic experts advise at least be sitting down to eat. Standing, walking,
driving and other similar activities can inhibit digestion.

Another way to improve the digestion is to stimulate the agni, or digestive fire, before we begin
eating. Weak digestive agni may result in fatigue after eating. To handle this, Maharishi Ayurveda
recommends eating a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger with a few drops of lemon juice and a few
pinches of salt on it before a full meal. This blend of spices activates the salivary glands, producing
the necessary enzymes to help digest the nutrients in the food and help support absorption by the
body.

Balancing your digestive fire — agni — is a key principle in Maharishi Ayurveda. That's why ayurveda
recommends a number of general practices for better digestion. Digestive agni can be compared to a
burning fire. If the flame is very low, it will take a long time to cook the food. In the same way, if the
fire is too big it can burn the food. If we put a huge log on a low fire it will extinguish it. The goal is to
balance our digestive fires so we digest our meals efficiently and smoothly.

The ginger-and-lemon-juice recommendation helps to increase the digestive power. If, however, you
suffer from an overactive agni, because of which there is too much internal heat and acid, then
Pomegranate Chutney may be more suitable for you.

The next Maharishi Ayurvedic recommendation also relates directly to agni. Ayurveda recommends
avoiding cold drinks at meals, and ice-cold foods in general. This is because it weakens agni — it's
like putting cold water on the burning logs. Iced water, normally served at restaurants, extinguishes
the digestive fire. Even juice or milk right out of the refrigerator is too cold for the digestion. Juice
should be taken at room temperature and water without ice. Once you get into this habit of drinking
beverages at room temperature, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your digestion and the
way your body feels while eating and after the meal. Cold drinks and foods mixed with warm cooked
foods can cause stomach cramps, bloating and general discomfort in the stomach area.

If you have a Pitta imbalance, you can take cool drinks in between meals. Cold or frozen foods are
not recommended for Pitta either because, even though they may temporarily cool down the heat,
the agni is still being overstimulated and the imbalance will continue. Try slightly cool drinks made
with Organic Rose Water, or milk blended with dates or fresh mangoes.

The next recommendation has to do with the time of the day that you eat your meals. Have you ever
gone out for a late dinner and found that it was a strain to wake up the next morning, or that it was
difficult to be efficient during the following day? These are often the side effects of improperly-
digested food. The best way to avoid these problems is to follow nature's prescription of suitable
times to eat. Digestive strength is closely tied to the solar cycle. When the sun is strongest between
12 and 2 p.m. is when the digestive fire is also strongest. Agni is associated with the sun. Maharishi
Ayurveda recognizes this connection, and recommends choices that move in harmony with the
primary connections with Nature. So Maharishi Ayurveda recommends that lunch be the largest
meal of the day, since that is the time the digestive agni is at maximum potency. As the sun goes
down, so does our agni.

Dinner should be lighter than lunch and should ideally be eaten before 8:00 p.m. Late-night meals
interfere with sleep, and after 10:00 p.m. the body is working to burn off toxins and continues to
digest food from the day. If you eat after 10:00 p.m., the food may cause toxins to accumulate in the
system, and as a result the next day you wake up tired. If you are not able to wake up fresh and
clear, then it's important to analyze the quantity of food and the time of night you are eating dinner.

Another ayurvedic tip for digestion is to drink a fresh yogurt drink called lassi at lunch time. Sweet
lassi consists of ¼ cup fresh homemade yogurt, 1 cup room-temperature water and sugar to taste.
Blend it for one minute in the blender. Lassi is light and contains lactobacilli, necessary bacteria that
lubricate the intestines to help digestion go smoothly. Lassi drinks help to reduce gas and bloating.
They also taste delicious and can make a meal more satisfying and nutritious.

Good nutrition goes beyond eating foods that are fresh and wholesome. If the process of digestion is
sluggish, your body creates sticky food residue called ama that can clog the channels in the body and
hinder the process of assimilation. Proper digestion and metabolism, on the other hand, results in
the conversion of the foods you eat into healthy body tissues. Herbal Di-Gest is a blend of 10
ayurvedic herbs and spices that helps improve assimilation and elimination, so you won't feel dull
and heavy after meals. Other herbals for digestion can help balance digestion — herbs like Aci-
Balance, Organic Digest Tone, Herbal Cleanse, Liver Balance and Glucostat.

There are many recipes for lassi including this Digestive Lassi for warding off gas and bloating:

Quick Tips for Good Digestion from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians:

1. Eat sitting down, in a settled environment, without the TV on.

2. Eat a fresh piece of ginger and lemon before a full meal (or Pomegranate Chutney to balance
Pitta).

3. Drink lassi at lunchtime.

4. Avoid ice-cold drinks and food.

5. Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day. Dinner should be lighter and eaten before 8:00
p.m.