…for Optimum Digestion and Effortless Weight Loss
According to Ayurveda, the root cause of weight gain is a build-up of waste due to faulty digestion.
Therefore, Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle practices focuses on: 1) improving digestion, 2) boosting absorption and 3) eliminating waste for effortless weight loss.
Ayurveda starts with the principle that our bodies are intelligent and follow “natural” or biological laws so to speak that maintain balance, harmony and health. In Sanskrit, the language of Ayurveda as well as Yoga, this is called Mahat. Interestingly enough, it’s very close to the Egyptian word: Maat, which has a very similar meaning.
Therefore, we want to learn, understand and apply these natural/biological laws in order to lose weight and maintain a state of health.
Taking enzymes to improve digestion, or even probiotics only really give symptomatic relief. There’s nothing wrong with these, but they’re not enough if you want sustainable and permanent results.
Optimum digestion is key to great health.
An optimum digestion is very important because we not only digest foods, we also metabolize old cells, environmental toxins, medication, etc. When our digestion is impaired, it affects our bodies’ ability to metabolize all these things, which results in what is called waste or Ama in Sanskrit.
Some of the symptoms of a weakened digestion are:
- Gas and bloating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Slow digestion
- Heaviness after eating
- Indigestion
When it comes to food, there are 3 main aspects, Ayurvedic nutrition focuses on to improve digestion:
1- Food Choices, meaning What we eat.
There are three elements to remember in our food choices:
- The quality of the food we eat.
- The quantity of the food we eat.
- Eating the right foods for our unique constitutional nature.
2- Food Habits, meaning How we eat.
Click here to watch my short video on Food Habits.
3- Food Combining.
Samyoga, Food combining.
Food combining is based on the understanding that certain combinations of food may make digestion easier and more efficient. While other combinations of food make digestion harder, slower and less efficient resulting in accumulated waste.
Here are 5 Food Combining rules you can easily adopt:
# 1: Eat animal protein (meat, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese with vegetables only.
When combined with grains or other very starchy foods like potatoes, animal protein becomes very difficult to digest. The digestive process slows down, and the animal protein by-product putrefies in the intestines, while the grain by-product ferments. Foods that have putrefied and fermented, generate toxic acids and alcohol. The result is gas, flatulence, heartburn, indigestion, a feeling of fatigue and ….ROLAIDS!
If not Rolaids, Tums, Peptobismol, Mylanta, milk of magnesia etc… you get the picture!
What happens to this toxic waste when it’s not eliminated? In its infinite wisdom, the body will store dangerous material where it will affect the organs and healthy cells the least: in fat cells.
Also make sure you don’t eat more than one kind of protein at a time.
# 2: Eat raw fruits alone.
And away from any other meal. I like to eat my fruits in the morning, half an hour to an hour before I have breakfast.
Melons are best eaten without any other fruit.
# 3: Eat sweet fruits cooked with grains and nuts.
If you want to add fruits to your morning oatmeal or on your pancakes, then it’s best if you cook them! With yogurt, have cooked sour fruits.
# 4: Nuts are best combined with grains and cooked fruits.
Candied nuts are difficult to digest as sugar makes nuts heavier.
# 5: Eat beans with vegetables and grains only.
Eating legumes (beans and lentils, including tofu) with animal protein is a digestive disaster waiting to happen! When you combine beans or lentils with whole grains you have a complete protein.
Food combining is something that was and still is practiced in many ancient traditional cultures, like kosher cuisine. These “rules” are based on common sense.
Experiment with these principles and notice if your digestive symptoms improve!
#ayurvedaandnutrition #
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