The first place in the body where disease takes root is the digestive tract.
That’s why a healthy digestion is Ayurveda’s first pillar of health.
Many things affect our ability to digest food properly:
-Poor food choices: eating sugary, fatty and salty foods, processed foods filled with chemicals and foods with pesticides.
-Impure water and air and environmental toxins in cleaning and skin care products.
-Stress, emotional distress, and poor sleep.
-Poor food habits.
These toxins create blockages in the channels and systems that nourish and cleanse the tissues.
As a result, a host of metabolic toxins is stored in the tissues. They trigger all kinds of painful symptoms, like digestive troubles, weight gain and belly fat.
Furthermore, digestive troubles, weight gain and belly fat are the first signs of an imbalance.
If you do not address these symptoms right away, more serious issues will develop such as:
- Negative thinking
- Hormonal imbalance
- Cardiovascular strain
- Mood swings
- Anxiety, irritability and/or depression
- Lowering of natural resistance and a weak immune system
When we do not properly digest our food, it doesn’t matter that the food is of high quality
The truth is we are simply not able to bring the appropriate nutrition to the tissues.
And we’re not able to eliminate toxins properly either.
Have you ever had a massage?
If you have, then you know that the pain you feel from the manipulation of the muscles is due to “knots”. “Knots” are accumulated metabolic waste, such as lactic acid, stuck in the connective tissue.
This is one kind of toxin.
So, imagine “knots” of metabolic waste around your liver, your pancreas, and your heart, as well as in your blood vessels and your lymphatic channels.
And imagine “knots” of undigested emotional hurts stuck in your subconscious.
A healthy digestion is key
Hence, the goal of an Ayurvedic dietary and lifestyle approach is to:
- Improve digestion
- Eliminate toxins and waste
- Build immune strength
Ayurveda addresses food choices and food habits. And it emphasizes food habits.
An example of a Food Habit for healthy digestion is:
Having a light dinner, preferably a vegetable soup for dinner between 5 and 6 pm. When you eat light and early, your liver isn’t taxed with half-digested foods. It can then properly detoxify your body between 10 pm and 2 am.
If you’re interested in reading about the second pillar of health: sleep, click here and the third pillar of health: sex, click here.
I am vegan and I have some digestive issues myself. And at this current time in my life I am in the middle of “curing” myself by basically trial and error. Listening to my body and knowing exactly what i can eat and when. And my body has improved a lot since doing so. But I still haven’t got it all figured out just yet
Thank you Ankita for sharing your story. If you’d like to have more clarity around what foods are wholesome for you, I invite you to apply for a complimentary Clarity Call with me, simply click this link:https://www.laurecarter.com/chat-with-an-ayurveda-practitioner/
I wish you great success in “figuring it out”! Take care.