Let's admit it. Most of us our guilty of not giving digestive problems the kind of attention it deserves. Most often we self- diagnose any turbulence in stomach to be a case of acidity and pop an antacid for relief. It is only when matters go out of hand do we think of going to the doctor or take proper care of our diet. Several factors can give rise to indigestion. Some of the most common symptoms of indigestion are stomach ache, bloating, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. More often than not we blame the last meal we had for our indigestion, while you are not entirely wrong in doing that, but many a times indigestion can stem from some of our poor eating habits too. Ayurveda, an ancient Hindu discipline of medicine has laid down a number of good eating habits that you must ensure for good digestion.
Here are some common Ayurvedic practices you can observe to ensure best digestion.
1. Do not pair incompatible foods: Wrong food combinations may adversely affect the digestive fire, leading to indigestion. According to 'The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies', some of the incompatible combinations are milk and bananas, curd and sour fruits, eggs and milk.
2. Eat slowly: Eating slowly is very important for effective digestion. Our digestive juices need time to act upon the food. Therefore, do not gobble your food. Chew your food 32 times, this would enable your food to break down better for digestion.
Eating slowly is very important for effective digestion.
3. No Distracted Eating: Do not watch TV, phones or read newspapers while you are eating. Do not stand while eating or drinking either. Distracting environment diminishes your body's ability to digest what you have eaten.
4. Do not Overeat: According to authors Amadea Morningstar and Urmila Desai authors of 'The Ayurvedic Cookbook', "Agni translates in Western terms into that ability of all the digestive organs to be lively, effective and coordinated in function when given an appropriate amount of food. This "appropriate amount of food" is an important part of the effective digestive process. Too much food can act like sand on fire, dousing agni, and demanding more work of it than it can realistically deliver. Too little food can starve agni, like expecting a fire to burn brightly with but a few twigs to fuel it."
5. Some healing herbs and spices: Our kitchens are abound with many herbs and spices that can promote digestion. One of the best ways to ignite digestive fire is by chewing into a fresh grated piece of ginger, combined with a drop of lime and pinch of salt, advises Dr. Vasant Lad in his book. Cumin, bay leaf, and garlic are also good ingredients to stimulate digestion. Use them in your food in moderate quantities and see the result for yourself.
Follow these tips and boost your digestive ability naturally.