We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” True, but more specifically, as we say in Ayurveda, “you are what you digest”.
Why? Because digestion isn’t just about breaking down food and getting rid of waste but the single determinant for the quality of your tissues, organs, bodily systems and function. Eating all the healthy, wholesome foods in the world is of little use if your body cannot absorb the nutrients and put them to use building healthy tissue.
When your digestive system is able to break down nutrients from the food you consume, it creates a nourishing substance that in Ayurveda is known as ojas, a subtle form of energy that is then circulated throughout your physiology, nourishing your cells, tissues and organs. If your digestive power is weak, however, your system is unable to fully break down food into this subtle essence. This incomplete digestion creates toxins, the by-product of undigested food, or ama.
Everything you eat either becomes nourishing ojas or lingering ama; the difference lies in the strength of your agni, your digestive fire. In order to ensure that you’re creating the former, it is important to not only know which foods to eat but also how to make sure that your digestive fire is functioning at an optimum level. And here is an important point: we all digest food differently.
Say, for example, a group of friends share a pizza. For one friend the pizza may create heaviness in the stomach even a few hours after eating the pizza, while for another friend digesting the pizza may not take as long. For a third person it may create some congestion, and for the fourth friend, it may create a feeling of overall lethargy. This is why Ayurvedic consultations are useful in determining the characteristics of your digestive fire and which foods to favor. There are, however, a few golden rules that everyone can follow to improve digestion—and health overall:
Eat only when you are hungry. That is to say, eat when your previous meal has been completely digested. Sometimes you may think that you are hungry but in reality you’re thirsty or wanting a break or distraction. Tune in to your body and re-discover what true hunger feels like for you.
Eat at regular times. Nature likes cycles and regularity, and so does your body. This may seem counter to only eating when you’re hungry, but with time your digestive system will adapt to an eating routine, and without any further assistance from you, it will began to send hunger cues at the same time each day.
Eat in a calm and comfortable place. As best you can, sit down when you eat and eat with as little distraction as possible. This means that for the short period of time you’re eating, no tv, phone, laptop…
Eat warm meals. Ideally freshly cooked but as long as you avoid anything coming out straight from the fridge you’ll preserve your agni, digestive fire that supports the breakdown and assimilation of food.
Eat with your senses. Take time to appreciate the smell of your meal, the look of your plate, the texture of your food, the different flavors, etc. Not only do these cues support help activate digestive enzymes, they help you slow down and feel present, which has been shown to increase satiety and decrease cravings.
Eat the “right” quantity. We are all different, with different needs and different stomach size and metabolic speed. As you tune into your hunger cues, use it as an opportunity to notice what fullness feels like, too.
