Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your shape, you know that a key factor is your diet. If you are experiencing gas, bloating, heartburn or general indigestion, then you realize that something is amiss in your digestive process. Help fix these health issues with some Ayurvedic dietary tips for all doshic types. It does not matter if your Vata, Pitta, or Kapha are out of balance, these Ayurvedic dietary tips are universally applicable.
FIVE AYURVEDIC DIETARY TIPS
1. Eat for your digestive abilities. Know if your agni (digestive fire) is weak or strong. Does it do well with raw food or cooked food? What foods give you gas or constipation or diarrhea? How late can you eat? Ideally, you should eat four to six hours before bedtime. Pay attention to instances when you the sensation of last night’s meal greets you in the morning. How late did you eat and what it is that you are still tasting? Next time, you’ll know better.
2. Use the proper cooking oils for your vikruti (your current constitutional doshic balance). If you have high Vata, sesame oil is your best bet. If you are a fiery Pitta type, then cool down with coconut or sunflower oil or even ghee. And, if you are a static Kapha type, use sesame or sunflower oil or non-GMO corn oil.
3. Add the proper spices to your diet to assist with your digestion. Read about the benefits of turmeric (haldi), cumin (jira), coriander (dhanya), fennel (sauf), cardamom (elaichi), cinnamon (taj), and ginger (sunthi) and what doshic types they are best suited for.
4. Don’t drink too much with your meals. Nothing puts out a strong digestive fire like water (or any other liquid). Go easy on beverages before/ during/ after meals. Allow the digestive enzymes to do their work. They do well in their natural environment, rather than a liquid one. Favor a cup of warm (non-microwaved) cumin, coriander, and fennel seed tea with your meals. It’ll facilitate your digestion and also be a nice tonic for your kidneys and adrenals.
5. Eliminate ice from your diet. As my Ayurvedic teacher says, “Ice is not nice!” For proper digestion, you want nutrients to move through the capillaries in a smooth manner. When you consume beverages which are below your body’s temperature, then the capillaries constrict. Thus, nothing flows through. This results in impaired digestion and the accumulation of toxins in the body.
For other Ayurvedic dietary tips, please schedule a personalized Ayurvedic consultation. In the meantime, implement these quick and easy points and let me know what changes you notice with your digestion.