How Ayurveda can help healthy digestion

The 8 principles of digestion

Central to Ayurveda is the idea of ‘Agni’, the ‘fire’ of digestion that is essential for metabolism and the absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Aim to follow these principles to keep your digestive fire ignited, and improve your health and wellbeing…

Choose cooked

Try to eat mainly cooked foods, especially late at night, as these are easier to digest. Of course, this can vary from place to place – if you live in a warm climate, eating salads at lunch might be just what you need!

Eat early

Eating early and not snacking after dinner gives the digestive system time to complete its work and rest before you sleep. If you eat dinner later, the digestive system is working hard while you sleep, meaning your energy is being used there, rather than working to renew and reinvigorate your brain and body cells. Sleeping soon after eating or having a large snack can also lead to bloating and discomfort.

Build in an overnight fast

Avoiding snacking after dinner and then delaying breakfast until 1-2 hours after waking will ensure around 12-14 hours of overnight fasting. This should be your new normal. If you find this difficult, start with 11-12 hours then slowly increase that week by week. It gives the digestive system time to rest and reset, helping the digestive fire to burn brightly again, giving the body a boost for fat burning and cell renewal.

Waking up

Our sleep-wake cycle naturally falls into a circadian rhythm. Ayurveda follows the belief that our digestive system and all bodily rhythms works better if in sync with the sun. So aim to wake up with the sun and eat according to the sun. This doesn’t have to be at 4.30am in midsummer – simply shifting your body clock so you naturally wake up earlier can be a game-changer when it comes to health and energy, according to Ayurveda.

Choose lunch for a main meal

Eating according to the sun also means having our largest meal at lunchtime when the sun is at its strongest. This is linked to the idea that this is when our own inner sun or digestive fire is at its strongest. That said, only do this if you’re able to and if it fits with your day. For example, eating a large meal at lunch while you’re busy and unable to take the time to sit and eat can be counterproductive: not chewing properly or eating under stress can both be detrimental to digestion and do more harm than good.

Chew well

Digestion starts in the mouth. If you swallow food that hasn’t been broken down in the mouth, the stomach will have to work that much harder by releasing more acid; the colon will also be under more stress to push down undigested food and all this can lead to bloating, constipation and more fermentation (gas) as the food sits there for longer.

Reduce snacking

Allowing the body sufficient time to digest food after a meal is key in Ayurveda. Practitioners believe that, by having snacks – or indeed by having water or any drinks immediately after a meal – we are pushing undigested food down the colon, which can cause indigestion and bloating. Understanding this as a principle and trying to slowly and gradually change your patterns can be useful. Don’t go from snacking 5 times a day to not snacking at all – set yourself up for success by gradually reducing the number of times a day you snack and see how it helps you.

Take a breath

A deep breath and a quick stretch is all we need to reset our system and bring a bit of calm to our bodies before having a meal. Eating quickly, because you’re rushed or stressed, can cause gut health issues. This is why daily calm and daily food go hand in hand. The breath is the quickest way to reset the system.