Let me say this as loud as I can. A LOT of health food trends are based in Ayurveda. Yes, you read that right. Let's dive into the whole foods trend, and why it's one that I'm able to get behind. Here's why. 

Digesting food from an Ayurvedic perspective actually takes a lot of effort and work. Eating has become such a random act and just a "to-do" in our life, that we've sort of taken it for granted. And even if we get digestive discomfort, unless it's really bad, we often pay no heed to it. 

But in Ayurveda, what we eat AND how it digests is so key to our whole health, vitality, and ultimately the joy and bliss we feel. 

In Ayurveda, we say that one meal takes a total of 6 hours to digest from start to finish. Bodily processes already take a ton of energy, but the harder our food is to digest, the more energy it takes, the more digestive capacity it takes to get through our system. 

This is important, because how we digest and then ultimately absorb our food dictates how our tissue systems are supported. We eat good protein (and actually break it down into usable material), then our muscles are supported. We eat the leafy greens (digest, absorb, and assimilate), then our livers and blood tissue is supported. So on and so forth. 

However, more often than not, most of the time our bodies aren't really ready to digest the things we're eating. If you ever experience any of these things: pain, bloating, distention, gas, heart burn, lethargy, fatigue, etc. etc. --these are all signs that our digestion or our agni isn't where it should be. After we eat, we should feel vibrant, energetic, and ready to take on more. 

The first step is to eat well. The beautiful part about all of this, is that if we are actually eating Ayurvedically, we're not restricting, but rather we are intentionally eating for our bodies to strengthen our digestive capacity, then we never have to restrict ourselves. What does it mean to eat well? 

1. Eat appropriate to your body constitution. Go ahead and put both of your hands together to make a cup. This is more or less the correct portion size for you. Often times, we are way overeating (especially if you live in the United States). Think about how big your stomach actually is. Not huge my friends. Eat appropriate to your body. Start with small portions. You can always go back for more. 
2. Eat whole(r) foods to the best of your ability. I'm not going to use words like processed and ultra processed. First, most of the foods we eat ARE processed (hello bread, cheese, yogurt--MANY of the things that are good for us!), but also because food scarcity is a real thing, and to feel guilty about the food you're eating doesn't help the matter. BUT, I will say the more whole foods we can eat, it does help our bodies out. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, whole dairy products, good quality meat, etc. These are way easier to digest then things that have a ton of fillers. Simple foods are easier to absorb. 
3. Eat well-cooked foods. Guess what? Raw foods are hard to digest, and often times chewing isn't enough to help the pre-digestion process. Cooking our foods prior to eating helps the initial breakdown. Remember, we are aiming for absorption & assimilation. Think of the long-term goal we are aiming for. Another added thing you can do is to spice your foods well. They don't just help with flavor. Most spices actually help keep our digestive fires strong AND support the tough job of digesting food by breaking down some of the qualities of fiber that may give gas for example. 
4. Eat with joy. This is and always will be my number one rule. We are whole body humans. What we eat impacts how we think, and what we think impacts how we digest. If you don't love the food that's in front of you, if you aren't excited to eat, if you've had a tough day and you're still angry or sad, all of these things will negatively impact the digestion portion of it. It's no wonder why so many diseases in the gut are actually caused by stress and various other emotions. Think about it. All of that is interconnected. Take time to reset and be grateful for what is in front of you. 

I don't love starting off with a million rules. Start with simple things. My teacher often says that simplicity is divinity. So, let's stick with that. 

Understanding our digestion is one step in the right direction of understanding our bodies and what they are not only seeking, but also what they are trying to tell us. If we can begin to create a more sensitive relationship with our agni, we're well on our way of unlocking the secrets of this beautiful life we have been given! 

See you next time on our Digestion Chats! 

Why do we naturally gravitate towards the warmer spices and flavors during the cold fall months? From an Ayurvedic perspective, there is a natural phenomenon that is pulling us towards the spices and heavier foods as the body's natural way of harmonizing and balancing ourselves out based on what is happening outside. Vata is on the rise, and it's time to bring it into balance. 

My teacher Dr. Lad always says--whatever is outside, is inside--and we don't necessarily take this with a grain of salt. Whether its the weather patterns, the sun, the change of the season, the general energy of what is happening--all of these in some way manifest within us as well on a physical, mental, and emotional level. Everything in existence is made up of the 5 elements--ether, air, fire, water, and earth. And because of that everything has some combination and permutation of vata, pitta, and kapha. So, with this same logic, everything that happens out in our surroundings and environments is essentially a play of vata, pitta, and kapha. 

In the Autumn months as the temperatures begin to drop and the wind picks up, we begin to see predominantly the qualities of ether and air begin to rise--cold, rough, dry, mobile. It is officially vata-season. This is why we experience things like dry hair or our digestion becomes a little irregular, or when we say "I feel the cold in my bones"--well ether and air qualities are going to impact the spaces and holes within us. So it makes sense that we feel these things. 

Because of all of this, our bodies are trying to naturally find ways to balance and harmonize with what's happening. Our sudden urge to wear flannel and bundle up in scarves isn't just a fall trend. It's a gravitational pull towards warming qualities that will balance the cold. Our love for pumpkin spice isn't based on a fad. Our bodies want heavy qualities in our food--pumpkin being one of these things--to hold us back down onto the earth. It's normal to crave things like spices because they help to bring warmth to the body by supporting healthy circulation and getting things flowing within. 

Mother Nature has provided us a bounty of things to support our well-being with. It's not random or coincidental that the Fall is time for squashes and pumpkins. It's not random that the summer is peak fruit time. These are the natural tools we have to help keep our body in rhythm with the ebbs and flows of life. Eating seasonally isn't just an influencer trend, it's based in Ayurveda. It's based in the notion that we are meant to live in harmony with nature, not go against her natural cycles. 

So, with all of that being said, these are the flavors that you want to increase in the colder months to make sure you are staying in a sense of balance. ​

Sweet. Sweet foods have an element of grounding. They bring heaviness to us which in the Fall we can feel a little flighty--making our way out into the ethers. And this doesn't mean just have all of the dessert. Vary your foods with grains, gourds, squashes, and sweeteners like molasses, jaggery, or maple syrup. 

Salty. Salt brings heat to the body. It supports healthy digestion. It makes sure that we are holding on to the right amount of water--balancing out the dry quality of the season. Many paths may say no to salt completely, but we know that salt has added benefit to our digestion, so don't be afraid of it. Use all kinds of salt in your cooking and for topping--mineral, himalayan, celtic, french, etc. 

Sour. Digestion is one of the biggest aspects of our health that we have to take care of in vata season. It can become vary irregular. Sour foods ensure that there is enough gastric juices to digest our food fully. It's no surprise that citrus foods begin to come in season to help us with this! 

Pungent. Not spicy, but warming. This is where all of our spices fall into place. Take a moment to wander down the spice aisle at your grocery store. These little magical foods not only make our food taste good, but they begin the digestive process while cooking! Spices make it easier to digest our food all while keeping things moving in the direction they need to be. 

What I love about Ayurveda is that everything starts with what we put into our body. We can have fun and enjoy the foods we eat, if we just bring a little understanding to the why and modifying it to make sure that it's in line with what's going on on the outside. 

So, go ahead and enjoy that pumpkin spice latte..

Gut health. It sure has become quite the hot topic amongst wellness influencers. But honestly, Ayurveda has been talking about this for thousands of years. The phrase "you are what you eat" isn't really a random thing to say. Everything that we put into our body is hopefully absorbed in a meaningful and useful way for the body. And all of that actually starts with digestion. 

Understanding how our digestion is Ayurveda 101. As much as we've been trained to think that gas and bloating is somewhat normal--just take gas-x, heart burn is a byproduct of the food we eat--take a tums, feeling sleepy after eating--just take a nap. None of these are actually normal. It's a tell-tale sign that our digestive capacity isn't where it needs to be, and we're not actually digesting (meaning breaking down and assimilating the food) into our bodies in a way that actually nourishes. This tends to be the starting point of poor bowel movements or lack thereof, various other gut issues, and a disturbance in our gut microbiome. 

In this series, I want to breakdown what is healthy and what isn't, what is appropriate and what isn't, and what does our body need and what it doesn't. Because, honestly, we've all fallen to the whims of a one-size-fits-all method of looking at our health, and that unfortunately is just not the way our bodies work. We are a unique and beautiful combination and permutation of so much--the 5 elements, different qualities, our genes, plus plus plus--and if we look at our digestive health and just take some probiotics and call it a day, well, we've missed the mark on what is actually good for us. So, what is agni?

Agni can be translated into many things, but the big big concept is that it is our digestive fire and metabolic capacity. It is the reason that we are able to take things into the body, process it, and transform it into something that the body needs for daily functioning. This can be general looking at things and understanding what it is to digesting our breakfast, all the way to processing our emotions in a healthy way. 

The state and vibrancy of our agni is crucial to our overall well-being because this is where imbalances start from in Ayurveda. Typically though when someone is talking about agni, they are talking about our main digestive fire that sits in our stomach. This is the agni that is responsible for digestion of our food and beverages. Think of it as a campfire--if its strong and stable, it will cook the food properly. If it's weak and shaky--who knows what you'll be getting, maybe a half-cooked cake. In that same way, its important to note the strength of our agni. We want our food to be digested fully so that we are able to fully utilize all of the nutrients. This is the beginning of nourishing our bodily systems and tissues. 

So to understand whether your agni is strong, here are some questions to think through. 

• Do I feel energetic after I eat? 
• Do I experience gas/bloating/indigestion/lethargy after I eat? 
• Do I have strong hunger cues and am ready for my meals, or am I just eating because it's time? 
• How is my energy throughout the day? 

If you're unsure about any of these, it may be time to start your Ayurvedic journey and work with a practitioner. If you're feeling any level of imbalance, same. But, here are a few tips to get you going: 

• Eat when you're hungry. Don't force yourself to put food down your system. 
• Lessen your portion size. We typically eat way more than we actually need to. 
• Sip on hot water throughout the day or before meal to kickstart your appetite--a grumbling in the stomach is a great sign that your body is ready for food! 

These very simple tips can go such a long way and begin to help us in understanding what our body is trying to tell us. 

Practicing Ayurveda is about beginning to become so in tune with our bodies that we just know what is right for it and what isn't. It's an art and a science. I hope you'll join me on this sweet journey as we uncover the beauty and the depths of our digestive health!