Digestion

Part 1: What is Agni?

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!