EASY IN, EASY OUT 5 WAYS TO ENHANCE DIGESTIVE HEALTH
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s your social schedule picks up steam and you attend more social gatherings and celebrations, you may find yourself with an unexpected issue: digestive troubles. Problems like this can have a negative impact on your overall wellness, so it’s important to make healthy digestion a priority. According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of how to live long and be healthy, the health of the digestive system is the core of optimum health. Ayurvedic medicine asserts the digestive system is based on the strength and balance of its Agni (fire), which enables the body to absorb, digest and assimilate food. The teachings suggest an imbalanced Agni creates undigested residues, which form toxins that create imbalances and can lead to disease. Some of the dietary guidelines for healthy digestion and strong Agni include: • • • • • •
Allowing 4-6 hours between meals Avoiding eating between meals Avoiding foods with cold, wet and heavy qualities Drinking ginger tea or hot water to stimulate the Agni Starting a meal with pungent (hot), sour and salty flavors Consuming a small amount of bitter taste before a meal to increase the production of hydro chloric acid in the stomach
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