In ayurvedic medicine, digestion is the key to maintaining health and longevity.

A strong
digestion means a strong body. Digestion is a reflection of your mental-emotional-physical
state of balance.
Poor dietary habits, stress and environmental pollutants can weaken your digestion. A weak
digestion results in the accumulation of toxins (known as ama in ayurveda), which in turn
causes disease and aging. Signs of poor digestion and toxins are fatigue, lack of mental
clarity, weight gain and recurrent infections.
If you answer yes to the majority of the statements below, you may have poor digestion,
which is resulting in excessive accumulation of toxins in your body. That means it is time for
a holistic health overhaul.
1. I tend to feel obstruction/blockages in my body constipation, congestion/heaviness in the
head area, blocked nose, or a general feeling of non-clarity.
2. When I wake up in the morning, I do not feel clear; it takes me quite some time to feel
really awake.
3. I tend to feel tired or exhausted mentally and physically.
4. I get common colds or similar ailments several times a year.
5. I tend to feel heaviness in the body.
6. I tend to feel that something is not functioning properly in the body breathing, digestion,
elimination or other.
7. I tend to feel lazy (i.e., the capacity to work is there, but there is no inclination).
8. I often suffer from indigestion.
9. I tend to spit repeatedly or have a bad taste in my mouth.
10. Often, I have no taste for food and no real appetite.
11. My tongue is often coated with a thick film, especially in the morning.
Detox and Diet
Since your digestive system is the key to health it absorbs nutrients for all the other organs
in the body and removes toxins begin by improving your digestion.
The fastest way to improve your digestion is by reducing the amount of junk food you put
in. Less junk in, less junk out simple. Where can you start?
Reduce the amount of processed and fast food you are eating by 25%.
Reduce your use of the microwave by 25%.
Reduce your soda and coffee intake by 25%.
Taking small steps is the best way to achieve long-term success. Just making a 25% reduction
in the above areas will have a huge benefit for the state of your health. Once you see the
results, you will be ready to aim for a 50% reduction.
Boost Energy
Most people feel that they dont have the time to make health changes. In reality, if you
calculate the amount of time lost each day from feeling fatigued, stressed, and making
mistakes due to poor concentration, youll realize that being healthier actually gives you time
back each day. The next part of your ayurvedic health overhaul will be to take these simple
steps to boost your energy:
Sit in silence or meditation for a few minutes each day, especially after a tough day at
work or parenting. This small break from activity allows the mind and body to relax
and shut off the fight-or-flight response that chronic stress activates.
Give away a prized possession. Even clinical studies show that living with simplicity
creates a greater sense of happiness. Make your life simpler dont feel bound by
your possessions. Giving something away that you really value fosters generosity in
your heart and also a sense of freedom from your material belongings. Dont allow
your possessions to possess you.
Yoga is well known to help relieve stress. The combination of slow movements,
breathing and stretching creates a profound state of relaxation. Certain positions in
particular help to ground you when you are feeling overwhelmed, such as the
downward-facing dog position. The next time you are feeling like you are at your
wits end, get into the downward-facing dog position for a couple of minutes and
youll feel the stress begin to melt away.
Have less sex. Really? Yes, everything should be done in moderation and having
excessive amounts of sex can actually deplete your energy stores. According to
ayurvedic medicine, ojas, which is the end product of proper digestion and the
building block for longevity, is stored in the reproductive tissues. Every time you
have sexual intercourse, a small amount of ojas is lost and needs to be regenerated. If
you have noticed a lull in your energy levels, try reducing your sexual activities by
25%. Next time you feel the urge, try yoga postures instead to help shift the energy to
other parts of your body
Reduce Stress
Stress has such a negative effect on our health and drains the body of its energy by impairing
digestion and causing inflammation. Studies now show that over 90% of all chronic medical
conditions are linked to stress. Here are some surprisingly simple ways to reduce your stress:
Use aromatherapy at home, at work and during your sleep. This is an effortless way to
help you reduce stress. The sense of smell has a stronger impact on the brain than all
the other senses because it is not modulated by the processing center of the brain,
known as the thalamus. All the other senses sight, touch, taste and hearing are first
processed in the thalamus before they are allowed to have an impact on the rest of the
brain. However, smell has a direct link to the brain centers that govern stress. The best
essential oils to use to help reduce stress are lavender, sandalwood and rose.
Start nasya, which is the administration of oil through the nostril. Nasya removes the
toxins from the head resulting in more clarity of the mind, reduced stress and
prevention of wrinkles in the face. It is regularly used in ayurveda to treat stress,
headaches, anxiety, sleep disorders, sinusitis, colds, allergies and depression. The two
most common oils used for nasya are sesame oil and ghee (clarified butter). Apply a
small amount in the nostrils and then breathe in while intermittently pinching the nose
so that the oil goes up into the nasal passages. The ideal times for doing nasya are first
thing in the morning and a couple of hours before bedtime
Fight Pain
Pain is the result of toxins that accumulate in different parts of the body, like the joints,
sinuses, muscles, nerves, etc. According to ayurveda, this is a result of undigested food that
accumulates in the stomach overnight due to poor digestion. The key to relieving pain is the
removal of these digestive impurities that are embedded in the body. There are two simple
teas that remove digestive toxins that you can drink throughout the day to help relieve pain:
Detox tea is one of my favorite tools for removing toxins. The combination of
ingredients helps to improve digestion and unclog the channels in our body by
removing digestive impurities. The key is to make the tea fresh every morning, place
it in a thermos, and take small sips of it throughout the day. It is best to drink it warm
or hot.
Directions: Boil 4-5 cups of water in the morning. Add the following ingredients to the water
and continue to let it boil for about 5 minutes with the lid on.
teaspoon whole cumin seeds
teaspoon whole coriander seeds
teaspoon whole fennel seeds
One inch of fresh ginger root (if you have a tendency toward acid reflux or a burning
sensation in your stomach, exclude the ginger)
Strain out the seeds and ginger and then pour the liquid into a thermos. If the tea is too strong
or if you experience some initial discomfort, reduce the amount of seeds to teaspoon for 2
weeks and then increase it back to teaspoon.
Tulsi tea is your other option; it is made of dried holy basil leaves. Holy basil is
considered to be one of the most important herbs in ayurveda. It is used for many
different conditions, but its ability to fight stress has led modern herbalists to label it
as an adaptogen.
Adaptogens are a class of herbs that help the body fight stress by reducing the production of
stress hormones that result in the fight-or-flight response. Adaptogens increase the bodys
natural resistance to stress and holy basil is one of the oldest known adaptogens. In addition
to being used as a stress buster, tulsi tea has been used for thousands of year to remove toxins
from the ears, nose, throat, lungs, joints and stomach. It also helps boost memory and
improve the immune system.
To read Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary's blog on DoctorOz.com, click here prev1