“The quality of digestion is a major factor in promoting vital biological energy” Deepak Chopra
Proper digestion is the absolute cornerstone of Ayurveda.
And for good reason.
Healthy digestion is the foundation of healthy bodily tissues. From proper food assimilation and the elimination of toxic impurities the layers of our body are built one on top of the other – plasma, red blood cells, muscles, fat tissues, bones and cartilage, marrow, nerve tissues, connective tissues, reproductive tissues. The health of one layer is based on the previous layers being healthy. Start neglecting to act properly to nourish the body and keep the digestion healthy and you will see consequences build up into the first layers and longer term into the next layer and so on.
Not only that but on a more basic level supporting healthy digestion means freeing tons of energy otherwise mobilised in over-work.
AGNI
Agni is a Sanskrit word referring to fire and all transformative processes.
Ayurveda recognises a number of different agnis throughout the body and the environment, basically defining any process of metabolism or transformation, growth, conversion and assimilation as agni. However the largest, biggest, widest, most often agreed use of the word Agni refers to the process of digestion and when not otherwise stated Agni will simply mean digestion. It is a manifestation of awareness, that is intelligence – the body recognising elements through the sense perception and metabolising them into knowledge. In plain words it stimulates the breakdown of nutrients for energy, nourishment and to build the bodily tissues. Agni governs the metabolic processes regulating the transformation of food into energy. It is also responsible for body temperature via the blood and the digestion, absorption and assimilation of all food. On subtler levels it allows for proper sense perception, cellular metabolism and mental assimilation. A healthy Agni therefore affects both th body and the mind.
SIGNS OF HEALTHY AGNI
Strong ability to digest and gold appetite
A desire for nourishing healthy foods
An aversion for unhealthy foods & substances
Bright eyes & skin
Healthy pain-free joints
Bright even moods
Good immune response
Energy and endurance throughout the day
Clean smelling urine, feces and sweat
Enthusiasm for life
A clear focussed mind
The ability to adapt to and register new information clearly
HEALTHY, IRREGULAR, UNDERACTIVE and OVERACTIVE DIGESTION
How to assess the state of your digestion. There are 4 varieties of Agni as follows:
A balanced metabolism (sama Agni), this is healthy digestion as described above already. This is a state of perfect health where the individual can eat almost anything in any season and his/her digestion, absorption and elimination remain normal without upsets. This usually goes hand-in-hand with clarity of mind and feelings of wellbeing, general good health and energy.
Irregular metabolism (vishama Agni), this appears to be linked with aggravated Vata dosha which creates imbalance in the digestive system. Digestion becomes erratic, appetite will vary, there will be a wide range of symptoms of the opposite spectrum. Often gas, sometimes indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, colicky pains, bloating. The individual may observe other symptoms of aggravated Vata in the body such as dry skin, cracking joints, low backache, insomnia, anxiety and insecurity. A Vata pacifying lifestyle and diet is required.
Sharp, hyper metabolism (tikshna Agni) is characterised by the attributes of Pitta dosha when Agni becomes intense. This often results in diarrhoea, sometimes of an extreme condition. The appetite is strong or very strong but the food is not processed correctly and “goes through”. Nutrients and nourishment fails to take place as the digestive function burns through the food without absorbing and assimilating the elements it needs to bring health to the body and form healthy tissues. Other noticeable symptoms will be rashes, heartburn, hyperacidity, inflammatory conditions. The person could appear judgmental or critical. The cooling qualities of Vata are needed to offset Pitta. In other words the individual needs a Pitta pacifying lifestyle and diet.
Dull, hypo metabolism (manda Agni) takes on more of the Kapha qualities. This looks like a slow, heavy and cool digestive function. Metabolism is slow, the food stays in the system for a long time with the individual feeling heavy and lacking energy. Even a normal diet is hard to digest. There might be mucous in the body, certainly a lot of toxins and residue called Ama in Sanskrit.
AMA
On the opposite spectrum from healthy Agni we find Ama.
When our vitality is weak and our digestive system is inefficient we accumulate gunk or toxins in our mind-body. Ayurveda explains that these debris cause disease by obstructing the healthy flow of energy and intelligence throughout the body and its operating systems, including the mind. There are 3 types of ama, the Sanskrit word to describe the sticky, messy substance created from impaired digestion. They are either physical, mental or emotional. Physical ama creates blocks in our digestion (catch 22) and infringes on healthy biological processes. It is literally an accumulation of indigested foods or residue from lack of healthy elimination. Mental ama alters our inner wisdom. It affects our knowledge and intuition. Emotional ama affects behaviour and can lead to confusion and depression. Ayurveda links most health disorders to the presence of a a in the system and views it as one of the greatest threats to good health, both mental and physical. As a general rule ama builds up fatigue and low energy and further leads to impaired health.
When our Agni is strong we are able to process Ama easily.
SIGNS OF AMA BUILD-UP ARE
weak digestion
chronic constipation, diarrhoea or gas
bad breathe and a coated tongue on waking
dull skin and breakouts
dull or irritated eyes
aching joints
low appetite
unhealthy cravings
strong body odour
ongoing fatigue
prone to colds and infections
depression and low motivation
brain fog
lack of zest for life
overwhelm
WAYS TO STRENGTHEN AGNI & REDUCE AMA
Sip warm water throughout the day. The water needs to be very hot so much so you can just about drink it whilst staying far away from burning yourself or your taste buds.
only eat when you’re hungry, otherwise skip a meal if you feel comfortable enough to jump to the next mealtime
one day a week only take food in liquid form all day (best for Kaphas and Pittas, Vatas and some Pittas may struggle – any signs of weakness or overwhelm return to solid food).
get enough sleep
spice your food with gentle warming herbs that are bitter or pungent. Some good detoxification herbs are cumin, ginger or small amounts of cayenne (refer to your dosha or the state of your digestion before taking spice though, more information lat we in this lesson)
ge regular exercise
meditate daily
do a seasonal cleanse/detox (lesson 8)
eat a yogic & Ayurvedic diet (lesson 4 next week)
dry brush or take steam baths as often as possible
drink more water & herbal teas
address any emotional reasons why you may eat unhealthily
follow the golden rules of Ayurveda for eating well below:
THE ART OF EATING WELL
The following are a few simple suggestions for looking after your digestion day-in day-out. How you eat is nearly as important as what you eat. Do not dismiss them as too simple, if applied correctly each one of them will bring very powerful results.
1) Eat in a calm & quiet setting. This might surprise you but experts in my field reckon this is one of the most important principles for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Make sure to create a harmonious environment around your meals. Turn the TV off. Try and make an attractive table even. Put your attention fully on eating and the flavours of your meal to support your digestive system and extract the intelligence from the food. If your awareness is distracted your power of digestion weakens.
2) Take your meals at regular set times every day, your system will get used to the routine and digestion will automatically improve.
3) Always sit down to eat and try and sit upright even if snacking. You will digest more thoroughly, firstly because it helps relax your digestive track and again as a result of your awareness being fully engaged. Focus on the taste, sight and aromas of the meal.
4) Don’t eat when you’re anxious, upset or disturbed in any way. Just pause and resume eating when you are calmer and fully present with it. Eating when you’re emotionally upset can trigger IBS and related symptoms. If under stress try closing your eyes for a brief moment and noticing where uncomfortable physical sensations might sit in your body. Fully experience the sensation and it should pass. When you open your eyes you might notice your emotions have lifted too.
5) Don’t overeat or you won’t leave enough space for your stomach to function properly. Eat to three-fourth of your capacity or in other words only until you get to a point of comfortable satisfaction. This leaves space for digestive enzymes to function effectively and for the food to be fully metabolised.
6) Avoid ice-cold foods and drinks which quite literally freeze the digestive fire and are a known culprit in the accumulation of ama, toxic residue clogging the system instead of being eliminated through the digestive process.
7) Don’t talk while chewing your food, you’ll avoid swallowing too much air and diluting your attention.
8) Eat at a moderate pace, eating too fast makes good digestion difficult. Take time to chew thoroughly.
9) Don’t stack your meals, that is don’t eat anything until you have fully digested your last meal. It’s the principle of adding cold water to a dish cooking at boiling point. The cold water will slow down the cooking process. Only eating when you’re hungry is a good sign that digestion is complete. Fruits are the best snacks inbetween meals, being light and easily digested.
10) Sit quietly for a few minutes after your meal to allow digestion to begin and avoid a nervous stomach.
Changing habits is a big deal and you don’t want to feel so overwhelmed that you don’t follow through so may be start with the suggestions that seem the easiest for you. You may think these take some excitement out of your life but you’ll reap huge benefits for your digestion and energy levels if you try them out.
DIGESTIVE & POST-DIGESTIVE EFFECTS OF FOOD
Whilst we are on the subject of digestion and before we tackle the nutrition side of Ayurveda next week I would like to touch on the digestive and post-digestive effects of food.
In Ayurveda all foods and particularly the basic naturally grown/cultivated fruits, vegetables, grains and herbs are known by their properties according to their taste, elements, heating or cooling effects during and post-digestion as well as any other special potencies they might have. This is best referred to as the “energetics” of food. This gives a structure that can very quickly identify whether a specific food is good for a particular individual or condition. Taking you back to your own mind-body makeup, your Doshas and whether they are in balance or imbalanced – as well as the state of your digestion – will give you a very good indication as to what kind of effect you need from your food.
Virya is the energy, potency and power of a food which is classified as heating or cooling and describes its effect during digestion. A specific food, through its taste, can heat or cool the body and that produces the most basic energising effect on the system. A heating or cooling energy means that the food contains the energy of fire or water.
Heating foods are either pungent, sour, or sally. Cooling foods are sweet, astringent and bitter. Heating herbs and foods speed the power of digestion, cleanse the system, increase pitta and can also cause dizziness, thirst, fatigue, sweat and burn. Cooling herbs and foods slow the digestive system but they are refreshing, enlivening and firming to the tissues.
Vipaka is the post-digestive effect. This is relevant in as much as some foods have a different effect on the system during digestion and after digestion. In this instance the breakdown and assimilation of the food brings new different qualities to those it experienceds after it has been digested. Again here we are not looking to remember each food qualities by heart and spend our time questioning what anything we ingest might do during and after digestion but it is important to have a general awareness of these processes and to observe ourselves when eating certain foods. If you feel unsettled after a meal or snack it is very important to look back at what the possible cause may have been and learn from it. For a full list of basic foods and their Virya and Vipaka effect you could consult the tables at the back of the book Eat, Taste, Heal – also a fantastic resource for Ayurvedic recipes.
Ready to experiment? Check out the exercise sheets for this week and continue with your journaling. As always I’d be delighted to hear how you get on on the call this week.
Namaste,
Anne
Evidence-based + Holistic 