An Anti-Inflammatory Digestive Tonic
Your health depends on the strength of your digestive system.
A strong and healthy digestive system is the foundation to our health. Our tissues are made up of the nutrients we digest and assimilate. You are what you absorb. When our digestive systems are impaired we experience gas, bloating, cramping, constipation, or maybe even fatigue after eating. So many factors affect the health of our digestive system: stress, foods with pesticides and hormones, poor sleep, eating refined and processed foods, alcohol, drugs, medication and so on.
Stress is the big one for me. Whenever I get anxious or stressed, I feel it in my gut. I lose my appetite and my digestion becomes compromised. Do you ever lose your appetite when you’re stressed, nervous or anxious? Your body goes into flight or fight mode and diverts blood away from non-essential systems, such as digestion, and directs it to organs and limbs that will help you escape this perceived stress.
Julie Bernier, of our Healing Women Series, explains the ayurvedic perspective on the importance of a healthy digestive system and provides some great tips.
Why is digestion such an important component of ayurveda? How can we improve our digestive fire?
Our health depends on the strength of our digestion. In yoga the physical layer of the body is called the “annamaya kosha” or food sheath. The body is quite literally made from food. So it makes sense that properly digested, absorbed and assimilated food created the healthiest body tissues. If digestion is weak or impaired (which could include a low appetite, gas, bloating, acidity, or feeling sleepy after eating), food isn’t properly digested. Instead of being processed as it should, it remains in the body as undigested food – a slimy, odorous substance called aama. Aama clogs the gross and subtle channels of the body and impedes the body’s natural functions. Eventually it can cause severe health issues. Regular mealtimes are also key. A big lunch and light dinner around the same time each day support the body’s need for rhythm.
An important first step in improving digestion is to stop drinking cold drinks and eating cold foods, which pretty much snuff out the digestive fire.
Tonic Recipe
This anti-inflammatory digestive tonic will help you boost your digestive health when you’re in need of a hand.
Ingredients:
Fresh and organic
Ginger is an incredible digestive aid. It helps alleviate pain or discomfort in the stomach, it eliminates excessive gas, increase nutrient absorption and soothes the intestinal tract.
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse and will help calm any inflammation or irritation in the gut.
Lemons are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, detoxifying, and stimulate digestion.
Black pepper boosts nutrient absorption, soothes inflammation, support healthy gut bacteria and detoxifies the digestive tract. I simply add the ground black pepper at the end when I’ve finished juicing the other ingredients.
Equipment:
Juicer. Omega makes a range of incredible juicers. This is what I’m currently using and it works really well.
Play around with the individual quantities. See what works best for you. I like to make enough to fill a mason jar and have it on hand whenever I need a boost. You can drink it as a shot or mix with it some hot water.
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