Healing your Digestion with Eastern Medicine

​According to naturopathic medicine, our digestive system is the key to balanced health and vitality. Naturopathic medicine is a combination of Western, modern scientific knowledge with Eastern traditions. Eastern traditions include: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which was the first formalized system of healthcare in modern civilization, along with Ayurvedic Medicine, the ancient medical system from India. Both of these traditions understand that in order to extract the nourishment we need from food, there needs to be balance and integrity in both the body and mind.

Agni; Your Digestive Fire

Ayurvedic and TCM principles guide the care of billions of the world’s healthiest people. In the Ayurvedic tradition, they state that digestive and metabolic fire maintains one’s life span and vitality. Agni, which is the Sanskrit term for metabolic fire, is in charge of digestion, absorption, assimilation and transformation of food into energy. Too much or too little agni can result in a number of different physical conditions. If there is too little metabolic fire, it can result in delicate digestion such as low appetite, nausea or constipation. On the other hand if there is too much digestive fire, one can develop heartburn, acid indigestion or diarrhea.

Your Constitution

In Ayurvedic Medicine, there are three mind-body constitutions (called Doshas) and with each constitution, a different type of diet is recommended. The three mind-body types include: Vata, Pitta and Kapha and each of these Doshas derive from the Five Elements.

Vata is composed of Space and the qualities of Vata include dry, rough, light, cold, subtle and mobile. Vata types do well with warm food with moderately heavy and soothing textures (salty, sour and sweet tastes).

Pitta is derived from Fire and Water and is associated with oily, sharp, hot, light, moving, liquid and acidic qualities. Pitta individuals do well with a moderately cool and warm diet but should avoid really hot food and heavy foods.

Kapha comes from Earth and Water and qualities are moist, cold, heavy, dull, soft, sticky and static. Kapha individuals do well with a light, dry diet and should avoid cold, heavy, oily foods. To learn more about which Dosha type you are click here.

Part 2 - A Mind-Body Approach to Digestion

Our gastrointestinal system sends many messages to our brain, and vice-versa. Eastern cultures recognize that concentrating awareness on the present moment allows our bodies to fully absorb and extract the available nutrition from the foods we eat. Ayurvedic medicine has Body Intelligence Techniques that promote present-moment awareness and therefore improve our digestion:

• Including all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent) at every meal
• Do not eat when you are upset or in a loud, unsettled environment
• Eat only when you feel hungry and do not overeat – leave 1/4 to 1/3 of your stomach empty to aid digestion
• Eat at a comfortable pace, staying conscious of the process
• Reduce ice-cold food and beverages and only sip warm water with meals to avoid diluting digestive acids
• Do not eat fruit with meats, as the fruit will interfere with the digestion of the protein
• Eat freshly prepared foods. Lightly sautéed or teamed foods are preferably to raw or overcooked foods
• Eat an occasional meal in silence, with no distractions

Part 3 – A Prescription for your Digestion that includes Mind-Body, Diet and Herbal Treatments

1. Follow the above body intelligent techniques with every meal
2. Follow your mind-body constitution/Dosha's recommended diet (see above)
3. Pay attention to your body’s natural urge to go to the bathroom

4. If your digestion is delicate (weak agni):

• eat foods that are light and easy to digest such as rice, soups, lentils, lightly steamed or sautéed vegetables; try and avoid fried and heavy, oily foods, aged cheese, meats, rich foods
• drink ginger tea to stimulate digestion. Consider other herbs such as cayenne, black pepper, and dandelion to help enhance digestion.

5. If you have a strong digestive fire and have heartburn after meals:

• chew ¼ tsp roasted fennel seeds or fresh coriander leaves.
• Cook with cooling herbs such as cumin and coriander. Consider traditional digestive Ayurvedic herbs such as shatavari, amalaki and licorice, after consulting with a practitioner to make sure they are safe for you to take.

6. If you have gas and bloating, consider adding cinnamon, peppermint, cardamom and bay to your meals.

7. To enhance elimination, consider Triphala, a classic Ayurveda formula consisting of three fruits. Triphala has been shown to normalize bowel movements in people who tend to slow or loose stools. Triphala is also used a great rejuvenation formula, and is a non-habit forming and safe formula. Try and steer clear of herbal laxatives as these can cause the bowels to develop dependency and further worsen constipation.

Using a prescription that addresses our unique digestive state and constitution, one can restore digestion to a balanced, healthy state and overall, a greater well-being :)

References

Simon D, Porter V. Chapter 12: Ayurveda and Digestive Health. Integrative Gastroenterology. Oxford University Press. 2011. 123-130.

Eat Taste Heal: An Ayurvedic Guide Book and Cookbook for Modern Living. ​