Digestion

Digestive System 

How it works

Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food molecules into small water-soluble food molecules so that they can be absorbed into the watery blood plasma.

Tips For Good Digestion

As we are all born to eat, the minute we are born we eat. But what do we eat health does not depend on it, but how much we can digest. The healthier food we eat, we will be able to digest it smoothy. Proper digestion will lead to normal skin and hair, we will be free from diabetes, blood pressure and other non-communicable diseases. And you can enjoy your life. 

So, what are things we ought to remember to improve our digestion.

How do you know your digestion is not good?

1. If you get acidity, gas or bloating on routine practice.
2. Your body get fat (or swells) by evening.
3. Trouble sleeping, and restlessness in day time.
4. Craving for sweets and chocolate.
5. Poor compliance to you own plan of exercise.

Causes

What is the meaning of poor digestion?

1. In spite  of eating healthy foods you are unable to assimilate its nutrients.
2. Are you have low levels of vitamin D
3. Low levels of vitamin B12
4. Low hemoglobin level.

What are the things you could be doing wrong in your day or wrong in your life has landed you in this problem.

1. Dehydration. Dehydration means not having enough water. Commonly found in middle aged men. Even if you are thirsty but not getting up to have a glass of water. So this is a problem which can be easily resolved by keeping a bottle next to you. Or keep a copper container nearby for drinking water. It needs to be visible and accessible, so that you are adequately hydrated in a day. Your urine should be clear in color and not dark yellow or not brown, or red in color. As per Ayurveda, it is beneficial to drink water in copper vessels. Copper is a metal with antibacterial properties. 
2. Caffeine: Excess intake of tea and coffee. You are not drinking 3 cups of coffee or tea in a day (including green tea). Do not drink tea or coffee after 4PM. Even if it is a detox tea or decaffeinated tea on daily basis. Becauses it will keep you awake at night.
3. Wrong Proportions : Constipation, Burping, Farting : All kinds of excretion has become unpredictable. These unfortunately happens when you go for a diet. As diet only guides you about carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It doesn't tell you what is local, what is seasonal, and what is traditional. Eat local, seasonal and traditional food but in time tested proportions. Like when you are eating rice and dal, it is advised not to take more dal in proportion to rice. Rice is always a little more than a dal. Dal is little more than a subji. Sometimes to eat more fibre we over eat vegetable. Sometimes we over eat dal for amino acids. Sometimes due to fear of carbohydrates we leave rice and chapatis. All these variations leads to digestion problem leading to disease and ageing. So to keep that under control you must keep up with the time tested proportions.
4. We have cut out on all the good fats: Due to wrong habits like :  we have stopped eating ghee. Stopped eating fried. Stopped putting ghee over Khakara. We have stopped drinking full fat milk. We have stopped eating butter. We have stopped eating handful of peanuts due to fear of cholesterol. Due to lack of awareness. The good fats whether it is coconut, ghee, nut we are not eating them or we are eating them in an ultra processed manner.  One should eat fresh peanuts. This is not done. you have to eat in time, and in an proper portion. When people leave essential fats it start consuming laxatives. Consuming some fibre powder, or some pill of fibre. Putting fiber in Flour. This is an excess fiber which you are eating, which may be one of the cause of poor digestion. It can cause loose motions or sometimes constipation. But clear motions becomes difficult. So bring good fats back in your diet and in your life for smooth digestion.
5. Due to sedentary lifestyle : Make sure you are going outdoors. You are getting exercise. The more you are active your digestion is better. Good digestion is linked to how much you use your legs.

            "Oh God my skin is wrinkling, what should I do? Use your legs more often.

What are easy, inexpensive, local, home made, easily accessible  solutions to correct poor digestion: Things you just don't need to buy from anywhere. Which you get it in your own kitchen.

Good things for digestion

Ghee & Jaggery : A teaspoon of Ghee & Jaggery : If you close your lunch with ghee and jaggery (post lunch as sweet dish), you digestion becomes smooth immediately. Because it is good for the lining of your intestine. Jaggery will also add a little bit of fibre and little bit of iron to your to your meals and it taste also very good, it also helps in hydration. so the sugar craving also goes away. Instead of eating a piece of chocolate. A lot of times when we suffer from poor digestion, we suffer from bad breath, this combination also kills the bad breath. Eat a teaspoon of jaggery and about a teaspoon of ghee.

The combination is not just healthy, it is tasty and satisfies your sweet cravings. The powerful combination will boost immunity and help with hormones. Rich in iron and essential fatty acids.

Banana :

Bananas improves digestive health and have prebiotic effects, meaning they feed your friendly gut bacteria and stimulate their growth.The evidence suggests that bananas tend to reduce constipation rather than cause it. They contain dietary fiber that helps bulk up stools and make them softer.

It is a magical fruit of India. Low calorie and high fibre, bananas are quite filling. It is prebiotic. It means food for probiotic and good bacteria of your body. It contains 3 grams of fiber which can give you satiated feeling for long hours. Unless you eat prebiotic you cannot keep colonies of healthy bacteria alive and thriving in your system. You can start your day with banana or you can end your lunch and dinner with banana or it can be consumed between 4 to 6 PM. If you eat banana, your gut bacteria thrives and your digestion improves. The problem that your body is swelling in the evening and thin in the morning will subside. You will feel slim and trim, healthy and fit. 

Curd & Raisins : 

                                                       

Curd & Raisin is a combination of prebiotic and probiotic. As you all know curd is one of the panchamrita. This is the traditional endorsed recipe of our dadi and nani. This helps in belching problem, interrupted sleep, gas, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Polycystic  ovarian disease (PCOD), or you simply have a very week digestion, curd and raisin will help you out. It will increase hemoglobin level and the level of B12 also. You can eat this after lunch or around 3 to 4 PM in afternoon. This you have to set it at home. Use full cream milk. Preferably use black raisins as they are rich in iron. One can set with Khajur or Kharik also. (Dates).

Having curd with raisins help in weight loss, regulate cholesterol levels and reducing BP . As curd act as a probiotic and the raisins with their high content of soluble fibre as prebiotic, together they neutralize the bad bacteria and promote the growth of good bacteria. Setting curd with raisin increase your gut bacteria which helps in improving your overall health. The combination with having curd with raisin works in two ways: they kill all the bad bacteria that disrupts the digestive system and the combination helps in promoting healthy gut bacteria. It reduces the inflammation in the intestine. Keeps your teeth and gums healthy. You can have it as a post meal snacks too. Good for bones and joints. As both raisins and curd are rich in calcium, which helps in strengthening bones and increase bone density. Promotes weight loss and regulates cholesterol level and reduces blood pressure.

Walking, Yoga, Activity, Gym : 
Bring back activity in your life. If you walk in excess that also will create a problem . So don't overdo walking or other exercises. In your exercise also include yoga . We have lots of standing Asana in yoga like Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana, All of them are extremely important for the digestion process. Do yoga regularly. Also ensure your strength training . When you don't strength train, the paristalysis with which intestines are able to contract and evacuate your bowel falls. So you also need a strong body. The only way to get the strong body is to strength train regularly, whether you choose at home or at the gym you strength training regularly. You stretch regularly. Walking around and staying at your feet will make you active . Don't get obsessed with the number . If somebody rings your doorbell go and open the door. So small things help do those things.

Triangle pose Trikonasana ( त्रिकोणासन  )        
                                                       

                                         

Technique : In this, stand back to a wall and separate the feet. Now walk the left foot about a couple of inches, while maintaining your balance. Now, stretch the arms horizontally while turning the right foot perpendicular to the left. Maintain the arm in an outstretched position and breathe for about half a minute. Straightened up and do the same for opposite side.

Benefit : 

• Stimulates the abdominal organs.
• Improves digestion.

                                                
Warrior Pose  Virabhadrasana  ( वीरभद्रासन )

 

                                             

Technique :  Stand with your legs three to four feet apart and turn your right foot slightly to the right, and your left foot 90 degrees to the left. Align your left heel with your right heel. Expand your arms out stretching them parallel to the floor, with your palms facing down. As you exhale, bend your left knee, bringing your left thigh as parallel to the floor as Is comfortable for you. Keep expanding your arms away from your body keeping the torso long and the shoulders entered over your pelvis. Press your outer right heel into the floor and focus on firming the right leg as you bend the left knee.Do not allow your back to "sway" out instead, keep the tailbone tilted slightly towards the pelvis. This asana strengthens the legs and knee muscles and improves balance. This pose helps sciatica, rheumatism and osteoarthritis of knee and hip. It strengthens the legs and also makes them more flexible.
Benefit: 

• Strengthens your shoulders, arms, legs, ankles and back.
• Opens yours hips, chest and lungs.
• Improves focus, balance and stability.
• Encourages good circulation and respiration.
• Stretches your arms, legs, shoulders, neck, belly, groins and ankles.
• Energizes the entire body.

Napping : Stressed or being too hassled all the time. Refusing to take a break. Not really napping. Napping is critical. Mostly when your digestion goes down your sleep quality also goes down. And when your sleep quality suffers. Napping every afternoon for 15-20 minutes enhances the quality of sleep in the night. It will actually allow you to hit that deep sleep at night. When you sleep well you wake up fresh and you let go off everything that you don't need to hold on to, whether it's in your mind or in stomach.

                "Never control 4 urges : Thirst, hunger, urination and excretion."

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