Health And Wellness Blogs

Drink warm water upon rising and with your meals.  The ancients believed water was sacred.  Today we know that water is vital to good health.  Drinking a cup of warm water upon rising in the morning is a good practice that cleanses the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates the body for elimination.

It is also the Ayurvedic drink of choice with meals.  But use moderation:  if you drink too much water, it can dilute the digestive enzymes, making it more difficult to digest your food.  As with all things Ayurvedic, for optimal absorption, water should be cooked and consumed at body temperature.  To determined just how warm that is, put your hand under your arm pit, your water should be at least that warm.  Can't bring yourself to drink warm water?  Then at least try and avoid drinking cold water with your meals, as this slows the digestive process.

This sounds like something your mother would have said to you.  Well, mother was right.  It is important to chew food so that your digestive tract can properly process your food.  But how much chewing is enough?  Ideally, chewing your food until it becomes liquid would be the best.  Depending on the amount and type of food you put in your mouth, this could vary from anywhere between twenty to fifty bites!  An apple or steak would take much longer to get to the liquid stage than mashed potatoes. Chewing steak until it becomes liquid may seem like a long time but I encourage you to try it once and observe how your body reacts.  This will give you an idea about how you feel when you chew properly. Alternatively, you may take smaller bites and wait until you have swallowed before taking another mouthful.  This will slow down your eating as well as increase your mindfulness during the meal. Chew, chew, chew!!

The ancient Rishis had an understanding of the mind-body connection.  To aid digestion, they recommended eating in a harmonious environment, with good company.  Today we know that stress has a huge impact on our digestive system.  It suppresses digestion and reduces blood flow, digestive enzymes and muscle contraction.  So at mealtime set aside your obligations, stress and electronic devices and find a pleasant place to relax and enjoy your meal.  Take a moment to feel gratitude for the meal and consciously appreciate the taste and texture of each morsel.  The pace of your meal should be neither too slow or too fast.  If you concentrate on what your mouth is chewing, you will naturally eat at just the right pace.  By listening to your body, you will deliver just what it needs, also assisting in maintaining your healthy weight.

It takes about six hours for an average Western-size meal to complete the digestive process.  Why six hours?  One hour for each of the six tastes.  It is best not to overload the digestive system with more food until it has properly absorbed and assimilated the previous meal.  Snacking between meals restarts the digestive cycle even though the previous cycle is incomplete. By eating between meals you are asking your system to work overtime with no breaks.  I know this goes against many other diet recommendations, but try it to see if your weight returns to it's natural state.  It is all about listening to your body's intelligence.  If you find you are really hungry between meals, it is often a sign of dehydration rather than hunger.  Try sipping some tea.  If that doesn't work, a piece of fruit may be consumed.