Learn to eat foods that suit your digestion
As we age our digestive fire becomes weaker. Bloating, gas and gut problems will happen if you eat foods that do not suit your digestion. Our digestion can be impacted simply by a change of season - especially the colder weather. For this reason it is a time we need to be particularly aware to listen to our bodies signals.
Our Ayurveda and Yoga for over 40's "live-online" classes are a great place to start as we introduce Ayurveda in a simple way you can digest. Traditionally Yoga and Ayurveda are practiced together. It is very beneficial to learn about Ayurveda and your digestion to improve the quality of your life.
There are several other factors that can disturb the balance of our system such as excessive talking, movement, wrong types of foods, sounds, smells and touch. Our constitution or Prakruti* is what we are born with and it only becomes a problem when aggravated. Others doshas may dominate according to lifestyle habits and these are called Vikruti*. It too can be a problem if it gets too far out of balance.
There are many benefits to incorporating an Ayurvedic lifestyle. Similarly Ayurveda provides knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses on all levels. Each individuals Prakruti determines what we can and cannot digest. If you take in things that you can’t digest, they turn toxic in your body and create imbalances in the doshas*. Imbalances in the doshas result in both physical and mental disorders.
Ayurveda guidelines enhance our digestive system
Ayurveda aims to reduce or avoid foods that cannot be digested. This in turn will aid the digestion to ensure our food becomes our medicine and provides maximum benefit. Some foods or cooking methods recommended by Ayurveda seem counter-intuitive to the Western idea of nutrition.
Contemporary beliefs promote a broad range of foods to ensure adequate nutrition. However this can be problematic with wrong food combinations and eating out of season etc. Ayurveda focuses on foods that are the best for each persons unique system when and how to eat them. Consequently eating inline with your Prakruti and using certain cooking methods will aid digestion. In turn the nutrients can be absorbed readily and you will be healthier all round.
In the West, we often use vitamin and mineral supplements because our body cannot absorb sufficient nutrients from our regular diet. According to Ayurveda, this is probably because we cannot digest the foods containing these nutrients or other eating habits. Ayurveda says that if our digestion is working well we will absorb all of the nutrients we need from compatible foods. Despite the fact that cooking may reduce some nutrients. As the golden rule of real estate is position, position, position, the golden rule of Ayurveda the science of life is digestion, digestion, digestion.
Learn about your digestion with Ayurveda
* Prakruti – primal nature; also our biological constitution at birth
* Vikruti – current imbalance or disease state
* Dosha – one of the three basic types of biological energy, which determine individual constitution: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. It can also mean the excess of one of these in nature.
Take our Ayurveda test
Vata, Pitta, or Kapha? According to Ayurveda, doshas are the energy patterns that flow around our bodies, governing our thinking and behaviour. Read more about why you would want to complete our dosha test here.
This Dosha Quiz will give you a breakdown of your Ayurvedic mind-body type. At the end of the test, you will learn about your personal Ayurveda type which can be used as a general guide for tips to enhance your health, from nutrition to yoga and meditation.
Balance is the key to a healthy body and mind and the ancient tools of Yoga and Ayurveda really do work! Below are basic Ayurveda eating guidelines.
Try our short Ayurveda dosha test
Our short test will only provide somewhat of an understanding of your dosha but it is not conclusive as there are many variables that come into play. Put a mark against which best describes you and get yourself a tally. If you would like to have a private one-on-one session with Zoe at Bondi Yoga Therapy you can read more about this here.
Holistic nomads has an even more comprehensive Ayurveda dosha test but this does not replace a consultation with an Ayurveda practitioner.
