In Ayurveda, there is a Sanskrit verse which says “roger sarvepa mandagnau”. This essentially means that low agni (digestive fire) and poor digestion are the cause of all dis-orders. Consequently, these factors cause immunity to be lowered. This tenet forms the basis of Ayurveda and, by improving gut health and therefore immunity, we can alleviate many dis-orders.
So where to start?
1.
Consume simple, homemade foods with just a few ingredients, using light spices such as cumin, coriander and cinnamon to allow the body to easily digest what food is being eaten.
2.
Eat seasonally and locally. Eating in harmony with the earth and universe can also help as they provide anything and everything that we would ever need, at all times of the year! Learning to live at one with our surroundings can have an untold impact on our overall health and immunity.
3.
Once we learn to follow the guidance above and do it correctly, including and balancing the 6 tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent, our tongues sing and dance the music of life! Your body responds by feeling nourished, satisfied and happy. This is called preenana.
4.
Switch to drinking warm water and avoid cold and ice cold water. This means that the agni (digestive fire; enzymes) is unlikely to become extinguished. Drinking the latter is like putting a bucket of water on an open fire and can promote the formation of ama (toxins) which can then travel round the body and cause dis-order.
5.
Fast properly. What do we mean by this? We mean not starving ourselves unnecessarily! Anyone can incorporate this into daily life by allowing sufficient time between meals and eating dinner early. This then allows the body to do what it needs to do whilst you sleep; detoxify ready for you to eliminate in the morning!
6.
Get a good night’s rest! This allows the body to detox properly overnight.
As the saying goes: “eat when you are hungry, drink when you are thirsty, sleep when you are tired”
Hari Krishan
Ayurvedic Diet & Lifestyle Consultantwww.anandaveda.space