How To Optimize Digestion: The Key to Perfect Health

[Guest guest]

How to Optimize Digestion: The Key to Perfect Health

 

 

According to eastern medicine, many of the diseases

facing modern culture relate directly to diet and

lifestyle behaviors that weaken digestion. The

foundation of health and longevity in eastern medicine

centers on digesting ones food completely. The balance

of health is dependent on complete digestion,

assimilation, and elimination.

 

Food that is not completely digested, accumulates in

the body over time and is considered toxic which can

lead to various diseases. The accumulation of toxins

can lead to a heat imbalance. Western medicine

classifies this as inflammation. Eastern medicine

classifies rosacea as a skin condition relating toxic

heat in the blood.

 

Western medicine views digestion in terms of chewing,

saliva, hydrochloric acid, enzymes,and bile in

relation to the component parts of food like

carbohydrates, protein and fat. Eastern medicine views

digestion more in terms of the energy required to

digest food and the dietary guidelines that optimize

digestion. The analogy used is that the stomach is

like a cooking pot, and energy from the spleen is like

the flame that cooks the food in the stomach. A strong

spleen equals strong digestion.

 

Digestive strength tends to decline with age. A young

person usually can eat what is considered bad food and

digest the food due to their digestive strength. Some

people have a weak digestion due to congenital

weakness. The high consumption of ant-acid and

constipation medications in modern culture is a

reflection of digestive imbalance. Eastern medicine

considers diet modification the first line of defense

when treating disease.

 

The following guidelines come from both Ayurvedic and

Chinese mediicne and are designed to optimize

digestion. These guidelines are in accord with common

sense and living in balance with nature and your body.

You may not be able to implement all these guidelines

in the beginning, however the more you include them in

your eating habits, the stronger your digestion and

health will be. Many of these guidelines are ignored

by modern culture which can lead to the diseases that

affect modern culture. If we pay as much attention to

our health as we give to maintaining our automobiles,

we can prevent disease!

 

 

1. Eat when truly hungry. Drink when truly thirsty. A

strong appetite indicates a strong digestive fire

which is required to digest food completely. Avoid

eating when not hungry and do not delay eating when

hungry.

 

2. Chew your food well. Digestion begins in the mouth.

Even good food can become bad without complete

digestion. Rushing through a meal and gulping food

with little chewing places a burden on the digestive

system.

 

3. Eat with your attention on your food. Dividing your

attention with other activities while eating weakens

digestion. Best not to eat while talking, reading,

driving, or watching television. Eat in a relaxed

environment. Turn off any distractions.

 

4. Do not drink iced beverages with your food.

Chilling the stomach puts out the digestive fire. This

also applies to cold food like too much ice cream.

Also carbonated beverages are not considered ideal for

digestion.

 

5. Do not over fill the stomach. Best to eat two

thirds stomach capacity and fill the rest with a room

temperature or warm liquid like herb tea. Specific

teas for digestion and Ayurvedic body type can be

found at the health food store.

 

6. Do not eat until the last meal you ate is digested.

Normally it takes at least 3 to 4 hours to digest a

meal. Eating between meals is not recommended.

 

7. Eat your main meal at noon time. Dinner should be

smaller in portion.

 

8. Eat dinner before or around 7:00 PM. Eating after

this time impairs digestion.

 

9. Eat at regular times during the day. Irregular

eating times impairs digestion.

 

10. Eat food in accord with your body type as outlined

by Ayurvedic medicine.

 

11. Eat a balance of foods in accord with its

energetic quality and the four seasons as outlined by

Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. Generally more cooling

foods during the warms months and warming foods during

the cold months.

 

12. Include the six tastes in your meals. The six

tastes are Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter, and

Astringent. The six tastes enliven digestion and also

result in feeling satisfied after eating. See

Ayurvedic Cooking by Dr. Vasant Lad for food and taste

categories.

 

13. Spices like Ginger, Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric,

Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Black Pepper enhance

digestion. In Ayurveda, a mixture of spices called a

Churna is formulated according to ones body type is

used for enhancing digestion.

 

14. Eat when emotionally balanced. Strong emotions

impair digestion. Unresolved emotions impair

digestion. Best not to eat to fill emotional needs.

 

15. Eat fresh foods freshly prepared. Avoid

refrigerated leftovers, frozen, canned, processed, and

micro-waved food because it is considered de-natured

and does result in being completely digested. Food

that is de-natured is devoid of life energy. Life

energy is called Prana by Ayurveda and Chi by Chinese

medicine.

 

16. Internal cleansing of the liver, gallbladder,

kidneys, and intestines are important procedures for

restoring normal digestion. Once cleansed, cleansing

each spring and fall is considered ideal for

maintenance.

 

17. Eat organic food whenever possible. Best to eat

foods grown locally and in season.

 

18. Avoid genetically modified food.

 

19. Include a variety of meals each day. A variety of

food enhances digestion.

 

20. Presentation of food is important. Color, texture,

and aroma of food enlivens and enhances digestion

which also also satisfies the senses.

 

21. Deep fried food in oil is one of the worst for

digestion. Food is best cooked by Steaming, Boiling,

Baking, Broiling, Stir Frying or use a Slow Cooker.

Food should not be under or over cooked. Stainless

steel is the best cookware. Avoid aluminum cookware

since aluminum is considered toxic. Non stick cookware

is questionable.

 

22. The ideal diet is centered around the whole foods

of cooked grains, cooked legumes, cooked vegetables

and some fruit. Additionally, good fat like clarified

butter and olive oil, raw sugar, sea salt, and

condiments are included.

 

23. Whole foods contain ample fiber which is critical

for the transit time of food through the intestines.

The intestines require fiber to move food normally.

Foods devoid of fiber like animal meat, refined white

flour, refined white sugar, etc. congest the

intestines causing constipation and health imbalances.

 

24. Do not eat when constipated.

 

25. In order to facilitate complete elimination when

having a bowel movement, use a 7 inch foot stool to

elevate the legs which replicates the natural

squatting position.

 

26. Avoid too much raw food. Too much raw food

suppresses the digestive fire. Raw fruit and vegetable

salads are best eaten according to body type and

during warm weather.

 

27. Clarified butter also know as ghee enlivens and

enhances digestion. One teaspoon on a meal is

sufficient.

 

28. Probiotics like acidophilus in a couple capsules

consumed for a few months helps to restore healthy

flora in the intestines which is important for

digestion.

 

29. Triphala is a excellent herbal powder that

cleanses and tones the entire digestive tract plus

strengthens the digestive fire. One teaspoon in

capsules with water is taken before sleep.

 

30. Drakscha is a herbal liquid used in Ayurveda to

enliven and enhance digestion. Two tablespoons is

added to a quarter cup of water and taken before

meals. A similar liquid is used in Western herbalism

is called Digestive Grape Bitters or Swedish Bitters.

 

31. Combine and prepare food according to Ayurvedic

principles. See Ayurvedic Cooking by Dr. Vasant Lad.

Eating a starch with sugar in the evening can lead to

fermentation in the stomach which is considered toxic.

Cooking honey in food is considered toxic. Heating

sunflower oil is considered toxic.

 

32. Exercise like walking helps the digestive process.

 

33. Sleep by 10:00 P.M. for optimum digestion.

 

34. Although westerner's tend to think of

strengthening digestion by supplementing with enzymes

and hydrochloric acid, these supplements should not be

necessary if following the guidelines here.

 

35. The spleen is the flame of digestion. A strong

spleen equals strong digestion. The strength of the

spleen and digestion is determined through pulse and

tongue analysis of Chinese medicine. Energy herbs like

Siberian Ginseng and Ashwagandha strengthen the

spleen. Accupunture can also strengthen the spleen.

 

36. Ideal to sit for five minutes after eating then

walk for five minutes.

 

37. The digestive fire can be enlivened by a one day

fast. Also a one teaspoon mixture of ginger and lemon

juice before a meal can enliven the digestive fire.

 

38. Chinese massage of the abdomen called Chi Nei

Tsang is one of the most powerful procedures for

resolving deep seated emotions which also re-balances

digestion.

 

39. Follow your natural instinct and listen to your

body in relation to diet. For many, natural instinct

has been overshadowed by advertising and fast

convenient food choices.

 

40. Cook your food with love and compassion.

 

Enjoy what you eat. Eating is one of life's great

enjoyments!

 

 

References

 

Live In The Balance: East West Nutrition - Linda Prout

 

The Tao of Health Eating - Bob Flaws

 

Ayurvedic Cooking - Dr. Vasant Lad

 

Ayurvedic Healing - Dr. David Frawley

 

Perfect Health - Dr. Deepak Chopra

 

Perfect Digestion - Dr. Deepak Chopra

 

The Ayurvedic Cookbook - Amadea Morningstar

 

Stop Your Cravings - Jennifer Workman

 

Chi Nei Tsang - Mantak Chia

 

Heavens Banquet - Miriam Hospodar

 

A Simple Celebration - Ginna Bell Bragg

 

The Amazing Liver Cleanse - Andreas Moritz

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this information, it is very helpful. A question:

 

A. No. 38 - Chinese abdominal massage, do you have any more information on

this?

 

B. Christmas food is pretty bad: booz, cookies, shortcake, cakes,

fruitcake, pies -

mincemeat, candy canes, other candy, and more candy, chocolate [sugar!],

roast turkey, vegetables with lots of sauces and butter, etc. (This is true

of all holidays, Easter, Thanksgiving, other.) How do we cope with all

this?

 

 

 

 

-

" OneLove " <alchematron

 

Sunday, December 19, 2004 10:56 PM

How To Optimize Digestion: The Key to Perfect

Health

 

> How to Optimize Digestion: The Key to Perfect Health

>

>

> According to eastern medicine, many of the diseases

> facing modern culture relate directly to diet and

> lifestyle behaviors that weaken digestion. The

> foundation of health

[Guest guest]

Hi CT

 

See below

 

Thank you for this information, it is very helpful. A

question:

 

A. No. 38 - Chinese abdominal massage, do you have any

more information on

this?

 

Chi Nei Tsang

http://www.chineitsang.com

 

Unwinding The Belly

http://www.unwindingthebelly.com

 

 

B. Christmas food is pretty bad: booz, cookies,

shortcake, cakes,

fruitcake, pies -

mincemeat, candy canes, other candy, and more candy,

chocolate [sugar!],

roast turkey, vegetables with lots of sauces and

butter, etc. (This is true

of all holidays, Easter, Thanksgiving, other.) How do

we cope with all

this?

 

I would suggest taking a proactive approach by

creating healthy alternatives of many of the above and

sharing them with your friends and family. Whole wheat

instead of white flour. Raw sugar instead of white

sugar. Carob instead of chocolate. Rice or soy milk

instead of dairy. Vegetarian meat instead of animal

meat. Egg replacer and fruit puree for bakery foods.

There are recipes in the books I referenced plus many

on the net. Here are a few sources.

 

Fat Free

http://www.fatfree.com

 

Veg Source

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/recipes/index.html

 

Merry Christmas

 

OneLove

 

 

 

-

" OneLove " <alchematron

 

Sunday, December 19, 2004 10:56 PM

How To Optimize Digestion:

The Key to Perfect

Health

 

> How to Optimize Digestion: The Key to Perfect Health

>

>

> According to eastern medicine, many of the diseases

> facing modern culture relate directly to diet and

> lifestyle behaviors that weaken digestion. The

> foundation of health