D for Digestive Aids : The Seat of Immunity - Your Gut

Agni the digestive fire is the source of awareness, nutrition and intelligence. This has been reaffirmed via the ‘Science of the Gut’.

Balance is a key principle of Taoist philosophy, and the bedrock of traditional Chinese medicine as well as Ayurveda. Eating a balance of cooling and heating foods is essential to maintain the ‘Qi’ or ‘Ojas’ which leads to good health.

Food in ancient India is seen as ‘prasad’ which means ‘an offering’ . Why so? Because the idea is to encourage a ritual and feeling of reverence.

Why is this important?

Well, the process of good digestion is seen as being the centre of the force of good living - ‘Ojas’. When you sit in front of your food there are 3 things to note and do and each with science-backed reasoning :

1. Offer a few seconds of prayer to begin the meal - you can choose to not pray, but just sit in silence.

   • Reason : Sitting in front of your food, closing your eyes allows the nose to pick up the delicious aroma of the food. This sends the signals to your brain that it is time to eat. And scientific research proves that this allows for salivation to activate in an appropriate manner. And the saliva is the first, most important step of great digestion.

2. Switch off devices while eating - yes, all of them!

   • Reason : Ancient saying in Hawai captures this well - where attention goes, energy flows. Eating slowly, and maintaining focus on the food allows the sensory experience to set in allows the process of digestion to happen in an optimum manner. Eating isn’t just about food, taste, calories or nutrition. It is an emotional process, it activates more than one sense - there is texture, aroma, visuals, and of course taste! Attention on the food means, proper digestive energies are activated.

3. End of Meal Ritual - After you’ve done eating, keep sitting for a couple of minutes

   • Reason : Once you’ve eaten, give your body time to receive the signals that eating has ended and that digestion has to begin. Enjoy the silence or speak to your loved ones and connect with them. Be with yourself and be mindful. Also, silence acts like a great circuit breaker. Between running errands and thinking of the next thing on your to-do list, silence helps to cut through the busy-ness, take a moment to align.

There maybe times that your digestive system acts up, use food as an information to guide it back to balance.

Below are three recipes with effective ways to heal your gut, boost digestion and restore balance.

1. Amber Coconut Milk for Acidity

1. Coconut Milk - Freshly grated coconut combined with little water and strained for a smooth consistency

2. Strands of Saffron - 2/3

3. Cardamom Pods - 1/2

4. Honey to Taste

Combine well and have whenever you feel like your stomach feels upset.

Coconut milk has a luxuriant richness that feeds your liver and restores balance. It calms the nerves and soothes the stomach.

2. Takra, for bloating

1. 1 Tbsp Home-set Yogurt

2. For 1 glass of water

3. Pinch of Jeera

4. Pinch of Asafoetida

5. Pinch of Black Salt

6. Pinch of Rock Salt

Churn with a ‘mathaani’ or mix well. Especially great for summers, this ancient digestive, best had after lunch has a unique blend of spices to eliminate bloating. They say this mixture is supposed to be so light and clear that if you were to pour it from one glass to another from a height, one must be able to see through the pour.

3. CCF Tea for Ease of Digestion

A gentle herbal brew that's easy on the stomach, yet so effective. Light refreshing notes that can elevate your afternoon tea and mood.

1. Fennel

2. Cumin

3. Coriander

Take all three in equal ratio - 1 tsp for 1 cup. Pour in 2 cups water and reduce to a cup. Have as afternoon tea or whenever you feel your system could use an extra boost.

As they say where there is tea, there is hope.