Here are some universally applicable principles of eating that ayurvedic healers recommend to keep your digestion working efficiently:
1. Offer thanks or sit in silence a minute before you begin eating.
2. Eat three meals a day. Fasting and skipping meals are not recommended in ayurveda because they throw the digestion rhythm off.
3. As soon as you wake up in the morning, drink a cup of hot water with a tablespoon of lemon juice in it. This will help elimination, get the digestive juices flowing, and cleanse out the digestive tract.
4. Drink lots of water during the day, but limit your water or beverage intake at meals.
5. At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk spiced with nutmeg for Vata, cardamom for Pitta and ginger for Kapha.
6. Eat at around the same times each day.
7. Eat in the area or room that is designated for eating in your home or office. Do not eat in front of the television or at your workstation.
8. Cold drinks and ice creams mixed with warm cooked foods can cause stomach cramps, bloating and general discomfort in the stomach area.
9. Do not gulp down your food; savor each mouthful and chew well before you swallow.
10. A few sips of warm water during the meal will help digestion.
11. After eating your food, sit quietly for a few minutes.
12. At any meal, do not eat until you are very full. The ideal ayurvedic portion is what you could hold in your two cupped hands joined together. Leaving some room in the stomach when you are done enhances digestion.
13. The ginger and lemon juice helps to increase the digestive power.
14. Lassi drinks help to reduce gas and bloating. They also taste delicious and can make a meal more satisfying and nutritious.
METHOD OF PREPARATION :
1. 1 cup of water
2. 1/4 fresh yogurt
3. 1 pinch ground ginger
4. 1 pinch ground cumin
5. 1 pinch ground coriander
6. 1 pinch salt
Blend for one or two minutes and drink after lunch.
15. Pomegranate chutney aids digestion and elimination.
METHOD OF PREPARATION:
1. Dried Pomegranate seeds – 8 teaspoons
2. Rock salt (or some natural salt) – 2 teaspoons
3. Black pepper powder – 1/4 teaspoon
4. Cumin seeds – 2 teaspoons
5. Dried lemon juice – 1/8 teaspoon
6. Pure cane sugar – 25 teaspoons
Grind and powder all herbs and seeds separately. Adding one herb at a time mix all herbs together. This produces a powdered mixture . Store it in an airtight container, for up to a month. Use it as a spice on one food at every meal.