Yoga - Meditation - Ayurvedic
  • nl
  • en
  • de
  • fr

Ayurvedic Digestion

The importance of proper digestion in Ayurveda lifestyle.
Ayurveda attaches great importance to the digestive fire, as this can cause many diseases. If disease is revealed there is always a problem in the intestines.

Agni

We call the digestive fire Agni. The fire, which is responsible for all physiological processes in the body. Agni is the fire in the gastrointestinal tract, but also live fire. The fire that causes transformation. Agni has a close relationship with our state of mind. When one has other hormones are created a positive mood than when one is sad or angry. This hormone production has an impact on digestion and agni.

Digestive

Agni ensures that the food is broken down into smaller and smaller particles and stimulates the food is absorbed. Agni is present in the digestive tract, but also in each individual cell. When agni is functioning properly in the body, it is optimally absorbed the nutrition it takes. In addition, waste products are excreted optimal.
Usually one does not stand still in digestion. This occurs when there are problems such as heartburn, ulcer, inflammation and so on. Yet very often that our digestive system is not functioning optimally. Example, we may notice that the stool. An abutment on the tongue may be present. We may suffer from much gas. These are all signs that the digestive system is not functioning optimally.

Food scraps

ls agni becomes disrupted, food will remain in the intestine and begin to accumulate there. They are going to form a dirty tacky mass in the intestines, which is called ama. Ama can block the intestines, or by the body to spread and example clog the bloodstream. The AMA will undergo chemical changes over time and form toxins that can also come anywhere into the body via the blood. In the body vulnerabilities will be found and there ama will cause problems. In Ayurveda it is said that ama is the cause of many diseases.

Ayurvedic

The digestive system varies from person to person. We see that in Ayurveda vata is characterized by digestive irregularity. When vata people agni depending on the mood, so they eat irregularly. A pitta digestive system is very powerful and kapha digestion is slow and heavy. These are the natural inclinations matching the constitutions.

Types agni

Caution: When waste products are not secreted, it can cause a variety of symptoms, such as, for example, arthritis, lower back pain, asthma, bronchitis, headaches.
Thirteen types of agni:
1. one kind Jathar agni, the main agni, who works in the gastrointestinal tract.
2. 5 kinds Bhutas (the 5 major elements) Agni, which acts in the liver. Akasha - ether; Vaya - air; Agneya (tejas) - Fire; Apaya (Jala) - water and Parthiva (Prithvi) - Earth.
3. 7 kinds dhathu Agni; rasa (plasma), Rakta (Blood), m-AMSA (muscle tissue), Meda (adipose tissue), asthi (bones), majja (bone marrow, and nerve tissue) and Sukra (sperm and ovum).

Jathar agni

Jathar agni is the hoofdagni.

How Jathar agni is balanced :

  • This Agni is influenced by emotion and regularity. If one has a good mood, they digest food better. There is a close link between the mind and agni.
  • Silence or prayer before and after meals gives peace, which the absorption and digestion improves.
  • Food with respect and a nice quiet atmosphere.
  • Make sure the food looks good and tasty. All the senses must be stimulated; smell, taste, to the eye, touch (eating with the hands, as example in Eastern countries) and a pleasant space.
  • A strict diet with much reluctance will not benefit agni.
  • The quality and quantity of the food must be good.
  • The fire burns well if we regularly throw the right amount. We eat too much remains part undigested behind.
  • The ingredients are important. A little pepper stimulates the burning, burning too much.
  • Eat according to its own constitution.
  • Eat at the right time, for example, the main meal as much as possible in pitta time. This is between 10:00 - 14:00.
  • Eat only when the previous meal is digested.

Signals when agni is too high:

  • A burning sensation in the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach;
  • Diarrhea;
  • irritability;
  • Quick excited;
  • Excessive sweating and thirst.

Signals when agni is too low:

  • gasification;
  • belching;
  • farmers;
  • A slow digestion;
  • Programs can be difficult morning wake;
  • Constipation.

How is disturbed agni:

  • See the rules to keep in balance agni;
  • Usually by overeating;
  • Often by irregular eating;
  • Often by eating between meals;
  • Because of strong stimulants such as coffee and alcohol.

How can one improve agni:

  • take smaller meals;
  • Water with lemon juice from a fresh lemon;
  • Ginger tea also helps with gas;
  • Eating in harmony with the seasons.

Ginger

Ginger is considered in Ayurveda as the universal herbal medicine for its unique culinary and medicinal properties. It has verhittende properties and is suitable for both disorders of vata and kapha.

  • The effect of ginger on our body:
  • The detoxifying;
  • It affects the absorption, digestion and relieve our food;
  • It is appetizing;
  • As a ginger juice is mixed with oil, it may, if it is applied to the skin, in rheumatic pains, headache and migraine excellent help to relieve the pain;
  • Works with respiratory diseases;
  • Works with motion sickness and nausea in pregnancy. Source: Ayurveda News 1/2005.

Other herbs that are good for agni: cinnamon / cardamom / cloves / mustard / black pepper.
Note: Ginger is an excellent means to regulate agni. Fresh ginger aids digestion, dry ginger is very good for kapha complaints.
 
Energetic: tart, sweet / heating / sweet; 
Ginger reduces Vata and Kapha and Pitta increases; 
Tissues: All tissues; 
Systems: digestion, respiration; 
Effects: stimulating, diaphoretic, expectorant, carminative, emetic oppressive, pijnopheffend.

Eating habits

  • Good eating habits promote agni:
  • Eat like the previous meal has been digested;
  • Eat as many fresh and seasonal food;
  • During the meal you can drink sip wise if the food is dry;
  • Drink warm beverages during meals;
  • For a good digestion 15 minutes before meals tea made from fresh ginger.

Six flavors

Provide six flavors during the meal:

  • sweet - ground / water eg fruits, milk, cereals,.
  • salt - fire / water eg sea salt,.
  • acid - earth / fire eg cheese, fruit;.
  • bitter - coffee, green leafy vegetables;
  • sour - ground / air eg apples, bananas, celery, cauliflower,.
  • sharp - fire / earth eg pepper, radish, peppers.

radiance meal

  • Make sure the food looks nice;
  • Be half an hour before meals provided. Digestion is preparing for the smell of cooking;
  • Boil in a good mood;
  • Prayer before and after meals / a moment of silence;
  • Eat concentrated and talking about light-hearted topics;
  • A little alcohol works on the digestion beneficial, too much brake.

Examples of unhealthy food combinations

  • Yoghurt, curd or cheese after 18:00. They are mucus forming. Kapha time.
  • Never combine fish, meat and vegetables with milk. Kapha increasing
  • No fruit after meals. Works fermenting.

Agni and ama

If agni is not good will ama formed in the body. 
How do you know that ama exists?

  • The tongue may be steamed;
  • The taste in the mouth is unpleasant;
  • Bad breath;
  • Digestive system is weak, there is constipation and / or diarrhea;
  • Painful joints;
  • decreases appetite;
  • Urine is cloudy, stool has a strong odor.

Scrota's

Scrota are paths along which Agni (force / energy) is moving. These jobs of, for example, blood, nervous system, meridians, can be disrupted by ama. Ama is what we call slab / stop.

Dhatus

What is the location of the organs in the whole of the seven tissues (dhatus). The bodies have the function to make sure that the blood transports the proper nutrients, so that they can be included in a specific order in the 7 different tissues. They transform the food intake (eg. The liver), or just keeping certain substances that were not to enter the blood and excrete thereafter from (eg. Kidney). Also, they are transported (via scrota's = channels) nutrients to the endocrine glands for conversion there and from there back to the blood. 
 
The agencies have a close connection with the tissues, but not the tissue itself.