Digestion as key to reduce bloating
The process of digestion is the process of cooking happening inside the body. Before we cook any dish, we have to turn on the stove, while cooking is happening, we have to make sure that the temperature is at right setting and once we’re done with cooking it’s important to turn off the stove. Luckily our body is super intelligent and it can perform all of these activities by itself. All we have to do is
• To cooperate with it through these processes and
• To avoid causing troubles
What why and how of bloating
Ayurveda says that the root cause of majority of diseases is Manda agni (manda= sluggish | agni = digestion & metabolism). Manda agni happens when the body loses its intelligence of turning on the stove, regulate the cooking process and turn off the stove which leads to indigestion, bloating, constipation etc., Now let’s learn 3 digestive hacks to reduce bloating ayurvedically.
Hack: 1 – Turning on the stove
To turn on the stove inside our body we need
Fresh ginger: 1 inch (thinly sliced)
Salt: a pinch
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Combine all of these ingredients in a small bowl. Chew 2 to 3 slices 30 minutes before every meal
Ingredient break-down
Properties of Ginger:
- Ruchya – known for improving the taste
- Deepaniya – that which improves the digestion and metabolism
- Vibandha hara – helpful in clearing the obstructions (gases & poop) in gastro-intestinal tract
Ayurvedic Monthly Newsletter
A monthly dose of Ayurveda for modern living.
Seasonal wellness tips, herbs, and simple rituals.
Small steps towards natural balance.
Properties of salt (Lavana rasa):
- Ushna – hot in potency
- Rochana – improves taste
- Deepana – improves digestion and metabolism
Properties of lemon juice:
- Ama dosha hara – destroys ama (toxic products formed when food is consumed during indigestion)
- Vahni mandya hara – relieves us from indigestion
- Dipana-pachana – acts as carminative and digestive
Hack: 2 – Temperature regulation while cooking
We don’t end up with a great dish when the stove turns off in the middle of cooking. To make sure that the flame or temperature is continuing throughout the process, cumin tea helps. A good cumin tea needs
- Roasted cumin powder: a pinch
- Water: ½ cup (125ml)
Into a tea pan add water, cumin powder and bring it boil. Switch off the flame and let the cumin tea cool down. Once it’s lukewarm, pour it into a cup and take sips of this cumin tea while eating food instead of plain water.
Ingredient breakdown:
Properties cumin seeds:
- Agni vardanam: improves digestive strength
- Garbhashaya vishuddi krut: cleanses uterus
- Vata anulomanam: relieves bloating and helps in expelling the gases in gastro-intestinal tract
- Deepana-pachana-ruchya – Carminative, digestive and improves the taste
Hack: 3 – Turning off the stove
Once we are done with cooking, we must turn off the stove or else that delicious dish will burn and it becomes something that is no longer fit for consumption. To avoid this from happening inside our body, we need,
- Fennel seeds: ½ tbsp
- Toasted coriander seeds: ½ tbsp
I usually mix 50 grams of each of these ingredients and store it in an air-tight glass bottle. After completing my meal every day, I chew a table spoon of this mixture.
Ingredient breakdown
Properties fennel seeds:
- Swadu- tikta – it’s sweet and bitter
- Sheeta – sooths and cools down the environment inside stomach
Properties of roasted coriander seeds:
- Grahi – Controls the excess fluidity in the gastro-intestinal tract post-meal consumption.
These hacks works best when the meal timings are regular. Following these steps with every single meal that you consume, helps in improving your gut peristaltic movements, reduces gas/ bloating, improving your digestive strength to peak level, facilitates highest bio-availability of nutrients and you will be blessed with outstanding levels of immunity.
Conclusion:
A summarized version of all the digestive hacks along with the recipe videos are included in my YouTube video linked below.
