Secrets of a Lively Digestive Fire

Appears in
East by West
East by West

By Jasmine Hemsley

Published 2017

  • About

Too little digestive fire produces Ama, which toxifies the body, and too much produces nothing so that the body has no material to repair, build and grow with. Here are tips to protect and promote a lively digestive fire.

HOW TO EAT WHAT TO EAT WHEN TO EAT
1 Chew your drink, and drink your food. 1 Simple is best. Balance out restaurant-style fare with plenty of peasant food. Too many ingredients (and courses!) make harder work for your digestion. 1 Do not eat unless you feel hungry, to make sure your digestive fire is awake, and do not drink unless you are thirsty.
2 Go slow. You can’t read the signs if you rush life, and eating a meal should be done with grace. 2 Enjoy plenty of slow-cooked one-pot meals, such as soups and stews, where Tastes and ingredients have a chance to mingle and are easier to digest. 2 At the same time, do not eat when you feel thirsty, and do not drink when you feel hungry.
3 Fill the stomach with one-third food, one-third liquid and leave the last third empty. 3 It’s better to enjoy hydrating food, rather than drowning your stomach fire with too much water with meals. Avoid cold and carbonated drinks. 3 Aim for regular meal times, 2–3 times a day is best, and establish a routine.
4 Bless your food. Gratitude helps you feel happy and keeps you in the moment. 4 Spice it up! Cook with pungent spices to aid digestion, and add sour Tastes with pickles and chutneys. 4 Avoid snacking between meals (including too many herbal teas!) - let your hunger and Agni build.
5 Sit down to eat, and avoid using the TV, computer, mobile phone, or even reading. 5 To regulate digestion, get your digestive juices flowing and your Agni firing, enjoy fresh ginger or Ginger Anise Chews and bitter, pungent herbs. 5 Leave adequate time between meals to properly digest food (at least 3 hours after a light meal and 4–6 hours after a full meal).
6 Chew your food thoroughly and taste it; focus your mind on and be aware of the Tastes. 6 Eat foods filled with Prana (‘life’): rather than processed, packaged, fast food and frozen food, or even reheated/leftover foods. Whenever possible, eat freshly prepared. 6 If you can, make lunch the most important (and biggest) meal of the day, because your digestion is strongest at midday (or between 10am and noon Pitta time). Avoid heavy breakfasts or evening meals, which is Kapha time. Think of breakfast as easing yourself into the day and dinner as easing yourself out.
7 Sip hot water throughout the day to stoke your digestive fire and to prevent the accumulation of Ama. Avoid drinking more than three herbal teas per day, and preferably with meals (though just plain hot/room- temperature water is fine too), otherwise it’s something else for your body to digest between meals. 7 Avoid certain food combinations that will weaken your fire. 7 Watch your stress levels: don’t eat when you’re stressed or upset; eat with a sense of calm.
8 Take time to enjoy your food – usually you’ll feel full with less. Practise mindful eating and stop at the first burp! It will most likely be subtle, but this air bubble is the signal that your body has had enough food, so tune in to notice it. 8 Cook wholesome, nutritious meals to keep your digestive fire lively. 8 Eat a light supper and eat it early, 2–4 hours before bed, so that you can digest before sleeping.
9 Sit back and relax for a few minutes after finishing your meal and then take a short, brisk walk. 9 Tweak your cooking to bring balance and harmony to your Doshas and eat fewer foods that cause imbalance. 9 Do a cleanse and reset a few times a year, ideally at the change of the seasons.