Harnessing Ayurveda for Digestive Issues: Natural Remedies for Optimal Gut Health
By Dennis Bluthardt at Namaste Studios
Digestive issues. That phrase alone is enough to spark discomfort in the millions of individuals worldwide who deal with bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and acid reflux, brought to you by processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and highly stressful conditions (forbidden White Castle burgers not included in this list).
Quite often, restless seekers who can’t handle swallowing another Nexium find their way here through their curiosity about finding practical, natural solutions. After learning everything there is to know about gut health supplements and to learn to eat the right foods, there’s a new dragon to slay, and he goes by the name of “Fire.” Or, Agni, the god of fire in the Indian Vedic tradition.
Agni is the “fire” in your belly that churns, bubbles, and broils down the food you eat into its microscopic form to absorb nutrients properly. But if that fire needs to “cool off,” then the body might not break down food and, thus, nutrients, effectively leading to malnourishment and various other things.
This is the trick that Ayurveda plays on you.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine that means the “science of life.” It teaches that health care should be individualized in its most basic form because we are all different. It categorizes people into three constitutions or doshas. Find yours here.
This article is not intended to confuse you with the concept of personalized care more than it is to show you that several natural remedies, herbal treatments, and philosophy-backed practices help you once and for all give acid reflux, the S.O.B the bags!
Understanding Ayurveda and Its Approach to Digestive Health
The Indian subcontinent has a rich history of medicinal practices and systems that have been around for thousands of years. One such system is Ayurveda, from which modern alternative medicine practices have developed. Since the ancient times of the medicinal practices of the Indian subcontinent, the teachings of Ayurveda have integrated a wide variety of therapeutic techniques to enhance overall health and wellness. Although Ayurveda is often thought of as an ancient practice with limited reach in today’s world, the application of its health-enhancing techniques is gaining significant ground across the modernized world.
The primary classical texts of Ayurveda tell how divinely imparted medical knowledge came down to sages, who then passed it on to human physicians. In Ayurveda, the universe and the body are described in sets of two, three, five, six, seven, and ten. With regards to sets of three (tridosha or three faults), Ayurvedic theory posits that the universe consists of five elements: air, earth, fire, water, and ether. These organizing principles, or life forces, are known as doshas.
According to Ayurveda, these doshas (life forces) have metaphorical relationships with the elements and specific attributes in the human body. For example, the three doshas are described as follows: vata (composed of air and ether) is the life force that directs all movements in the body, including the breath, elimination, circulation, and nerve impulses; pitta governs body temperature, skin color, and intellect, digestion, discernment; and kapha (composed of earth and water) provides physical and psychological strength and stability, as well as structure and fluid balance to the body.”
A person’s prakriti is known as their unique, individual constitution. It describes who you are on the most fundamental level. It predicts which environmental conditions, foods, and activities will support your health and which will lead to imbalances. By understanding your Prakriti, you can make the most informed choices about your health and lifestyle and take the steps necessary to maintain lifelong balance and well-being.”
Agni represents your body’s strength and ability to metabolize food, including absorbing nutrients and excreting waste products. When Agni is strong, your vitality and immunity can be exceptional, and you can experience incredible, natural health on every level. When Agni is weak, you can develop many common health complaints, including fatigue, unwellness, low immunity, and toxic buildup.
Your gut, or digestive system, influences your energy levels, mental health, immunity, complexion, and many other factors. Maintaining good gut health and balanced microflora is critical to supporting your overall well-being. A healthy diet appropriately combined and individually suited to your constitution can provide you with everything you need to achieve radiant health, happiness, and longevity!
Common Digestive Issues Addressed by Ayurveda
Digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bloating, and indigestion, are, unfortunately, all too common in today’s world. IBS may make you uncomfortable with symptoms, which may include abdominal pain, cramping, and changes in bowel movements.
Bloating can make you uncomfortable and give you a “full” feeling. Indigestion, or dyspepsia, is often expressed as a burning sensation in your stomach or trouble with digestion. These symptoms can contribute to or be an outcome of an entire day of low mood and emotional distress. This demonstrates the indelible mark that our digestive health has on the blueprint of our emotional status and, by default, our lives.
In Ayurveda, each of these conditions is associated with different doshas. How each dosha’s elements and qualities line up with the conditions of IBS, bloating, or indigestion could indicate how an imbalance in the dosha also manifests the disease. As such, Ayurvedic practitioners tailor remedies according to the constitution.
A fascinating viewpoint of ayurvedic system treatment is that it brings disease maintenance from the hands of medical practitioners into mainstream living: the patient takes charge of common illnesses and symptoms rather than the other way around, and that treatment per se. Tailored remedies are often diet/lifestyle related.
Natural Remedies for Digestive Issues in Ayurveda
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical system, places great importance on using herbs to maintain good digestive health. Among its key medicinal plants, ginger, fennel, and turmeric are all thought to enhance digestion greatly. Ginger is so crucial for digestive health that it is served as a tea after a meal in some parts of India and China. Ayurvedic practitioners believe ginger works by stimulating the secretion of enzymes, which helps reduce nausea and bloating. Turmeric supports the liver’s detoxification, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and plays an influential part in maintaining the natural rhythm of the gut.
In addition to these herbs, Ayurvedic dietary principles support the consumption of warm, cooked food, which is naturally more straightforward on the digestive system and allows nutrients to be better absorbed into the body. Many Ayurvedic cooking recipes use spices to stimulate the taste buds and mimic the digestive process. A selection of spices, including cumin, coriander, and black pepper, increases the gut flora, promoting a well-balanced gut and skipping any disturbances that may upset microbiome digestion.
Beyond diet, Ayurveda is a holistic system of poses and stimulation. Yoga encourages stimulation of the digestive lining, and meditation reduces stress and anxiety—both are fantastic aids for further digestion. Ayurveda also supports a morning and evening routine; it recommends several different activities and software systems, which will, in turn, become part of a long morning and seemingly short evening routine.
Case Studies and Success Stories
“The ancient Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, has a lot to say about the health of your digestion, and I, for one, am here for it. I have heard from many people who have transformed much of their lives by doing things the Ayurvedic way. I think of a very ad hoc “study” that I ran (very unscientifically!) on a woman who complained of constant bloating and indigestion. I taught her a bit about an Ayurvedic diet; she went home and bought some new herbs and other foods and tried them out. It’s a testament to Ayurveda’s health properties (here, increased pancake pitta for the nerds among us) that she returned a complete convert, with a list of “DOs” about three pages long!
Many studies state that these people are onto something, and quite a few of these take on “digestive disorders.” There was a very hungry GI tract that worked too often and too fast, with the slight triggering of a “feed me now!” vagus nerve. You might even be tempted to try a bit of yoga, as it was noted that “improved gut motility and reduction of stress might contribute to its long-term efficacy.” An “examination of the scientific evidence” of 5 big-time plants used by the herbal medicine crowd gushed that those tasty plants like ginger root, truffles, and pine, along with the less so baical skullcap and “curcumin” (the active ingredient in turmeric), showed potential efficacy in your GI. Now, get out there and get yourself some herbs! Do a little “upward dog.” You will find out what I mean by that when you arrive. Maybe it might not help, but it certainly is fun to say.
Ayurveda, the thousands-of-years-old health science from India, has much to say about queasy feelings and overall digestive wellness. The crux of Ayurveda is the individual and keeping all aspects of one’s health balanced. Good health is dependent on the alignment of the three doshas. (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), These are governing factors in a suite of bodily and mental functions, including metabolic body type (Pitta), movement throughout the body (Vata), cognitive function (coaching and counseling), and structural health (Kapha). Given this framework, Ayurveda can offer insight into each person’s constitution and suggest what might be done through diet and exercise to achieve better gut health. Additionally, because Ayurveda is a whole-use health and wellness practice, it can offer constitutional diets and lifestyles to eliminate common complaints like bloating, indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), hemorrhoids, and hypertension, as well as minor imbalances. Ayurveda’s usage of some spices and herbs regularly incorporated in foods, unique food combinations, the drinking of digestive teas throughout the day (like our PIOR Living Chai Digestive Tea), and other digestive agents make it an ideal digestive science. It is all done through the simple act of mindfulness and an Ayurvedic Megha Kitchen. Working with a practitioner can offer the most thorough possible results, so if you would like to know more about how to get started using Ayurveda (simply or more extensively), we encourage you to look for or DM a practitioner who can help you to verify your dosha as accurately as possible and get started on the right footing.
To learn more, visit Ayurveda at Namaste Studios to book an Ayurveda session. Additionally, you can find more of our Ayurveda Blogs here.
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