Simple ways to Instantly Improve Your Digestion

Most people have experienced some sort of digestive discomfort in their lifetime. Whether it is diarrhea, pain, nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, or other digestion issues, we never want it to stay very long. These symptoms never occur once. They are typically the result of years of physical or emotional stress, eating foods that contradict your unique body type, eating too much or too little, or other causes. To improve digestion can be an easy fix or might take more work for long-term issues, but Ayurveda provides a natural healing path for you.

The best way to improve digestion is to cleanse your body of all the accumulated waste it has built-up over time. How do you do this? My Ayurvedic Cleanse Program (click here) teaches you everything you need to know about what detox is appropriate for your UNIQUE body type. Not everyone should be juice cleansing or soup cleansing! The solution depends on you! For more chronic digestive issues, I always recommend a Video Consultation (click here) with me, so we can find the ROOT cause of the problem and create a new path of health.

Thankfully, there are some things we can ALL do to improve digestion right now. Here are some steps that Ayurveda recommends to improve your digestion!

Avoid Cold Drinks and Foods

In Ayurveda, our digestive “fire” is called agni. It is what cooks and processes food in your digestive tract. Cold foods and drinks weaken our agni. They make it more difficult to “cook down” the food in your stomach because it requires a lot of energy to bring these foods up to body temperature. This creates undigested food and toxic waste buildup in the body. When possible, always opt for lukewarm or warmer.

Avoid Refined, Processed Foods, Flours, and Sugars

Our bodies come from the Earth. We are made up of the same building blocks as animals, plants, water, and soil. Your body can only process and use what it KNOWS and is familiar with. Our bodies have the intelligence to break down a vegetable into its fibers and sugars and use these ingredients in the body as needed. Foods that are chemically made or processed are not of the Earth. The human body has not evolved yet to process and understand foods like bleached flours, corn syrups, maltodextrin (common food additive), snacks with preservatives and additives to keep them shelf-stable, vegetable oils, etc. Stick with WHOLE grains like barley, non-GMO organic whole wheat, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, basmati rice, jasmine rice, etc. Use natural sugars like honey (raw, do not cook) and unrefined cane syrup. Make your own snacks at home like my Orange Blossom Coconut Macaroons for example. That way, you know EXACTLY what is going into your body.

Take a short 5 minute walk after you eat

Most commonly, we sit down after we eat. This applies pressure to your digestive organs. Walking helps to promote downward movement of food residue and allows your digestive organs to function optimally. Take a quick walk (or walk for longer if you like!) after you enjoy a meal or snack.

Eat your Raw Foods LAST

Seem a little counter-intuitive? We’ve been programmed to always order the salad before our main meal. In Ayurveda, raw foods require MORE digestive power. This is because your stomach has to “cook” this food from the raw state in order to extract nutrition. Cooked food is already infused with fire energy, which boosts agni, our digestive fire. By eating cooked food first, we keep our digestive power high so that it can handle the raw foods. Eating the raw foods first consumes your digestive power. This makes it more difficult to process the foods you eat after. So, order the salad but have it after your main meal.

Eat Undistracted

Phones, movies, even social conversations take us away from paying attention to our meal fully. When eating becomes a supplement to another activity you are doing, we tend to eat fast and eat more than needed. Good digestion is not possible if the food is not properly chewed and mixed with saliva. This is the first stage of breaking down your food into manageable bits. The enzymes in our saliva also aid in digestion.

We also cannot pay attention to our bodies’ signs of fullness or discomfort when we are distracted. This makes us eat something that our bodies’ know it does not truly want or will cause discomfort. Let your eating time be the time for you and your body to get connected. You are your body’s caretaker, and what you eat is your gift to it. Offer it with love, and your body will respond well in return.

Only eat when you are hungry

We are trained to think that breakfast, lunch, and dinner MUST be eaten everyday to be healthy. But your body knows BEST for you. If you are not hungry, you do not have to eat. In Ayurveda, when your body is not asking for food, your body is typically trying to use its energy to HEAL something. This is why you are not hungry when you are sick. Listen to your body about when it wants food (when you hear a stomach grumble). (Note: This must be handled differently if you have an eating disorder.)

Drink 1/2 cup of Warm Water with Food

Drinking warm water with your meal helps to activate your agni (digestive fire). A small amount of liquid with food also acts as a medium for your digestive enzymes to move through to digest your food.

Sip on hot water or herbal tea throughout the day

Hot water throughout the day helps to stimulate agni and flush digestive toxins out of the digestive tract. To improve digestion, I highly recommend this step.

Use Digestive Spices and Seasonings

When we have digestive issues, we often think we need strong herbs or medications. But spices are like microdoses of herbs that make a huge impact in the long run when used regularly. Simply squeeze a little lemon or lime juice on your food, or cook your food with agni-enhancing (called deepana) spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, pink salt, and mustard powder.

Take a short walk every hour

In today’s work climate, we find ourselves sitting for the majority of our working hours, and then we go home to sit some more to unwind. Every hour, give your digestion and overall health a boost by going for a short walk around the office or outside. This also keeps your lymphatic fluid flowing, which helps to increase immunity.

Eat Fruit Separately

Fruit does not digest properly when eaten with other foods. Since it is mostly water, it passes through the system quickly, whereas other foods take a longer amount of time. Enjoy your fruit separate from meals. This means 30 minutes before other foods or 2 hours after food. If you must combine fruits with other foods, COOK the fruit, like my Tamarind Apple Chutney. This helps digestibility.

Test Sensitivity to Common Allergens

There are certain foods that are more likely to cause digestive issues, especially if you have weak digestion. The common ones are dairy (except ghee), wheat, nuts, seeds, oats, eggs, and shellfish. Meat is also very difficult to digest for those with digestion imbalances. Try removing these items from your diet and reintroducing them slowly, one by one, over the course of a few months. You will be able to tell if one of them is creating an issue and can find an alternative.

Still Need Help to Improve Digestion?

Head over to my Consultation page by clicking the button below. I will work with you one-on-one via Phone or Video chat to get to the bottom of your discomfort and create a natural healing plan.