Rev Up Your Digestion for Good Health by Shreelata Suresh

Digestion begins much before the first morsel of food goes down your throat. When food is prepared properly and presented beautifully, and your body and mind are receptive, all of your senses can aid digestion. When you eat mindfully, colors, flavors, aromas and textures blend to make the process of eating a delightful and productive experience.

Create an inviting, pleasant environment to aid in the enjoyment of a meal:

Keep the dining table free of clutter. Only your food should grace the table at mealtimes.

Diffuse appetizing aromas 30 minutes before your meal—lemon, orange and coriander are wonderful for getting those digestive juices flowing.

Eat in a silent, serene atmosphere. Keeping your mind free of clutter while you eat will help your body and mind make the best use of what you're ingesting.

4. Take a lunch break!

How many times a week do you "grab a quick bite" for lunch, use lunch as an excuse for getting business accomplished or skip lunch altogether?

According to ayurvedic healers, lunch should be THE most important meal of the day. It's the time of day when your digestion is naturally at its peak, and your body best able to complete the digest-absorb-assimilate cycle.

Yet most of us eat the biggest meal of the day at night, often not long before we go to bed, and the body has to rev up and work hard to digest the food at a time when it should be trying to get into rest mode. Unless you're among the lucky few with a workhorse for a digestive system, eating heavy at night tends to result in undigested food clogging up your insides. You'll find it harder to fall asleep, your skin might break out, you'll gain weight easily, and you'll not feel as energetic as you should during the day.

So take that lunch break, and eat your most substantial meal of the day around noon. Heavier foods and yogurt should be eaten at lunch rather than dinner for the same reasons.

And when you have five to ten precious extra minutes, take the time to just sit quietly after the meal, savoring the experience, before you resume activity. This will direct your body's energy towards digestion before you draw it to other activities.

5. Drink to good health!

Water, the ayurvedic beverage of choice, is crucial for digestion and absorption and to help flush toxins out of the body. It helps prevent bloating and constipation, and helps transport nutrients to the cells and tissues. It helps support the metabolism of fat.

Drink room temperature water or warm water through the day. Water spiked with digestion enhancing spices and herbs is even better. Light, clear vegetable broths, prepared fresh each day, are good detoxifiers and offer soothing comfort on cold winter days.

Note: This ayurvedic information is educational, and is not intended to replace standard medical care or advice. Please consult your physician before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.

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BIO:

About the Author:
Shreelata Suresh is a yoga instructor fron the Bay Area. She writes on yoga and ayurveda. For more information on ayurveda, please visit http://www.ayurbalance.com.

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