Natural ways to improve digestion through Ayurveda, diet changes, and resolving digestive issues

Learn how to naturally improve digestion using Ayurveda. Discover the worst habits harming your digestion and the best ways to strengthen it with simple diet changes.

We are not what we eat; we are what we digest. How well we digest food determines our energy levels, longevity, and the state of both body and mind. Unfortunately, many people unknowingly damage their digestive system, resulting in gas, bloating, constipation, indigestion, skin, and hair problems. According to Ayurveda, nearly 96% of diseases originate from the stomach. In this article, I will discuss what to do and avoid to keep your digestive fire strong. Good digestion is crucial for overall health. While indigestion is not a disease itself, it can lead to numerous ailments.

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Five worst habits that harm digestion:

1. Bathing after meals: Do you eat and then take a bath? If yes, you’re disrupting your digestive system. When we eat, our body temperature rises to digest food. Bathing lowers body temperature, making digestion harder. Similarly, over 90% of people drink water right after or during meals, which, according to Ayurveda, acts like poison. It dilutes digestive fire, preventing proper digestion, leading to toxins in the body. Avoid bathing after eating, and don’t drink water immediately after or during meals—wait at least 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Wrong food combinations: Many people unknowingly combine foods that slow digestion and produce toxins. For example, milk with fruits, tea with salty food, or tea after meals. These combinations slow down digestion. Also, if you’re eating fast food more than three times a week, you’re harming your digestive system. Junk food, low in fiber, sticks to the intestines, making it hard to eliminate. Stick to home-cooked meals and seasonal fruits, which provide necessary fiber.
   
   
3. Meal preparation for a week: Preparing meals in advance for days or even weeks is common in today’s fast-paced life. However, every food has a life span. In Ayurveda, stale food (meals kept for days) produces toxins. Fresh food digests easily and provides more nutrients. While you may not notice issues now, over time, meal prepping can lead to digestive problems, especially as digestive fire weakens after the age of 35.
   
   
4. Stress: Stress affects digestion. You may have noticed loose stomachs when extremely nervous because the gut is linked to the brain. When your bowels are empty, your mind relaxes, but stress persists if digestion is compromised.
   
   
5. Irregular meal timing: Eating meals at irregular times, skipping breakfast, late-night dinners, and midnight snacking are common habits today. Having no fixed meal times confuses the body, making it hard to secrete the right digestive enzymes. Promise yourself to eat on time. Also, how you eat matters. Most people chew food only 5-6 times, while ideally, it should be 32. Proper chewing ensures that 50% of digestion happens in the mouth, making the digestive process easier.

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Five best habits for good digestion:

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1. Rotate your grains: To keep your digestion strong, keep changing the grains you consume. Don’t eat wheat or rice in every meal. Introduce variety by including options like besan chilla, moong dal dosa, or oats. This variety provides different nutrients, soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids digestion.
   
   
2. Daily dose of probiotics: Weak digestion = lack of gut-friendly bacteria. Probiotics are good bacteria that strengthen digestion by controlling harmful bacteria. You don’t need supplements; simply adding curd to your diet is enough to maintain healthy gut bacteria.
   
   
3. Ghee (clarified butter): If you don’t consume cow ghee, you might experience digestive issues like acidity, bloating, constipation, and indigestion. Ghee, rich in butyric acid, energizes the colon and large intestine, vital for nutrient absorption and waste elimination. Have 2-4 tablespoons of ghee daily.
   
   
4. Quality sleep: Good sleep is essential for digestion. While you sleep, digestion speeds up and allows the system to heal itself. Sleeping on your left side promotes digestion and prevents acid reflux.
   
   
5. Yogic techniques and asanas: Ancient techniques can instantly boost digestion. For example, consuming ginger with rock salt before meals stimulates digestion. Right nostril breathing (Suryabhedi pranayama) before meals can also boost digestion. Fennel seeds after meals, or Vajrasana after eating, improve digestion as well.

Try incorporating these habits to improve your health.