AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE ON EASY

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

How would you like to improve your digestion by making a few simple changes in your diet?

The key is to eat fewer difficult to digest foods, and choose others that don't challenge your digestive tract quite so much.

With that simple change your system will process food with less fatigue, and have more time to rest between meals.

And you'll take back some of the energy you now spend digesting your food.

You can also look forward to improved health.

Keep reading to learn how.

Why Your Digestive System Needs Easy to Digest Foods

Difficult to digest foods force your body to work hard to break them down so they can be assimilated into your body.

Examples include beans, which are difficult because they contain natural protein digestion inhibitors (saponins) to protect them from insect invasion.

Heavy, dense foods like meat, nuts, cheese, and wheat are also difficult to digest.

In contrast, cooked apples, bone broth, avocado or zucchini (to name just a few) are easy to digest.

Difficult to digest foods sit longer in your body and attract bacteria that feast on them, producing fermentation, toxins and gas. The bacteria also leave their waste products (bacteria poop) behind - a growing pile of toxins.

If not regularly removed, the toxins overflow into your bloodstream and begin to wreak havoc all over your body.

Easy to digest foods, on the other hand, glide through your digestive tract. You quickly absorb their nutrients, and your body efficiently dumps the waste before it ferments.

This process is effective and gives your digestive system ample time to rest between meals.

And because it is quick, you accumulate many fewer toxins.

Digestion Takes Work

Every day you use up to 30 percent of the energy (10 percent on average) from your daily calorie intake on digesting and assimilating your food.

Fat digestion uses up just 3 percent of the calories it releases, carbs 5 to 10 percent. And, it takes up to 30 percent of the calories released by protein to digest and assimilate it into your body.

If you suffer from indigestion your digestive system needs even more energy to get the job done.

This is taxing and deprives your body and digestive organs of the rest they need to work effectively.

Digestion, Illness and Brain Fog

When you are sick, easy to digest foods reduce the burden on your digestive organs and give your body extra energy to heal itself.

Reducing your digestive load also boosts your agni (metabolic fire) a Sanskrit word that describes the energy used for digestion.

And would you like to think more clearly?

Easy foods pull less blood into the digestive tract, leaving more for the brain.

On the other hand, heavy foods cause "food coma" or sleepiness after eating.

Remember how you felt after eating a big holiday dinner? Probably more like taking a nap than working out a complex math problem or tackling a challenging crossword puzzle..

What Foods are Easy to Digest?

Generally cooked, soft, and soupy foods are easy to digest.

Think baby food.

No one gives a baby steak or a salad to wean it from mother's milk. Instead, babies get mashed bananas and carrots.

The idea is to get maximum nutrition with the least amount of digestive effort. Rice soups with steamed carrots is ideal.

Sunflower seeds and fish are some of the most easily digestible proteins.

Ayurveda's Specialty

Digestion is Ayurveda's speciality and gift. It offers a straightforward approach to treating digestive disorders, including more advanced conditions like IBS and Crohn's.

Everyone has a different amount of power in their digestive tract. A consultation with an Ayurvedic practitioner can help evaluate your particular situation and help you design solutions that are unique to you.

INGREDIENTS WITH EASY QUALITY

Browse Easy Recipes

HERBS & SUPPLEMENTS WITH EASY QUALITY

OTHER HERB ACTIONS AFFECTING DIGESTION

HELPFUL FOR*

'Easy' may be helpful for these symptoms and causes below.

CONTRAINDICATIONS / AGGRAVATES / IS AGGRAVATED BY*

'Easy' may aggravate, or be aggravated by, these symptoms and causes below.

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 6 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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