College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

How to Improve Difficult Digestion: An Ayurvedic PerspectiveCLASSIFICATION OF FOOD, HERBS, & LIFESTYLE

Natural Biocharacteristics: Difficult

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Reported by John Immel Asheville, NC
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AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE ON DIFFICULT

Vata aggravating Pitta aggravating Kapha pacifying

Balanced by 'Easy'.
Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest.

Difficult means difficult to digest. Beans are difficult to digest because they contain natural protein-digestion inhibitors (saponins) to protect them from insect invasion. Red meat, nuts, cheese, and wheat are difficult to digest because they are heavy, dense foods.

Digestion: The Energy Hog of the Body

Digestion consumes up to 60% of daily metabolism. Whenever you have indigestion or are feeling tired or stressed, you can reclaim some of your natural vitality by avoiding difficult to digest food. This also gives the GI tract a chance to rest between meals.

Overlooked by Western Medicine

In the mid 1800's a doctor by the name of William Beaumont heard a gunshot outside his window. He rushed to the scene to find Alexis St. Martin with a gunshot wound to his stomach. Fortunately Alexis survived, but with a hole in his midriff and his stomach. Dr. Beaumont seized this golden opportunity to test the effect of digestion on various foods. He insert food into Mr. St. Martin's stomach and recorded the time it took for the contents to digest. Thus, Beaumont was able to make a chart indicating the digestibility of most items commonly found in the grocery store.

Digestibility is highly prized and prioritized in Ayurveda. Resting your digestion is a key component to resting your entire body and healing. Western doctors are aware of Mr. Beaumont and his studies, but fail to educate their clients on this treasure-trove of knowledge.

Fermentation in the GI tract

When foods are too difficult to digest, bacteria in our gut digests the foods faster than digestive organs, fermenting the foods. Everyone has a different amount of power in the digestive tract. This can be determined by a practitioner in a consultation. The cardinal sign of a difficult-to-digest food is gas and bloating. Stinky gas means that bacterial waste products are accumulating in the digestive tract. Eventually, fermentation irritates the GI tract, causing diarrhea and burdening the liver and kidneys with a substantial toxic load.

INGREDIENTS WITH DIFFICULT QUALITY

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HERBS & SUPPLEMENTS WITH DIFFICULT QUALITY

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CONTRAINDICATIONS / AGGRAVATES / IS AGGRAVATED BY*

'Difficult' may aggravate, or be aggravated by, these symptoms and causes below.
TYPE: GUNA

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About the Author

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

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.