If you lead a hectic lifestyle and find yourself always running from place to place, it can be hard to switch gears and slow yourself down. The first step might be in planning, long before the meal. Have you carved out enough time in your schedule to cook and eat? As you sit down to your meal, take a few deep belly breaths before digging in. Say a short prayer or expression of thanks. Each of these practices brings mindfulness, grounding you in the present moment so that you can fully and sensually enjoy your meal.

Once you have calmed and centered yourself, start to engage mindfully with your food. Notice its colors, textures, and smells. Smell your food. Take small, slow bites and chew food thoroughly, savoring each and every moment. When you eat with mindfulness and at a slower pace, you improve your digestion and assimilation of nutrients.You'll also find it's much easier to notice when you are truly full, which can help you stop overeating. Ayurveda suggests that the best diet is one where you carefully taste each morsel of food in this way. The flavor and taste of your food changes with every bite, as your body has a continual feedback loop to help you know what to eat, and how much. When you slow down and listen, you can hear those messages more clearly and let your body lead the way to healthier choices and portions.

Another reason you might be tempted to eat too quickly is because of a real or imagined fear that your food will disappear off your plate if you do not quickly devour it. Maybe when you remember the frustration of a favorite special food item that was eaten by someone else in the house. Perhaps this is still a reality in your current household, and you learned to eat your favorite foods quickly and immediately. Again, bringing mindfulness can help you to overcome this pattern, which is ultimately causing more harm than good to your body. It can be frustrating to have your favorite food items eaten by loved ones, but eating them too quickly or immediately is not a healthy alternative.

DIET FOR IMBALANCES RELATED TO 'EATS QUICKLY'

PRODUCTS FOR IMBALANCES RELATED TO 'EATS QUICKLY'

AGGRAVATES THESE DOSHAS & QUALITIES

Imbalance Accumulates

Improper food and lifestyle causes balances to accumulate. Ayurveda shows you exactly which doshas and qualities will accumulate in your body. Once these doshas and qualities accumulate too much, they will begin to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality by removing things that aggravate it from your diet and lifestyle.

V = VATA, P = PITTA, K = KAPHA

GUNA	FOODS TO AVOID	DO YOU HAVE THIS IMBALANCE?
DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT GUNA Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT	MODERATE THESE DIFFICULT FOODS IF EATS QUICKLY IS CAUSING A PROBLEM	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you need to decrease Difficult to digest foods

To learn more about the symbols above, click on them.

SEE A DIET WHICH REMOVES THESE QUALITIES

ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 0

Potential causes increase and disturb your imbalanced doshas and qualities, causing them to accumulate and spiral out of control. For example, if you're overheated and eat a chili pepper, heat may become excessive and cause disease. As a dosha or quality accumulates in your body according to your dietary and lifestyle habits, it is more and more likely to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or quality in two ways, by removing, or lessening the frequency of aggravating causes from your diet and lifestyle, as well as by favoring balancing diet and lifestyle practices. For example, try eating something as cool as a cucumber when you're overheated, instead of a chili pepper.

REDUCE THESE RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITS

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE BODY?

What aggravates it? What heals it? Then get your Personal Ayurvedic Body Book! This book, written by founder and director of Joyful Belly, John Immel, is individually formatted for your unique body and will help you confidently choose food that restores your healthy glow to get you feeling like your best self. Just $19.99!

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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 exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.

John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his 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.

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