Take care of your Digestive System using Ayurveda : Take care of your Digestive System using Ayurveda Dr. Gayatri Devi
Digestive system in Ayurveda : Digestive system in Ayurveda Digestive fire is called Agni in Ayurveda.
Agni is the transforming force
Take care of agni, agni will take care of you and your health.
Types of agnis : Types of agnis 13 types of agnis
1-Jatharagni-digestive fire
7-Dhatvagnis-
5-bhutagnis
Slide 4: Bhootagni -digests the 5 pancha mahabhoota factors present in food
Dhatwagni-present in tissues helps to absorb nutrients and transform into tissues.
The Jataragni controls bhootagni, dhatwagni
Agni-common functions : Agni-common functions Digests food
Absorbs nutrients
Destroys pathogens
Transforms food into dhatus
Normal-Jatharagni : Normal-Jatharagni Body tissues will be well nourished get attractive complexion & glow
Longevity, strength, good health, growth, enthusiasm,
vitality and overall healthy development of body and mind.
Strong resistance to diseases
Abnormal Jatharagni : Abnormal Jatharagni Poor digestion
Poor circulation
Bad complexion
offensive body odour
Intestinal gas, constipation
Low energy , poor resistance to diseases
Body nature-agni : Body nature-agni Samagni-balanced agni
Tikshnagni –high agni
Mandagni—low agni-
Vishamagni—variable agni
Samagni (balanced agni) : Samagni (balanced agni) Well balanced --due to balanced tridoshas
Normal and regular appetite
Digests the food completely, nourishes the body tissues very well.
Regular bowel movements, little or no gas and bloating
Teekshnagni (high agni) : : Teekshnagni (high agni) : Seen in pitta type constitutions
Increased hunger, thirst, acidity, heart burn and loose motions.
Resistance generally good, diseases occur suddenly with severity
Mandagni (low agni) : Mandagni (low agni) Seen in kapha constitutions
Poor appetite, low metabolism, tendency to gain weight without high consumption, prone to indigestion
Diseases are often not severe
Vishamaagni (varying agni) : Vishamaagni (varying agni) Seen in vata predominant bodies
Some times strong appetite and some times loss of appetite
Prone to constipation, flatulence, pain in abdomen and to more debilitating diseases
Agni-food : Agni-food Eat acc- to agni
Samagni –eat all rasas /tastes
Mandagni—reduce sweet , bitter tastes and heavy foods, eat sour and pungent foods and easy to digest ones
Tikshnagni- reduce sour and pungent tastes, eat sweet and bitter tastes, eat heavy foods
Vishamagni-eat acc. To the condition
koshtam : koshtam It is the nature of alimentary tract & bowel movements. 3 types of koshtas.
Krura (hard)
Mrudu (Soft)
Madhya (Moderate)
Krura koshtam : Krura koshtam Predominance of vata --produces hard faeces, difficulty of elimination or even non-elimination.
Predominance of pitta- causes watery or semisolid faeces, moving out more than once or twice, in a day.
Take more liquids and fibre.
Mrudu koshtam : Mrudu koshtam Predominance of kapha- causes soft, solid faeces moving out smoothly.
Eat more bitters.
Madhya : Madhya - If all the doshas are normal—madhya koshta –normal faeces once a day.
It is the ideal condition.
Stages of digestion : Stages of digestion 3 stages
Stage 1-kapha dominant- happens in the mouth and stomach
Stage 2 - pitta dominant-in the small intestines
Stage 3- vata dominant–large intestines
Sequence of digestion : Sequence of digestion Sweet taste- --digested first-eat sweets first
Salty taste-second--
Sour taste & pungent– third-eat sour and pungent in the middle
Bitter and astringent at the end-eat at the end
Quantities- need : Quantities- need Sweet -relatively more-for tissue growth and devt.
Salty-small amounts-for maintaining mineral balance and holding water
Sour-moderate –maintaining acidity and countering thirsty
Pungent-moderate-for metabolism, improving appetite and digestion
Bitter—small quantities- for detoxification
Astringent –moderate-for firmness of tissues
Sweet taste reduces appetite and digestion.
Sour and pungent increase the appetite and digestion
Ama : Ama It is the undigested food accumulated in the body, toxic and disease causing substance.
Ama ? problems of digestive system, Ama ?enters blood stream -?settles in various parts of the body?diseases
Causes of indigestion : Causes of indigestion Spicy foods, chilly, oily foods, medicines, milk and milk products, tobacco and alcohol.
Irregular food habits and sleeping patterns.
Medications like pain killers, antibiotics, oral contraceptives and steroids.
Intestinal parasites.
Diseases of pancreas, liver, gall bladder, intestinal infections etc.
During pregnancy, premenstrual period, menopausal period in women.
Emotional upset like anxiety, stress, examination, family tensions, etc.
Langhanam -Fasting : Langhanam -Fasting Light food or only liquid diet once a week—increases digestion, clears ama from the body --detoxification.
Exercise-yoga : Exercise-yoga Regular exercise –improves appetite and digestion
yoga- all types of asanas involving the abdominal muscles –tadasana, bhujangasana, suptapavana muktasana, vajraasna, utkatasana, ardhamatsyendrasana, surya bhedana pranayama –help in maintaining normal agni .
Role of mind : Role of mind Emotional upset like anxiety, stress, examination, family tensions ---disturb agni - lead to indigestion.
Practice relaxation techniques –yoga, pranayama, soothing music, meditation, prayers.
Care of the digestive system : Care of the digestive system Eat only when you are hungry
Eat according to your agni.
Eat hot and fresh food
Eat leisurely chewing and enjoying the food
Eat only after the previous meal is digested
Fill 1/3rd of the stomach with solids, 1/3rd with liquids, leave 1/3rd.
Eat at least 3 hours before sleep at night.
Do not eat when angry, sad, tense.
Avoid constipation
Appetisers-digestives : Appetisers-digestives Pippali –long pepper
Sunthi-dry ginger
Maricham-pepper
Ajamoda- ajwain hingu-Asa foetida
Dhanyakam-coriander seeds
Jeerakam—cumin seeds
Lavangam—cloves
One formula : One formula Equal quantities of dry ginger, saunf, coriander seeds, black pepper, cumin seeds, ajwain, long pepper (pippali)—powder and preserve- take 2 gms powder before food.
Antacids : Antacids Amla –Indian goose berry
Satavari-
Turmeric
Yashtimadhu
Dried banana
Tender coconut water
One formula : One formula Amla+yashtimadhu+satavari ? powder,
with honey or butter milk good antacid
Dried banana powder with milk
Laxatives : Laxatives Draksha—grapes
Eranda— castor oil
Harithaki- harda
Katukarohini—kutki
Yashtimadhu-
Formula : Formula Haritaki powder—3-4 gms with warm water –bed time
Trifala churnam-3-5 gms bed time with warm water
Antiflatulents : Antiflatulents Avoid constipation
All the appetizers and digestives act as anti flatulent
Formula : Formula Fried Ajwain powder 3 gms before food
3-4 gms cumin powder before food