Winter and Spring are notorious for their pathogenic capabilities. Ayurvedically, this has a lot to do with the properties of COLD in nature, which is not just a temperature but also a quality. If you think of what our physical bodies do when we get physically cold… we contract, we shiver, we curl into fetal maybe… and in those contracted places, there isn’t a lot of movement or expansion. When things don’t move, they become stagnant. When pathogens in the body don’t move (aren’t digested or fought off by the immune system), they take over. And since it seems like half the people I know are sick right now, I’ve made this guide for everyone to hang onto for later.
The last time I was sick was when C*VID got me in August of 2021. Before that it had been 2 years also. It’s not that I’m immune to illness – trust me, I am not! I just pay attention to my body enough to notice the little things like… congestion building up in my sinuses, eye crust in the morning, a little tickle in the throat, not feeling hungry for or even being a little dizzy or nauseated before meals, slower or stickier bowel movements, some extra fatigue for no reason. These are my personal tells after being in communication with my ecosystem for quite some time now. You likely have some unique ones of your own, and I encourage you to explore and make note of them for yourself. The list below includes the things I IMMEDIATELY go to as my guide whenever I notice these little changes and want to prevent anything from festering in my system.
Here are my top Ayurvedic tips to avoid getting sick:
1. AVOID DAIRY! I know, I know, this one hurts your feelings because cheese mimics opiates in the body during digestion, and we all like to feel a little high ;)
BUT – dairy is the #1 congesting food group simply because it is the slowest to digest, and it increases mucus in the gut. Anything that increases mucus in the gut (ie: digestion), likely increases it in the respiratory system (hello sinus congestion, nasal drop, coughing, increased asthma problems, breathing issues, etc.). If you are sick, or about to be, the body needs digestion to DIGEST, not congest and slow down.
For those that like extra credit…. there are definitely a few other highly congesting foods (like bananas and peanuts/peanut butter) I also avoid, especially if you’d really like to nip things in the bud early.
ps. If you're a client of mine looking to lose weight, dairy is also the first thing I tell you to avoid. And if you're looking to gain weight, it's the first thing I'd want you to incorporate :)
2. EAT EASILY DIGESTIBLE FOODS! What does that even mean???
The stomach is like a pot on a stove, and we need some sort of fire to ignite in order to cook our food. We also need enough water to break it down (and generally some healthy oleation).
This is my way of explaining that food should be WARM AND COOKED. The warmness is easier to convert into nutrients (versus having to go from cold to warm to hot before digesting), and the cooked aspect is easier on the digestive system to break down when your system is already taxed from being sick.
This is why everyone eats soup when they’re sick! Ancient medicine systems knew this! Soups, stews, and broths are definitely my go to during this time. And cooked vegetables are also easier to break down than meat, if you’re able to limit your intake of that for the time being as well.
3. FOCUS ON YOUR AGNI! In Ayurveda, the term “AGNI” translates to DIGESTION, which is not just the digestion of the stomach. But for the sake of this lesson, we are talking about JatarAGNI, which is your stomach’s digestive fire. In fact, it is said that those with strong digestive fire not only avoid illness, but they also do not often experience things like gas, bloating, GERD, belching, indigestion – or all the other symptoms of impaired digestion that we in Western society have deemed as “normal” occurrences.
How do you increase your AGNI?
Ginger tea: 1” knob of fresh ginger in 1 cup of hot water, steep for 5 minutes, drink before each meal (or as often as needed if you have indigestion/nausea).
Use aromatic spices in your cooking, like ginger, garlic, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, caraway, ferula asafoetida, oregano, rosemary, and turmeric (always pair turmeric with freshly cracked black pepper, otherwise it doesn’t absorb!). These not only increase digestion from their HOT potency, but their aromatic nature has the ability to digest any AMA (toxins) that your body has accumulated, speeding up the healing process.
Drink CCF tea after meals. Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel (CCF) in combination are a traditional Ayurvedic digestive tonic for so many common digestive issues. ½ tsp Coriander for reducing acidity and any GERD, ¼ tsp Cumin to maintain heat and help with nutritional absorption in the colon, and ½ tsp Fennel to reduce any gas, bloating, or belching. Steep in 1 cup of hot water, and strain out the power, if you don't like the grittiness. If you drink the powder, the shells of the seeds are full of prebiotics, so there's more extra credit for you there ;)
Stick to regular meal times to regulate your AGNI. Our stomach's digestive capabilities are reflective of the rhythm of the sun. Breakfast before 10AM. Lunch should be the largest meal between 10AM - 2PM, when the sun is at its highest peak - along with our AGNI. And dinner as close to sundown or 6PM, when digestion is its slowest. If you're not hungry during these times, or find yourself snacking too much between these times... come see me so we can regulate your digestion for better overall health!
4. AVOID COLD! This is more of an extension of # 2, but basically anything cold is going to cause digestion to contract, slow, or halt completely depending on the state of your AGNI.
Try to avoid raw vegetables (these are cold in property in Ayurveda, not just in temperature), cold food/beverages, and ICED DRINKS…
5. INCORPORATE HERBS!!! This is honestly my little secret, but I will share it with you.
Anytime I feel sickness coming on, I take these antiviral herbs for a week, and it usually passes within 2 days. These herbs are mostly BITTER in taste, so they digest AMA (toxins) that have accumulated in the gut or elsewhere, and also are preventative to protect you from any new ones you may encounter.
If I’m your Ayurvedic Practitioner, I am telling you to take 2 pills after meals with your CCF tea – at the start of sickness or while traveling (for prevention) for up to two weeks.
If I’m not, come see me for an Ayurvedic Consult this year. Your mind-body will thank you for it. :)
Sending all the love and blessings for health to you in this New Gregorian Year,
Catherine
Comentarios