The Best Health Advice That I Would Give Everyone

If you were to ask me the best health advice that I  give everyone, that one thing which matters to your health the  most, that one thing which is so very easy to follow, but often neglected, that would be… Concentrate on your Stomach.

Ayurveda Concept

As per Ayurvedic principle, every disease process has its relation with stomach. It can be understood in two means.

• The digestion and metabolism that takes place at the level of stomach and intestines causes most of the diseases.
• The symptoms that we can observe in our stomach, can hint towards underlying disease symptoms.

The above two concepts can be substantiated by the following points.

1. In most of the disease conditions, digestion power is hampered. Be it fever, cold or any infection, digestion process is affected.
2. The digestion and metabolism of nutrients in the gastro intestinal system further affects metabolism of nutrients at the level of cell.
3. Most of the Ayurvedic medicines contain one or the other ingredient targeted towards improving digestion and metabolism.
4. There is a direct connection between stomach (and intestines) with brain and emotions. Example: Nearing exams, students tend to visit the toilet more frequently.  Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis are both related to stress and sensitiveness of stomach and intestines.

What to watch about stomach? 
Watch for simple subtle changes in stomach through out the day and adjust your eating habits accordingly and use simple home remedies then and there. It goes a long way in avoiding bigger diseases. Before we go into details of these simple stomach changes to watch, let us learn about a few good common rules to follow.

Rules to follow

1. Eat only when hungry – Do not fast when you are too much hungry 

This is the one basic principle to follow. It helps to maintain proper enzyme level production and usage. It helps to set up the whole body rhythm. This rule also applies to other parameters like sleep, emotions etc. Read more

2. Follow diet rules. 

Eating is not only a physical activity. It also involves the mind. Hence any diet rule should cover both mental and physical aspects – Read more – Diet rules

3. Occasional fasting. 

Fasting occasionally, based on your strength is one of the very best practices. We have already covered in detail about fasting.

Symptoms and remedies

Stomach symptoms to watch and immediate measures to take – 

Ayurveda explains that any disease has its origin in stomach and intestines. The initial stage of disease manifestation involves a condition called as – ‘ama’.  Ama can be told as a complex caused due to undigested food and weak gastric juice.  Ama is characterized by indigestion. It can be influenced by Tridosha – Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

 1. Bloating – Influenced by Vata

Usually suggests towards Vata imbalance in stomach and intestines. If you do not have any symptom other than bloating, just a simple Triphala churna – 1 spoon at night with warm water will help.

Do not have heavy food when having bloating. Fiber rich fruits like Banana helps.

2. Stickiness, heaviness – Influenced by Kapha

Stickiness, heaviness of stomach is a biggest threat to productivity. It brings about laziness. It also hints towards a hidden disease in the making. Taking Triphala powder with honey or including a little pepper or ginger in diet helps to relieve stickiness / heaviness.

3. Burning sensation in stomach – Influenced by Pitta

Suggests towards inflammation in stomach (gastritis). Try these gastritis remedies.

Stomach and sleeping habit – 

• Stomach health is greatly influenced by sleep.
• 7 – 8 hours of sleep is required for a good stomach health.
• If you have skipped sleep the previous night, and want to compensate on the next day, Ayurveda advises to sleep before food.
• People suffering from indigestion are advised for day sleeping.

Stomach and work load – 

• Keep those hard works for when you feel lightness in stomach.
• Keep the first hour after lunch for light work which involves lesser work by your brain.

So, have a little concentration on your stomach and enjoy the best of your health.