Is our food making us ill?

An Ayurvedic view…

Food is always a topical issue. Eating disorders are on the rise. Obesity rates are rocketing.

More of us are suffering from digestion problems than ever before. Proton pump inhibitors PPIs, which suppress gastric acid are the MOST prescribed drug group in the UK.

Type 2 diabetes which is linked to diet is increasing at an alarming rate.

It is clear we have a problem that stems from the food we eat and/ or how we digest and break it down to be used by our body.

 What can we do about it?

We live in a world full of processed foods. Eating healthy nutritious food is a challenge for all of us in this environment.

We get our energy from food, and if our food is low in energy [ prana or life force in Ayurveda] we will feel tired and lifeless.

Hippocrates the ancient Greek physician is quoted as saying:

“Let Food be your Medicine and Medicine be your Food”. This has been a concept in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. According to Ayurveda all disease has a digestive cause. Ayurveda looks to fix digestive issues first, in all cases of disease.

By making a detailed careful and comprehensive assessment of a patient’s typical daily diet, an Ayurvedic practitioner can identify dietary factors causing a patient’s condition or imbalance which will lead to disease. This underpins the entire approach to treatment.

The treatment advice would include the use of herbs and spices, either in remedies and/or in cooking, as well as listing foods to avoid and foods which are beneficial to each individual case.

However, according to Ayurvedic teachings there are general tips and advice we all should follow to avoid digestive problems.

1. Take your time! Try and be more mindful and aware of the experience of eating. Taking a minute to bless your food and give thanks and to pause will help. NO DISTRACTIONS!

2. Eat slowly and chew as long as possible as this simple action will get your digestion off to a smooth start.

3. Eat local, seasonal and fresh foods [ organic if possible]. Skip the supermarket and attend the local Farmers market or stall.

4. Buy food in smaller amounts and have a rough meal plan for the week ahead. It helps to write these out first few times then it becomes automatic.

5. No cold drinks with your meals. Best to sip hot water or lukewarm if you do not like hot.

6. Avoid leftover food. The energy and taste are reduced and often absent altogether.

7. Portion size should equal what you can hold in two hands facing up, side by side. So LESS than you think! That way you will not feel overfull after meal which will affect your digestion.

8.Avoid snacks. Sip herbal teas or Ginger honey lime with hot water.

9.Eat your bigger meal in the middle of the day and keep your evening meal light and have it before 7pm

10. With greater awareness of food tastes you can try to include as many of the 6 tastes in all your meals. These are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.