Proper digestion is the cornerstone of health in Ayurveda. What we don’t properly digest and assimilate (food and emotions) turns into toxic buildup, or ama, in the body. Over time, this creates the optimal environment for diseases to manifest. Ama prevents us from connecting to our body’s underlying intelligence and natural ability to heal.
Symptoms of ama in the body can include:
- Depression/anxiety
- Fatigue
- Bloating/Gas
- Constipation
- Insomnia
- Skin rashes/acne
- Joint pain/stiffness
- Chronic inflammation
- Obesity
- Bad breath or body odor
- Weak immune health
- Brain fog
- Leaky gut
On the other hand, the end product of perfect digestion is called ojas. Ojas translates to “vigor,” or physical strength and good health. It is said to be the connection between consciousness and matter, and the essence of the 7 dhatus, or tissue layers, of the body. Ojas gives us glowing skin, energy, strong immunity, balanced emotions and cognition.
Ojas is one of our three vital essences, along with Prana and Tejas. These are the beneficial forms of the three doshas – vata, pitta and kapha.
In order for our body to reduce ama and boost ojas, it needs to have strong agni, or digestive fire. According to Ayurveda, impaired agni is the root cause of all disease. It is agni that determines what substances enter and exit all cells of the body. In this way, the role of agni in Ayurveda is to be the watchguard of life.
Signs of impaired agni can include:
- Weak appetite
- Intense appetite
- Unbalanced emotions
- Chronic fatigue
- Skin rashes/acne
- Digestive issues
- Chronic congestion
- Thick white or yellow coating on tongue
There are many lifestyle factors that can lead to impaired agni and ama in the body, such as:
- Improper diet
- Poor eating habits
- Too much stress
- Poor quality sleep
- Too much or too little exercise
If you are experiencing any of the above issues, consider supporting agni using the following Ayurvedic remedies for detoxification of the body:
- Eat predominantly fresh, organic, whole foods
- Eat at regular times throughout the day
- Only eat when hungry, don’t eat when not
- Eat away from distractions
- Chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly
- Don’t eat when stressed out, angry or sad
- Don’t eat 2-3 hours before bed time
- Sit down to eat
- Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people
- Incorporate stress management tools into your life such as meditation
- Get regular daily movement
- Don’t eat or drink foods that are too cold
- Don’t drink too much water while eating
- Get adequate sleep
For added digestive support, try these Ayurvedic remedies for body detoxification:
- Take one teaspoon of Authentic Chyawanprash™ daily in the morning
- Sip warm to hot water throughout the day to support healthy digestion and elimination
- Try this healing digestive tea: Put ½ tsp each of organic cumin seeds, organic coriander seeds and organic fennel seeds in a 40 oz thermos. Fill with hot water and let steep for at least 15 minutes. You can leave the seeds in all day. Sip this tea every 20-30 minutes until about 6pm.