5 Easy Strategies To Boost Your Digestion - Manjiri Nadkarni Blog

Hello lovely peeps, we have talked about 5 common dietary habits that are totally wrecking your digestion in a previous post. (If you have missed it click here to read it)

Now it's time to undo the damage and stop making those terrible choices and gain newer habits that will give you a strong iron-like digestion. These 5 strategies though simple and straightforward, can revive a sluggish almost dying digestion and restore your body to maintain harmony within itself. Once you form these newer habits you will notice that yo no longer suffer from any digestive complaints and are on a path to optimal health, healing, and happiness. You will not only heal your digestion but feel energized, lose those stubborn pounds easily, have improved focus and better mood.

So let's dive straight into the strategies

#1 EAT ONLY & ONLY WHEN YOU ARE TRULY HUNGRY

As we talked before, hunger is the biggest cue that your body needs nourishment. Hunger is the signal from your brain that is telling you your body its time to eat and the same signal is carried to your digestive system so it can secrete digestive juices. Most people never really pay attention to what their body tells them and follow the clock instead and hence are not even aware whether they are hungry or not.

Eating when hungry means your body is ready to consume and digest food, and is secreting the necessary enzymes to digest food. If you eat food at such a time, it gets digested easily, without causing any further inflammatory products or grief to your body and mind. Also once you start eating only when you are hungry you are less likely to be bloated, gassy, tired or gain weight

#2 DON’T EAT YOUR EMOTIONS

Yes, you read it right! Emotional eating means people eating their emotion’s and unresolved issues. Most time people are not even aware of the underlying emotions that cause emotional eating like loneliness, anxiety, fear and distress. Sometimes though aware, many of us have no idea how to process these heavy emotions. So here are my two time-tested ways to deal with your emotions

a)The best way when you are feeling overwhelmed or emotional is to close your eyes and take a few breaths and center yourself first. Your breath is powerful and controlling your breath helps you manage your thoughts. Another simple strategy to use when emotional is to drink a glass of water. In Ayurveda, water is termed as the best at providing solace and comfort in a stressful situation.

b)The second one is one of the most powerful strategies I teach my clients is to write something called ‘Morning Pages’ that creates a safe, non-judgmental space for them to vent and release those stuck emotions. Both these strategies have helped many of my clients to quieten their minds and balance their emotional states and overcome the habit of emotional eating.

#3 AVOID DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OR AFTER MEALS

This simple strategy is a game changer for many of my clients suffering from weak digestion. If you want to drink water, drink it 20 minutes before you eat but not in enormous quantities; and the same holds true after meals. Ideally, you should have a few sips of water while having meals especially dry foods to facilitate the process of digestion. 

#4 FOCUS SOLELY ON YOUR FOOD WHEN EATING

We talked about how multitasking can harm your digestion. But did you know that multitasking or not focusing on the food you eat can also begin the cycle of food cravings? Food cravings are a result of not being satisfied with the food you eat and wanting more- you could crave for a certain taste like sweet or a texture like crunch. In contrast focusing on the food, means enjoying food with all your senses. The sound of the food, the aroma of food, the texture, the bright colors and the tastes. If you involve all your senses on this culinary journey, not only will you digest it better, but you will get more enjoyment and satisfaction from it and break the chain of food cravings.

#5 EATING SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR DOSHA TYPE

As we discussed before your doshas hold the key to all the facets of your life. Your innate nature known as Prakriti or Dosha type holds the answers to your health and happiness. As a Vata type you can thrive well on warm, moist and cooked foods like soups and stews. If you are a Pitta type, you will feel your best on cooling, but heavy foods and can handle raw foods well too. If you are a Kapha type you do well on warm, easily digesting and cooked foods. Eating for your dosha types prevents you from creating any imbalances in your body that can often lead to diseases.

Now that you know about my five awesome strategies for digestion, you don't have to worry about indigestion again. Which of the above is your favorite strategies, do let me know??