ViRa The digestive system is the energy warehouse of the body. Digestive tract digests the food and turn it in the form of energy. The gut is the second brain as gut microbiota (the intestinal flora) communicates with the brain and liver with the help of neurons through the Vagus nerve. Some 100,000 billion bacteria live in human beings – that’s two to ten times the number of cells that make up our body. The collection of non-pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi makes our gut microbiota. The food we can’t digest, gut microbiota digest for us and covert the food into energy and we consume that energy.
Ayurveda has its own definition of Digestion system. Acharya Charaka said:-
“As the fire in a hearth converts rice and water of a cooking pot into food and foam, so the digestive fire (pachatyagni) converts the indigested food and drink into chyle and ‘mala’ (excreta = feces and urine).”
Charaka Samhita VI. 15. 6
Indigestion or constipation is a huge problem people are suffering from, all around the globe. The excretion of the food waste is not done well. Undigested food creates Ama (the toxic element) in the digestive tract.
Accumulation of Ama is the root cause for almost 95% of the health conditions humans are facing right now. Imbalanced ‘Pachaka Pitta’ or digestive fire is responsible for producing the Ama in the digestive tract. Ama is a sluggish and sticky substance. It can hinder absorption in the digestive tract. Ama holds the toxic elements and if not removed on a timely basis, an individual can suffer from many chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, chronic constipation, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.
Excretion of the waste elements from the gut is one of the essential morning rituals in Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, some unhealthy actions can be the root cause of constipation. The body is not able to cleanse the gut waste in the morning easily. Some unhealthy actions mentioned below: –
- Eating heavy dinner.
- Late Dinner or heavy snack at night.
- Big portions for dinner.
- Going to sleep late.
- Going to bed with a disturbed mind.
Ayurveda Suggest some simple rules to avoid Indigestion.
- Stay hydrated.
- Do not eat frequently.
- Try to go to bed before 10 PM.
- Eat dinner before sunset.
- Avoid heavy food and big portions for dinner.
- Take Psyllium husk with warm milk before going to bed.
- Add probiotics and fiber to the diet.
- Take spiced milk before going to bed.
