Gray hair and wrinkles can be a testimony of wisdom. But in a stressful world we often get caught up in equating our worth with productivity that could weigh on us post-retirement. Everyone, at every stage of life is a gift to the world. That said, aging does bring preventable and costly health challenges that we need to face squarely, from heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis, dry skin, falling hair, cognitive decline, stroke and cancer. There is also the possibility of depletion, loneliness and ageism. So, how can we look after ourselves better to ensure we are physically and mentally stronger as we age? Ayurveda is a holistic mind-body science which supports people through a comprehensive approach to live a healthier life right into their sunset years. It emphasizes that aging ( Jara ) is a natural process just like the seasons. It does acknowledge natural degenerative changes but recommends prevention, building resilience and an anti-aging regimen through its br
Rich foods and holiday libations may be difficult to avoid during this
festive season, or anytime you gather with friends and loved ones. Food
is often the centerpiece of social occasions, and an important part of
relationship building. It's important to participate, but you may find
yourself eating foods you normally wouldn't. Health challenges can
resurface after these celebratory occasions, starting with indigestion
and a poor night's sleep. Fortunately, Ayurveda has many tips to handle
situations like this. Here's how to maximize the fun, while minimizing
the damage.
The Effects of Celebrating
Celebrations with food may cause you to eat at a different time that
your normal routine, eat a larger quantity of food, or eat unusual or
unhealthy foods. Healthy individuals can usually tolerate these moderate
transgressions with minimal effects. If your diet is generally healthy,
your level of resilience will be high. If you have a habit of
celebrating with food on a daily basis, however, your imbalances will
start to accumulate, overwhelming your strength and resilience.
As transgressions become more frequent, your body will give you
simple signs that you are approaching your limits. Not surprisingly, the
food you eat affects your digestion first. If you've stuffed yourself,
your stomach may hurt. You may get acid reflux, food coma, or gas and
bloating.
After you digest the rich meal of carbs, fats and proteins, the
extra calories and proteins are absorbed into the bloodstream, making
the blood thick. Sludgy thick blood plasma bogs the circulatory and
lymphatic systems. The result is mucus congestion the next morning, or
even high blood pressure as the heart struggles to move the thickened
blood. A sluggish circulatory system depresses your metabolism, making
you feel tired, lethargic, and your thoughts cloudy.
On a case by case basis, you may also notice imbalances in
various organs and tissues depending on your constitution. Usually, you
will need to wait for these balances to be cleared out of your body
before heading off to another holiday party. Alternatively, you can use
herbs, exercise, and Ayurvedic wisdom to speed up the recovery process.
Before the Fun: Preparing Your Body for Celebration
Prepare your body for feasts and celebrations with a grace period of
light, easy to digest foods 24 hours before a big meal. When I was a
boy, my mom would serve a light lunch before the Thanksgiving meal.
Similarly, a bit of austerity before your celebrations is a gentle way
to increase your strength and resilience. Don't fast completely,
however, as this will make you ravenous and likely to overindulge.
Here are some pre-feast gentle food recommendations:
- Oatmeal with spices for breakfast
- Soups or kitchari for lunch and dinner
- Avoid heavy and sticky foods like wheat and cheese that clog the intestines.
Here are some more examples of light, easily digestible meals to enjoy the 24 hours before a celebration
Before a big day of celebrations, especially if you will be celebrating
late into the night, keep your routine low key for 24 hours in advance
as well. In other words, get to bed and eat meals on time the day
before.
Just Before the Celebration
A half an hour before the meal, or just before you leave your house, drink a digestive tea such as Digestive Bitters, Trikatu or Hingvastak Churna. For extra effect, add a wedge of lime and a pinch of salt to ensure you are well hydrated before the meal.
If you know you won't be able to stomach what's on the Thanksgiving
table, eat a light meal before you head over to the festivities and then
eat lightly while there. If you have a food allergy, abstinence may be
necessary.
Social eating involves coordination, patience and inevitable
delay. A meal scheduled for 7pm may begin at 8pm. Hunger pangs, low
energy, and irritability signal distressed digestion and blood, making
folks "hangry." This should be remedied with a light, easy to digest
snacks before you arrive at your destination. Although snacking
should generally be avoided, in this case a snack will keep your system
even keeled. Settling your stomach has the added bonus of making it
easier to go with the flow and be social. Here are some quick and
healthy snack options:
- Kale chips
- Dates Stuffed with Ginger & Almonds
- Popcorn with Coriander & Cumin
- Spicy Sunflower Seed Snack
- Glazed Sweet & Spicy Pecans
During the Celebration
Your host may be embarrassed if you refuse certain foods, or take
abnormally small portions. Instead, be a gracious guest and accept what
has been offered with love, unless you have a food allergy. For seconds,
eat more of what balances you, and less of what doesn't. Chew food
carefully as this will greatly minimize any ill effects of poor food
choices. Saliva contains lots of digestive enzymes, and can help break
down and neutralize offending foods.
After the Celebration
Rest after the meal for fifteen minutes. Then take a short walk with a
friend at the party. This will help greatly help your digestion. Take triphala before bed to cleanse your bowels.
The day after the celebration, honor your body by appreciating the
challenges it must overcome to keep you healthy and balanced. Eat
simply, and get back on a good routine. The general rule of thumb is
that you can relax and return to normal, less restrictive food choices
after you have eliminated the celebratory meal from your bowels.
When you work with your body, instead of against it, you will
speed up the recovery process and increase your resilience, which
ultimately means you can celebrate more often.
Remedies by Type
Digestive Imbalances (15 minutes to 6 hours)
Food affects the digestive tract first. Bowel health may be affected for up to 3 days depending on your bowel transit time.
Food affects the digestive tract first. Bowel health may be affected for up to 3 days depending on your bowel transit time.
Imbalance | Dosha | Remedy |
---|---|---|
Gas or bloating | Vata | Stay hydrated. Take hingvastak churna to improve digestion. Massage the belly. |
Burning sensations | Pitta | Avoid irritating foods like coffee, alcohol, and hot spices. Take Soothe Inflamed Intestines tea. |
Heaviness in the GI | Kapha | Avoid heavy foods like wheat, cheese, dairy, and sugar. Take Mint Belly Bliss as a digestive aid. |
Acid Reflux | Vata / Kapha | Try a wedge of lemon to neutralize acids in the stomach. Sleep on an incline. Belly breath. |
Blood Imbalances (3 hours to 24 hours)
After the food is digested, it is absorbed into your blood, creating blood level imbalances.
After the food is digested, it is absorbed into your blood, creating blood level imbalances.
Imbalance | Dosha | Remedy |
---|---|---|
Insomnia, scattered | Vata | Keep warm, get to bed on time, and take Dashamoola. |
Hot flashes, rashes, acne | Pitta | Reduce heat with a liver cleansing, or liver support formula. |
Feeling cold, lethargic | Kapha | Cleanse your lymphatic system. |
Nervous System Imbalances (3 hours to 24 hours)
Once the imbalance is in the blood, the nervous system is affected. The nervous system is highly sensitive to changes in blood chemistry.
Once the imbalance is in the blood, the nervous system is affected. The nervous system is highly sensitive to changes in blood chemistry.
Imbalance | Dosha | Remedy |
---|---|---|
Hyperactivity, scattered thoughts | Vata | Keep your routine low key, eat and get to bed on time. |
Irritable, critical | Pitta | Avoid spicy, irritating or intense flavors. Keep your body cool. |
Depressed, overwhelmed | Kapha | Take a hot bath. Cleanse your lymphatic system |
Summary of Remedies
Support Digestion
Prepare the stomach a half hour before the meal with a ginger, lime and salt appetizer.
Chew your food as thoroughly as possible as you enjoy the company of
good friends and family. It's easy to become so involved in the table's
banter that you forget to masticate!
Eat Early
Lunch is the ideal meal for social feasts and eating out. Otherwise,
schedule large dinners at 4pm while the body is still strong and to
digest food completely before bedtime. Desserts
have become a social norm at gatherings, however damaging to digestion,
and should be served by 6pm. Eating after 8pm may be impossible to
avoid for some social occasions. In that case eat lightly. Overnight,
undigested food becomes stagnant in the blood and weighs you down,
provoking Kapha and mucous.
Indulge Wisely
Follow good eating habits
during the entire meal. Eat easy to digest foods first. Indulge only
small amounts of difficult to digest foods. Instead of store bought
cakes and pies, make your own healthy homemade desserts.
Aim to have dessert shortly after the main meal. This will ensure that
you don't overdo it with sweets and that you avoid eating too close to
bedtime for the body to have any time to digest. Ideally meals are at
least four hours apart so that the digestive tract has time to complete
digesting one meal before it's beckoned to process another. If you eat
your main meal and then dessert an hour later, the turkey that's still
in your stomach now has to wait for the pumpkin pie you just gobbled to
be ready to move onto the small intestine. This type of digestive
backlog can easily create toxic metabolic waste (ama) which clogs your
channels and weighs you down.
Take a Walk
Shortly after your meal, take a short fifteen minute walk around the
block. Invite other guests to join you in getting some fresh air. Enjoy
the quality time and focused conversation such an outing invites. It can
be the perfect way to connect with that loved one you haven't seen in
forever and it will benefit both of your digestive systems.
Massage Your Abdomen, Stretch
Before bed and the next morning, massage your abdomen gently to
encourage good elimination. Stretching your abdomen with various yoga
poses the next morning can encourage complete elimination. Exercise also
helps to clear out your blood and lymphatic system from accumulated
toxins.
Digestive Bitters
Digestive Bitters before and after a meal can regulate blood sugar, help digestion, reduce heartburn, and encourage a cleansing elimination.
To get Triphala from iHerb https://fas.st/jaJS3
To get Trikatu from iHerb https://fas.st/hDnmOs
To get digestives from iHerb https://fas.st/6U_0Jx
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