Does it seem like you are ravenously hungry shortly after eating a large meal? Do you sit down and eat because it is mealtime even though you are still full from the last one? After eating, are you bloated, gassy or nauseous? Are you sleepy and sluggish after eating? If you don’t eat on time are you hypoglycemic?

These are all signs of a diminished digestive fire, or agni, as understood by Ayurveda, the 5,000 year old system of health and wellness from India and the Yoga tradition.

It has been estimated that 70-80% of our immune cells reside in the digestive tract. And further, when our agni is weak our digestion is impaired. The end product of this poor digestion creates impurities from the partially undigested material which clogs up our channels and become the breeding ground for all sorts of diseases.

Bugs in the form of viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites thrive in this environment. If our digestive tract is healthy our immune system is fully available to us. If our immunity is strong we will rarely get sick.

Recently there has been a lot of media attention on cough etiquette and hand washing practices for deterring the spread of a cold or flu. This has been very practical and effective advice. Yet a more holistic approach is to assist our body’s own healing energy in response to a challenge. For this we need strong digestion.

So what supports strong agni and strong digestion? Here are some simple steps to start with:

1. Nourish yourself with fresh, pure foods.
2. Stay away from stale, old, frozen and processed foods, especially "junk" foods which are all difficult to digest.
3. Eat foods that are in season.
4. Eat the biggest meal at lunchtime when our digestive fire, like the sun, is at its strongest.
5. Eat lightly at night when our body needs to process the day’s food intake.
6. Eat meals at regular times.
7. Wait 3-5 hours between meals.
8. Eat calmly and without distractions.
9. Drink warm or room temperature water.
    

Amba Greene is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Licensed Massage Therapist (MA53880) and a Registered Yoga Teacher. Amba specializes in digestive health and offers personal wellness consultations through her practice "Be Nourished" located in Vero Beach. For more information call 772-589-9739. www.benourished.net