Gut Health

Heal Your Digestion, Naturally

The health of our bodies as a whole depends on the optimal functioning of our digestive tract. A growing body of research confirms what ancient Ayurvedic wisdom has said for over 5000 years–that correcting digestive imbalances is critical to solving chronic health problems and promoting optimal energy, mood, mental clarity, skin and hair health and beauty, and to simply feeling your best every day!

Find out what kind of digestive imbalance you might have and how to optimize your digestion to help you heal, lose weight if you need to, and stay healthy, youthful and looking your best!

Why We Need to Heal Digestion

If you’re like most of us, you only think about digestion when your stomach hurts or you’re experiencing other uncomfortable symptoms, such as gas, bloating, heartburn or constipation. Yet Ayurveda has long held what conventional medicine is finally beginning to recognize—that a healthy digestive tract is key not only to good digestion, but to our overall health and longevity as well. Recent research is revealing the key role our digestive tract (“GI tract”) plays in our health. Recently dubbed our “second brain,” the GI tract has over 100 million neurons and can profoundly influence our mood, learning, memory, sleep, heart health, and even our bones. Our gut also plays a critical role in immunity, housing an astonishing 70% of our immune cells as well as a sophisticated ecosystem of over 90 trillion friendly bacteria critical to supporting our immunity, and producing and digesting our nutrients. Obviously, a healthy intestinal system is crucial to the health of our entire body!

“Hidden” Indigestion Lies at the Root of All Chronic Disorders

Ayurveda teaches us what a growing body of research is supporting– that poor digestion lies at the root of many chronic health problems, even those that don’t seem related to digestion at all. For example, health issues such as anxiety, depression, low-energy, chronic fatigue, menstrual cramps, skin problems, weight gain, joint stiffness, brain fog, sinus problems, allergies, asthma, insomnia, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions and premature aging as well as many others have all been linked to poor digestion.

Is Your Digestion Good Enough?

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t have any digestive symptoms—my digestion seems to be good. How can this approach help me become radiantly healthy?” The answer is, you don’t have to have “digestive symptoms” to have a digestion-related disorder. If you have any of the chronic symptoms listed above, or simply want to feel better physically or mentally, take the Digestive Quiz to find out your specific Digestive Type and get personalized guidelines to follow that will help you improve your digestion and overall health as well.

Do You Need to Improve Your Digestion?

The Answer is Yes, If:

• You have digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, acid indigestion, constipation, irritable bowel, heaviness, sluggishness or other abdominal discomfort or you are taking medications to for these symptoms.
• You are overweight, underweight or have cravings. Improving your digestion and eating according to your type is a critical and largely unknown factor in normalizing weight and maintaining it spontaneously.
• You have a chronic health condition – All chronic disease involves poor digestion.
• You want to feel better, have more energy, brighter mood, greater focus, learning and memory, optimize your weight, get relief from aches and pains, have more enthusiasm.
• You want to live a long and healthy life.
• You want to become more self-actualized and spiritually vital – our body is our temple – the home of our soul, divinity and life force. Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle supports optimal growth of higher states of consciousness, of yoga, or union, through production of gut neurotransmitters and what Ayurveda calls ojas, the most refined product of digestion.
• You follow a spiritual path. Interestingly, Ayurveda describes that the digestive tract plays a key role in spiritual development as the supplier of ojas, the most refined product of digestion, that integrates the entire physiology and supports body and consciousness both. Our digestive tracts actually produce neurotransmitters that support consciousness directly. Ayurveda is for more than just physical health and well-being. The classical texts say “Ayurveda Amritanam” – Ayurveda is for immortality, and that means body and soul both.

How To Improve Your Digestion, Relieve Indigestion and Feel Truly Better!

While healthy food choices and eating habits are obvious, you will now learn a new, profound perspective on optimizing health by improving your digestion. Rather than giving everyone the same diet and eating recommendations, Ayurveda looks at symptoms in terms of imbalance and the underlying factors (or doshas) causing it, and identifies three main digestive types, Airy, Fiery and Earthy (vata, pitta and kapha.) Each of the three types of digestive imbalance is correctable through foods, spices, herbs and eating habits specific to that type.

Learn Your Type and Tips Now!

Your next step is to discover your digestive type!

Note: This article presents a valuable dimension of a complete, holistic approach to digestive health that is complementary and may be all you need for complete healing. However, if you have a digestive problem or other medical condition, you are advised to see your physician for a comprehensive medical evaluation, including ruling out such contributing causes as infections, inflammation, food allergies and intolerances, and other more serious conditions.