After a year of turmoil, it’s natural to want to feed our families when we finally get to meet over the festive season. That said, a healthier outlook will reconnect you to your body, your values and in doing so, to those you love. Over-indulging occurs when we’ve tuned out and in Ayurveda, this is known as ‘prajnaparadha’ which means 'offence of the intellect' or 'crimes against wisdom'. We have a gut feeling when making unwise choices and it’s the very same gut that feels uncomfortable when we dishonour the body with mindless eating.
Ayurveda considers digestive health as the centre of optimum ‘true health’. An abundance of rich festive meals and snacks at irregular times will doubtless lead to a build-up of āma – the toxic waste product of incomplete digestion. You’ll feel this in the body as lethargy, stiff joints, respiratory pressure, allergens, occasional constipation or weight gain. While deep cleansing takes time and commitment, you can give the digestive fire a fighting chance by keeping the digestive fire burning. Known as ‘agni’, the digestive fire is essential to true health as it is responsible for breaking down food to nourish cells and purifying metabolic waste. When that precious fire gets weakened, so does the rest of your body. In other words, when the agni is compromised and āma accumulates, our health and wellbeing suffer.
Here are our simple tips to having a healthier, happier Christmas
- Digest your experiences. If you can truly assimilate the events of this year and the physical and emotional impact it’s had on you, then you will be on the path to true health. An undigested experience leaves as much discomfort as can an undigested meal, so prioritise your mindfulness practice each morning throughout the holidays to connect with yourself and avoid prajnaparadha.
- Upon waking up each morning, consume 200ml of warm water with ginger on an empty stomach. This will help stimulate agni and regulate the digestive fire to give you a feeling of lightness. (I would add lemon here)
- Ayurveda recommends eating your largest meals at lunchtime when the ‘agni’ is at its strongest and your digestive system can better absorb nutrients and energy from the food you eat and pass that which is not needed.
- What you eat is extremely important in balancing your elemental make up. Avoid, white processed foods and opt for a colourful Christmas by going filling your plate with colourful vegetables.
- Given diet may not be enough, it’s vital to support digestion with potent adaptogens. The most suitable herbal blend for this time of year would be our Organic Triphala Booster. Containing the fruit of three potent berries; our Triphala helps regulate the digestive fire and thereby reduce ‘ama’ and balance all 7 tissues in the body.