Boost digestive fire
Agni is the Ayurvedic term for the digestive fire that stimulates digestive processes, metabolism, absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste. These processes remove Ama – the term used to describe the compounds that remain in our bodies when metabolism is incomplete. Ama are toxins that affect our body-mind wellbeing, digestive comfort and ease of movement when they accumulate.
Agni is more present in the environment at certain times of the year – so typically in summer we are more able to tolerate and digest raw foods, lighter, rougher and heavier foods as we have the fire to transform their elements into nutrients and waste. In Autumn and winter there is less Agni, and digestion can slow down with cooler, wetter conditions, or become erratic with wind and changeable conditions.
Balancing Agni and Ama with digestive spices is helpful to restore and support all dosha types, and provide the inside out support we may find helpful as the weather cools in the slower months of the year.
Digestive spices have the qualities of Agni in that they are warming, gently stimulating and cleansing, rather than the heat that we may associate with pungent spices like chilies, mustard, or wasabi. These can boost Agni but may create too much Pitta, or Rajastic energy (movement, agitating, stimulating) thus missing potential benefits of complete digestive absorption and adding to inflammation that may be present, or causing Ama build up.
Spices to improve nutrient uptake, reduce bloating and soothe inflammation include:
- Ginger – the gentle heat of ginger boosts metabolism, reduces nausea and removes Ama
- Fennel – is cooling and calming for the good, particularly good for bloating and incomplete early digestion in teh stomach and duodenum
- Cumin – a great booster of digestive enzymes to help breakdown fats into more manageable compounds, in doing so cumin also reduces cramping, constipation, dryness and gas from the small bowel
- Coriander – a soothing spice for inflammation that boosts natural liver and kidney processing and aids overall digestion
- Turmeric – is an anti-inflammatory cleansing root spice that supports liver and blood cleansing capacities to eliminate Ama
- Black pepper – one of the stronger heat boosting spices, black pepper increases metabolism, digestion and nutrient absorption
- Black pepper and Turmeric are a winning combination to boost digestion and metabolic transformation
- Asafetida (Hing) – this strange looking powder is super powerful to relieve bloating and gas. Use in very small amounts it has hot, pungent umami like flavour that can aggravate inflammation (always use cooked)
- Cardamon – offers a sweeter, gentle aid for bloating by improving the flavour and digestibility of food
Living an Ayurvedic lifestyle is about understanding your body-mind, checking in each day to see what you need, and incorporating simple principles and food choices into your day to ease the load, and remove, or avoid that which doesn’t serve you well.
