​AYURVEDA RESOLUTION #2:
 
Sit down to eat your meals and wait at least 5 minutes before you get up from the table. Again sitting to eat is more important than what you eat.
 
The first Ayurveda principal of eating at the same time (when to eat) is followed up by where and how to eat. At a table without the distraction of your phone or other device!  And maybe a lit candle. The lit candle is representative of Agni, the digestive fires that stimulates digestion.
 
The gut is intricately connected to the brain. You have heard the expression gut feeling. Standing to eat, eating in your car, at your desk or in front of any device is a stressor and this stress effect the brain-gut axis (BGA)and has pathophysiological consequences on digestion. Exposure to any of these stressors affects the autonomic nervous system which affects the brain gut axis and both of these leads to the development of different digestive issues, all of which are pre cursors to ama (toxins) in the body. When you sit down to eat it allows relaxation in the mind and body and the function of the autonomic nervous system is regulated  allowing for the proper digestion of food, through many systems in the gut, muscular contraction, the immune system, blood flow and peristalsis etc.
 
The practices of sitting down also has the possibility of positively affecting the  breath which offer the possibility of reducing inappropriate activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
When there is inappropriate activity of the ANS , the vital life-force , prana, is affected and it results in heightened bowel dysregulation and digestive disturbance. Of the five life-forces, the most important for the healthy functioning of the body is “Samana,” a life-force that is responsible for digestion and balancing two other major life-forces, “Apana” and “Prana.” When “Samana” is disturbed, the food ingested cannot be digested properly. This leads to over digestion (atijirnatvam), nondigestion (ajirnatvam), or wrong digestion (kujirnatvam) and this improperly digested food settles in the body and leads to diseases . If “Samana” becomes dominant, it leads to gastroesophageal problems, including epigastric pain, hyperacidity and gastric reflux. Ajirnatvam and heightened sympathetic activity (disturbed ANS) results in IBS-C  constipation).Disturbed “Samana” causes an imbalance in “Apana,” and excess Apana along with parasympathetic dominance manifests as IBS-D  diarrhea In other words, heightened parasympathetic activity results in IBS-D and heightened sympathetic activity results in IBS-C.
This is a small glimpse at why sitting down to eat is important to your health. It is also a simple Ayurveda principal that you can every day to accomplish better health. 

​Today we are bombarded with different dietary programs! The issue is that these programs may be designed for some people but not for you. The health and wellness industry is very generalized and everyone fits into some zone of normal. But really, no two bodies are alike and  everyone need a unique blueprint that is suitable to meet their health and wellness requirements.

I’ve known some people who have decided to take on a certain dietary program and have committed to a lifelong healthy lifestyle and and have come to me because they have not enjoyed the result that they are expecting.  This is because a dietary and lifestyle plan needs to be designed for you and your prakriti (birth constitution) and vikriti (Doshic imbalances).

Rutucharaya means holding routines for seasonal change. An Ayurveda Cleanse diet is common in this time of change."Rutu" means the seasonal movement of time and "charya" means routine. Each season influences the bodily cells, organs and systems as well as the three doshas in different ways.

According to Ayurveda, a person is a reflection of nature and like people seasons have a prakriti or constitution. Spring is like Kapha, summer is like Pitta and fall ​

Coriander Seeds – Dhanyaka
 
Coriander seeds are tridoshic in Ayurveda.  They are astringent and bitter, which makes them great for Pitta.
There qualities are laghu (light) and snigdha (oily) and their effect on the body is rejuvenating. The seeds are
used extensively in Ayurveda to improve digestion, to relieve heat in the body, help with asthma and can
be useful for malabsorption issues. Research in modern medicine says it may help control blood sugar.
As summer comes to an end coriander seed water can be useful for the excess heat that has built up
in the body, especially for the Pitta constitution. Here is a simple recipe for the body heat.
 
Natural Coolant:
1 part coriander seeds (10 gram)
6 parts water ( 60 grams) ½ cup
 
Crush the seeds and add hot water. Let sit overnight and in the morning drain and add a small amount of
jaggery or maple syrup. Enjoy

For digestion:

Use in cumin, coriander and fennel tea. Recipe in the last blog. Or
 
10 grams ( 3 tsp) coriander seeds
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
½ tsp. jaggery
Crush seeds and ginger. Add 1/2 cup of hot waterwater. Let cool and enjoy before meals.
 
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
 
Mix equal parts coriander seeds, ginger and castor roots. Add water.