Signs That Tells You It’s Time For A Diet Change

Today most people know that their diet will have an impact on their health and this is true but a food plan or diet ( I don’t like the work diet) needs to be designed for YOU! Not for your mother, your friend or anyone else.

Ayurvedically, the way your diet impacts your health is based on the elements and qualities in the food, how strong your digestion is, how much ama ( toxins) you have accumulates and what level of imbalances you have in your constitution( doshas).  Ayurveda says that food is your medicine and medicine is your food, but food is not seen as READ MORE...

Inherently good or bad but is it good or bad for you. In fact all food are good for some people. The elements and properties of the food make them healthy or unhealthy for you.

I know some of you might be looking at yourself in the mirror and you’ll tell yourself, “I look healthy and I don’t feel bad”.  We get use to feeling not bad. You want to feel energetic, alive and happy everyday. 

Ayurveda states that nearly all disease begins in the GI tract. Digestive issues, such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, and acid reflux are a  nuisance to most people and they run to the drug store for antacid or to find the latest pills to relieve constipation and diarrhea. Pain relief is as near as Advil! Ayurveda see these issues as the being the first signs of illness, as most disease begin in the GI tract and comes from compromised digestion. This compromised digestion creates “ama”. Ama is a toxic residue that inhibits the  health of your body, mind and spirit.

Here are some signs and symptoms that your body has ama. So if you are looking to lose a few pounds, get rid of arthritis, have a chronic disease or just don't feel quite right you need to pay attention to your digestion.

1. You’re beginning to be overweight. Eating food loaded with the tastes of sweet and salty are earth promoting food and can add extra weight to your body. And if the digestion is compromised the conversion of your food into proper tissues is poor,you will gain weight.
2. You have a coating on your tongue. When you get up in the morning, have a look at your tongue. If there is a white , yellow or brown coating on your tongue, food is not being digested properly and this is the first symptom of unhealthy things to come.
3. Constipation, gas and bloating as a common occurrence in your life. This is commonly seen as a vata imbalance with agni manda. Many people use laxatives and gas relieving pills to help the problem.what needs to happen is your digestion needs to be improved. Many vata type people love lots of green smoothies and salads: two of the worst for a vata person.
4. Frequent diarrhea.  This is a condition that many people live with and do not realize that it is unhealthy. Digestion is out of balance. Diarrhea can be the body’s way of getting rid of something harmful. It is a good idea to let the diarrhea continue for a few days and let you body get rid of what it know is not good for you but if diarrhea is something that is happening on a regular basis, you need to look at your diet for food that are irritating to the digestive system and improve/balance digestion. Many times diarrhea can deplete the body of the water element, creating dehydration and there is not efficient assimilation of the food and people are undernourished.
5. You are frequently feeling depressed or anxious. Ayurveda states that food has an effect on our thoughts, emotions and consciousness. Anxiety and depression can be the result of ama( food that has not been properly digested)
6. Joint pain-signs of ama
7. Chronic inflammation
8. Heaviness and fatigue after eating

So what are some things you can do?

1. No more drinking cold water
2. Only 1/2 cup of warm water with your food
3. No more smoothies in the morning- for many people this promotes weight gain and ama
4. No coffee first thing in the morning on an empty stomach
5. Eat fruit alone
6. Sit down to eat your meals
7. Eat your largest meal at noon

Ayurveda is an ancient healing system that focuses on creating and maintaining health and happiness, through balance in mind, body and spirit. Ayurveda promotes a change in diet and lifestyle, when you begin to feel unwell with your everyday life, or you find yourself sick, and unproductive.

A healthy Ayurveda diet and  lifestyle will automatically reduce your risk for serious, life-threatening diseases, so why not give it a try?  A cleanse is a great place to start this fall.
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