Doshas and Digestion

Note: For part one of Ayurvedic tips for digestive well-being during holidays, read here.

Tend your digestive fire to minimize or avoid holiday digestive blues of bloat, burps, burn, and bulge.

The three doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) each play an important role in your digestive process. They are the Ayurvedic body-mind types, made-up of the Universal five elements – space, air, fire, water, and earth.

Knowing your primary dosha, can help you navigate holiday parties and buffet tables, so to avoid common indigestion disturbances.

The Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha

Vata (space and air elements) governs movement in digestive and intestinal tract. When movement is regular and rhythmic, ones appetite, digestion, and elimination are regular.

Pitta (fire and water), the transformational force, is digestive enzymes and bile. Its hot, sharp, and oily qualities kindle digestive fire, helping stomach to digest heavy, cold foods like meat, casseroles, and desserts. When pitta’s fire is right temperature, food is transformed into nourishment and waste products are eliminated.

Kapha (water and earth), due to its cool, liquid, and stable nature, protects delicate tissue membranes in stomach and digestive tract.

When the doshas in digestive system become stressed due to erratic eating habits, improper food combining, or overeating, digestive issues eventually manifest. If warning bells of bloat, burp, burn, or bulge are ignored, chronic digestive issues like heartburn, ulcers, colitis, IBS, and malabsorption can occur.

Understanding how each dosha is affected by foods or eating lifestyle, helps you support digestive balance for each dosha.

What A Relief It Is!

 Below is how each dosha gets disturbed. Then, I offer three easy, effective Ayurvedic remedies. A lifestyle suggestion, using food as medicine, and a herbal remedy.

Vata – The Bloat and Burps

Irregular, on-the-go, or late meals increases vata’s air element. If ignored, burping, bloating, and constipation can occur due to extra mobile and dry qualities in digestive system.

Remedies

1. Eat meals on regular schedule. Going to after-work shindig? Then favor vata pacifying foods at breakfast and lunch to conserve digestive fuel for party food.

2. About half-hour before meal or party time, serve up an Ayurvedic digestive hors d'oeuvre to help kindle your digestive fire. On teaspoon, put ¼ tsp fresh chopped ginger and juice of small lime wedge. Then sprinkle with dash of Himalayan salt. Drizzle with honey to help the medicine go down.

3. Soothe bloating and maintain regularity after holiday parties or road trip meals. Drink a cup of organic Calm Vata Tea. Easy to tote around, it’s ready to use at drop of a tea bag. At bedtime, take 1-2 triphala tablets. Save 15% by using KELLEN15 at checkout.

Pitta – The Burn

Indulging in libations and eating excessive oily, sweet, or rich foods causes digestive fire to burst into flames. Holiday road trips, last minute shopping, and a houseful of relatives create extra stress. Stress increases stomach acidity. Keep stomach and liver merry and light by following these pitta-pacifying tips.

Remedies

1. Moderate cocktail consumption. Red wines and sweet liquors aggravate pitta in stomach and liver. Favor wine spritzers or cocktails made with clear alcohol and generous amounts of water and fresh lime.

2. After meals, brew a fennel (1/4 tsp) and clove buds (2) tea in 8 oz hot water. Fennel is cooling and alleviates nausea and indigestion. Cloves reduce congestion in sinuses. Also helpful with enjoying heavy appetizers and frosted gingerbread men.

3. For occasional heartburn and acid indigestion, use Pitta Digest. Take 1-2 tablets an hour before cocktail party or holiday dinner.

Kapha – The Bulge

Excess carbs, sweets, meats, and cheese, creates heaviness and lethargy. Over indulging in these kapha foods can cause one to gain the festive five. 

Remedies

 1. Stuff the stockings, not your stomach. Minimize sweets and heavy foods, especially at night. After a heavy meal or an appetizer-munching marathon, take 20-minute walk to boost metabolism and avoid holiday weight gain.

2. Tis the season…for seasoning with kapha pacifying spices. For savory dishes like stuffing, mashed potatoes, and casseroles, use generous amounts of black pepper, cumin, and rosemary. For sweet dishes and desserts, use cinnamon, cardamom, clove, dried ginger, and nutmeg.

3. Make a cup of Kapha Digest tea, with squeeze of lemon. Enjoy before breakfast or after a heavy meal.

Doshas & Digestion: All Is Calm, All Is Right

Weave a few of these Ayurveda self-care remedies into your daily routine. They are easy, effective ways to support digestion and doshas during the holidays. And as you celebrate this season of light, give daily thanks to your digestive fire.