Add value to what you eat!

"TO EAT IS A NECESSITY, BUT TO EAT INTELLIGENTLY IS AN ART."

The food we eat; is it adding value to our body?

In order to get the most nutrition, the food must be digested at its best! Improper/Incomplete digestion causes many problems. There are some reasons why the food we eat isn't giving us the nutrition we need.

Lifestyle is one of them!

Here are some tactics and techniques:

1. 1-1 HOUR RULE

The mistake 90% of people in the world are doing this. Drinking water during a meal ,or immediately after, before having a heavy meal.

One must not drink water or any cold liquid (juice, milkshake ,etc. except Buttermilk immediately AFTER, BEFORE OR DURING a meal. When you eat food the digestion process begins in your stomach secretes enzymes, digestive juices (acidic juices) which help in the proper breakdown of the food. If you drink water during this process, the enzymes and acidic juices get diluted resulting in improper digestion causing many diseases.

So the solution is simple: one should keep in mind before and after having meal they should keep a gap of 1 hour before drinking water.

Note: One must consume buttermilk (chhaas) instead of water which aids digestion.

Although, during the span of a whole day, one must consume 2-3 liters (70-100 oz approx.) of water.

2.GINGER-LEMON

Also, one more thing one must consume is one full glass of lemonade and a small pinch of ginger before having a meal. Lemon and ginger work as a catalyst in doing digestion so it fastens the process.

3. EXERCISE REGULARLY

The complete digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food nutrients create the building blocks of the body, called aahara rasa, or "the essence of food". For this one must exercise daily for the functioning of proper digestion. if you consume food without having a physical routine in daily routine, the food does not get digested properly. In order to build a healthy body you must exercise otherwise the food would be stored into your body without being used which resulting in obesity also!

4. The more you chew, the easier is digestion.

According to Ayurveda and also modern science, one must take time to chew their food (recommended 30-40 times), such that it mixes with your saliva so well (which also has digestive enzymes) that the food becomes liquid in your mouth and then swallow it.

5. Eat slightly less One must eat 75% of their stomach capacity in order to keep space for digestion process to occur, over-eating causes incomplete digestion which causes decaying of the food material in stomach and then it excretes without absorbing any nutrients.

6. Thankfulness for what you eat

When we were kids, long back during pre-school period, we were made to pray before consuming food. Prayer has affirmation in it. Affirmations have energy in them which passes to the food that makes it valuable and nutritious. It may not make sense to everybody but with belief, if you practice this, it makes a notable difference.

As it is said by Seth Adam Smith, "Faith is the deepest and truest form of magic."

7. Intermittent fasting

Fasting doesn't help in digestion but helps in adding value to your body. Intermittent fasting includes consuming very less or planned eating or eating fruits and milk. There are many types of fasting (upavasa). Fasting helps in improving gut health and detoxifying body.

8. Detox water

Now-a-days there is a trend in every modern household - use of R.O. (Reverse Osmosis), Aquaguard, etc. In the struggle to have clean pure water, we are removing the needful salts and minerals from the water by processing it.

While detox water has many benefits:

1. Weight loss

2. Toxins removal or detox

3. Balancing body pH

4. Better digestive health

5. Boosting immune function

6. Increasing energy levels

7. Improving skin

Detox water is made by infusing water with different types of fruits, vegetables, or herbs. You can make your own at home using proper guidance and knowledge from a naturopathy expert, according to what suits your body.

According to Ayurveda all these practices over a period of time have the potential to cure various forms of illness like bloating, obesity, diabetes, constipation, diarrhea etc. It also reduces the chances of having a heart attack at young age, high cholesterol and increases life expectancy.

Simple changes in your lifestyle over a period of time can create great difference in your health!