Balancing
the Digestive Fires
by
Kathy Kornblum |
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Digesting
and assimilating food is a key component to good health. This
is a large topic area, I will address it in parts. In this first
part I will layout some basic concepts and suggest some beginning
steps toward improving your digestion.
I find that the Ayurvedic tradition, the healing philosophy
of India, offers an excellent way to assess and treat the digestive
system. In Ayurveda, Agni refers to the power of our digestive
fires. I like to think of the digestive system, agni, as a furnace
of sorts where fuel comes in, is burned, processed and sent
out for use by the cells of the body. When our furnace is working
well and absorption is good, we have adequate energy, clear
skin, clear mental abilities, a strong immune system, and generally
feel good.
Given
the importance of this system what can we do to help it? In
my clinical practice I have found a few common practices that
improve most people¹s digestive systems. First there is
the concept of balancing thefire. Due in part to diet, stress,
and toxins, many people have a dampened fire that needs stoking.
One excellent way to maintain good fire is to avoid drinking
cold beverages during a meal. Cold beverages contract the muscles,
cool and dilute the digestive enzymes, constrict the blood flow,
and dampen the heat needed for digestion. Another way to improve
the fires is to cook with aromatic herb and spices such as rosemary,
cinnamon, sage, and ginger.
Digestive
enzymes are also very important for digestion, and assimilation.
These enzymes are both generated by our bodies and are a part
of the foods we eat. Unfortunately, they are vulnerable to processing,
cooking, and to the pH in our guts. Hence many of us may not
be absorbing all the nutrients from our food. Some of my clients
have benefited greatly from digestive enzymes which are available
at health food stores. People have found less discomfort and
more energy from their use. Once the digestive system is working
optimally, through better diet and treatment, the need for supplemental
digestive enzymes decreases.
Bitter
foods and herbs can assist with digestion for most people as
well. Spring green mixes, dandelion leaves, and endive are a
few examples. There are some excellent herbal bitters as well
such as artichoke leaf, gentian, yellow dock, and yarrow. Taken
at the beginning of a meal, bitters will stimulate the liver
and gall bladder to send bile to the gut which helps digest
fats and other substances. I will address bitters and liver
health more in later articles.
Probiotics
is my last suggestion for this article. These are the healthy
flora that live in the digestive system assisting with assimilation
and digestion. Examples include acidopholus, the culture found
in yogurt, bifidus, and candida. Most people consider candida
a bad flora, but in fact, candida is one of the necessary floras
in our intestines. The problem comes from an imbalance of floras
which results from antibiotics, stress, and diets high in sugar
and carbohydrates. If you want to supplement with probiotics,
look for supplements that include acidophilus, or a mixture
of floras, and FOS (FructoOligoSaccharaids) which is the food
that the beneficial flora feed on.
I
will be addressing many of these topics in more depth in future
articles. In the mean time, if you are interested in this topic,
the North Country Herbalist Guild is sponsoring a conference
on digestion April 25-27 with Candis Cantin. For more information
call 612-827-2570.
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