by Terry R. Shirvani, N.D.

 
According to Naturopathic medicine, proper digestion is the foundation of health and well being.   What we ingest is key, but how our bodies deal with what we ingest is even more vital.  It is said in Ayurveda, the oldest medical system on the planet, that a person with weak digestion can turn nectar into poison while a person with strong digestion can turn poison into nectar.  To the ancient Vedic sages, optimal digestion was all-important!

Fundamental to proper digestion are digestive enzymes.  Enzymes are biological catalysts.  Without them, our bodies could not complete the numerous biochemical reactions necessary to sustain daily life.  The human body produces two types of enzymes: digestive and metabolic.  Digestive enzymes are essentially responsible for the breakdown of food into nutrients the body can absorb.  Metabolic enzymes play a critical role in such functions as immune support, tissue maintenance and repair, and hormone production.

Perhaps the most important concept in Ayurveda is agni.  Agni fundamentally means the fire of transformation.  It is this internal fire that digests food on the physical plane and ideas and information on a mental level.  As I said earlier, it is considered very beneficial and fortunate to have strong agni, or strong digestion—on both a physical and a mental level.  When one can properly metabolize food, it is much more efficiently absorbed and utilized.  When one has a strong ability to metabolize information, one can think more clearly, make better choices, and be more productive and creative. 

So how can we cultivate strong digestive fire, or agni?  The following five suggestions will help kindle the fire within:

1) Take digestive enzymes daily with every meal.  Though your body manufactures digestive enzymes, stress, ubiquitous environmental toxins, and eating highly processed foods can tax your body’s enzyme production.  Supplementing your diet with digestive enzymes can greatly enhance the digestive process and will not create dependency.  On the contrary, when you take supplemental (exogenous) enzymes, this allows your body to shunt more of it’s (endogenous) enzymes to crucial metabolic functions!

2) Eat when you are hungry and avoid eating between meals.  A habit of eating before you are actually hungry—and especially between meals—can gradually weaken your digestive power and lead to digestive problems such as acid reflux, gas, and bloating.  Learn to be in tune with your hunger signals and know when it’s time to eat.  Timing is everything!

3) Eat plenty of fresh, cooked food.  While raw foods certainly have benefits, excessive ingestion of raw and cold foods can weaken digestive power.  Cooked and warming foods are easier to digest and increase digestive strength over time.  According to Ayurveda, a diet of 60-70% cooked food is best for digestive health.  
4) Eat in a settled and peaceful environment.  This will bring more focus and attention to your food, enhancing the digestive process and empowering your body’s agnis to do their important work.

5) Use warming herbs such as ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper to nurture your digestive fire.   Like food, herbs have warming or cooling effects.  Warming herbs—such as ginger—help build digestive strength with regular use.  Use warming herbs as spices in cooking or take them as supplements before or after meals.   

Though these suggestions may seem ideal, they are actually basic to good health.  However, if you heed just one of them, take digestive enzymes!  With regular use, the benefits—which include increased energy and vitality—go far beyond digestive support.