In other words, we can call Metabolism, the digestive fire. Our health totally depends on how powerful or healthy our digestive fire is. Our health depends on our body’s ability to metabolize everything which it takes into it from the environment including food, beverages, experiences, air, and emotions. Our digestive fire is responsible for this function. When our digestive fire is healthy and strong, we will easily digest our food and daily experiences to absorb all the nutrients required so that we can produce healthy cells, muscles, tissues, and bones. When our digestive fire is weak, we cannot properly metabolize the food as well as experiences which we intake which results in the production of toxins in our body and this leads to weak physical as well as emotional health. The strength of our digestive fire depends on the food we eat and drink as well as on our environment.

When someone’s digestive fire is not powerful their body will produce toxins from the food and liquids they consume. This results in feeling heavy, sluggish, sleepy, tired all the time especially after meals. They lack energy and zest for life. They get ill frequently. Also, these toxins find a weak spot in your body and start accumulating there resulting in more chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, Migraines, Arthritis, leaky gut syndrome, Acid refluxes, celiac disease, Chron’s disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, Gas, Bloating, Burping, constipation, water retention, heart diseases and a lot more. Every disease starts with poor digestion.  

Here are a few symptoms of poor digestion. Signs that you have lost the fire in your belly:-

1)   Feeling sleepy and sluggish after meals.

2)   Urge to poop right after eating meals.

3)   Gas and bloating

4)   Lack of energy and zest.

5)   Lack of appetite or reduced appetite.

6)   Poor immune system

7)   Irritable bowel syndrome, Gas, Bloating, Burping, constipation.

8)   Waking up tired

9)   Lack of sleep or sleep disturbances

10) Migraines

11) Upset stomach

12) Allergies

13) Chronic Inflammation and Autoimmune diseases

14) Unintentional weight changes

15) Fatigue

Imagine your digestive fire as a wood-burning fireplace. If you want a strong steady fire in the fireplace you would not add things which will extinguish the fire, right? The same principle is true for your digestive fire.

Here are a few tips on how to ignite your digestive fire:-

1)   Do a detox to reboot your system. Since no two people are the same, there is no cookie-cutter approach for detox. Contact me and book a consultation to design a perfect detox as per your body type.

2)   Always eat warm meals which are light and easy to digest.

3)   Consume healthy fats like organic cow ghee, olive oil, and sesame oil.

4)   Include spices and herbs like fresh ginger, Turmeric, Onions, Garlic, cumin, cloves, Peppers, fenugreek, Asafoetida, coriander, fennel in your diet.

5)   Don’t consume cold water or cold beverages.

6)   Don’t consume soft drinks or water 45 minutes before and after meals.

7)   Say no to sodas, energy drinks, store-bought juices, and iced teas

8)   Say no to sugar, desserts, sugary beverages. Learn to read labels for hidden sugar, artificial colors, preservatives. Sugar sneaks in your food in several forms.

9)   Say no to junk food or any food with too much sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives.

10) Eat food which grows on plants not made in plants ( Factories).

11) Don’t mix hot and cold food together. E.g Don’t eat ice cream after a heavy meal.

12) Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Buy organic and non-GMO products as much as possible.

13) Say no to fast food.

14) Eat home-cooked fresh meals.

15) Don’t eat a stale meal or reheated meals often.

16) Don’t snack in between meals.

17) Try intermittent fasting

18) Consume fiber and probiotic every day.

19) Also, eat prebiotics. Prebiotics are the foods that support good microbiome in your gut.

20) Exercise a minimum of 5 days a week for at least 45 minutes and bring variety in your workouts. Join the gym if needed. For the remaining 2 days, go for a hike or walk. Spend time in nature.

21) Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep every day.

22) Maintain a daily routine as far as meals and sleep are concerned.

23) Go for a walk for at least 15-20 minutes after meals.

24) Stick to 3 meals per day. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Lunch should be your heaviest meal and dinner should be very light.

25) Eat dinner at least 4 hours prior to your bedtime and no meals or snacks after dinner.

26) Use steam saunas, bubble bath, dry brushing, oil pulling, and tongue cleaning to remove toxins.

27) Don’t eat when angry, upset or stressed. Stress hormones are a higher level when you are angry, depressed, upset or stressed. Digestion is very weak when stress hormone levels are high in the body. Hence don’t eat when you are angry, upset, depressed or stressed. Moreover, people make unhealthy food choices when they are stressed or depressed. No one reaches out for broccoli or carrot when stressed. Normally people reach out to unhealthy sugary foods or junk foods.

28) Practice mindful eating. Chew your food properly as digestion begins in mouth. Before eating ask yourself how hungry you are on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the highest. Don’t eat if you rate your hunger below 6. Also don’t fill up 100%. Leave some space in your stomach. Don’t use technology or watch movies / TV while eating. While having your meals, focus on meals and enjoy your meals.

29) Take supplements like Triphala. Triphala helps with detoxification.

30) Reduce consumption of peanuts, peanut butter or peanut oil. Instead of groundnut ( peanuts) eat tree nuts like almonds, pistachios, and seeds like sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds.

Self-discipline is highly required to achieve success in anything. In the beginning, forming new habits might be hard but it is not impossible.

Feel free to contact, if you want to improve your health and ignite your metabolism.