Start Your Digestion Off Right!
The energy of the morning can feel exciting for some, and daunting for others. Our lives are busy, and complicated but our morning routine doesn’t have to be. Whether you consider yourself to be a “morning person” or not, there are still ways to support your body, which will bring lasting and impactful results to the rest of your day. Breakfast is a BIG part of this.
Ayurveda believes that the root of one’s health rests within the “fire of the belly”. What that means is that the ease and rate at which your body can take food that you eat, and assimilate it into nutrients that are needed, and waste that is not, the more your body will be optimized towards wellness. You can think of your digestion like a highway junction, and if it’s running well - everything else can get to where it needs to go without any trouble.
Our digestive fire is at its peak around the same time that the sun is at its peak (mid afternoon). As nighttime approaches, digestive fire slows and in the morning it is just waking up. Breakfast, for this reason, should be gentle, warm and nourishing.
Tips for Healthy Digestion
Eat breakfast between 7am-8am. Preferably something cooked and warm like amaranth porridge or oatmeal.
Avoid cold/frozen smoothies, cold yogurt, fruit or vegetable juice, cereal with cold milk, raw fruit, heavy things (meat, coconut products and refined sugars) and avoid skipping breakfast and only having coffee.
For those of you who are curious about Intermittent fasting you can try an Ayurveda style of fasting which is typically the last meal of the day around 6:30pm and breakfast at 7:00am the following day. Skipping breakfast can increase anxiety throughout the day as well as put out Agni (digestive fire). If you don't have an appetite see recipe for breakfast stew below. This is light, warm, delicious and will stoke your digestive fire helping with assimilation, vigor and balanced mind for the rest of the day.
Recipe for Breakfast Stew
Ingredients:
● 2 peeled apples or pears
● 1-2 prunes
● Handful of crushed walnuts
● 1 date
● Pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg (small pinch)
Guide:
Peel, de-pit fruit/dried fruit
Add all ingredients with ½ cup water
Cover and cook on medium until the fruit is very soft.
Stovetop: ~ 30 minutes
Crockpot: If you have a crock pot this is a great recipe to throw in overnight and cook on low so that it’s ready when you wake up.
VitaClay or Instapot: this can be put on the timer so that it’s ready when you wake up in the am. I use the stew setting for 1 hour.
