šæ do you know thisā¦?
3 conventional habits you probably have that are *actually* harming your digestion
Read Time: 5.40 minutes
Hi everyone!Ā
Welcome back for another edition of A Joyful Life~ Thank you so much for being here every week.Ā
Last Sunday, I said I had hoped Iād be able to share my new role with you today. But weāre still finalizing the last steps so my start date has been delayed.Ā
Iāll share the news with you as soon as Iām able to. *Fingers crossed.* I hope everything proceeds smoothly.Ā
Now, letās jump into this weekās edition.Ā
3 Conventional Habits You Probably Have That Are *Actually* Harming Your Digestion
Last week, I listened to a podcast episode that featured Radhi Devlukia, a clinical dietitian and nutritionist.
I want to share what I learned with you because I was shocked when I discovered three habits I had (which are super common and 'normal' in society!!!) were terrible for my digestion.
You might be surprised to discover that you also have these three habits.
Detrimental habit #1: Eating until youāre full
I always ate until I felt uncomfortable, stuffed, bloated, and lethargicā¦.Ā
Until I learned from Radhi this habit is *actually* terrible for your digestion.Ā
Hereās why.Ā
Imagine this: Your body is a big house. Your stomach is the fireplace. And agni is the fire in that fireplaceāItās the digestive fire that helps you break down the food you eat and turn it into energy.Ā
Now, hereās the thing: If you put too much wood in a fireplace, youāre going to overwhelm the fire and it wonāt burn well.Ā
Likewise, if you overeat food, youāre going to overwhelm your digestive system.Ā
When this happens, some of your food will remain undigested. Then, itāll ferment in your stomach, produce toxins in your body, and youāll experience gut discomfort, headaches, and lethargy.Ā
So, if youāre not supposed to eat until youāre full, when are you supposed to stop? Great question.Ā
According to Ayurveda, you should eat until youāre Ā¾ satisfiedānot full.Ā
Now, the question is, how do you know when youāre Ā¾ satisfied?Ā
Radhi recommends two tips for this.Ā
One, practice conscious and mindful eating.Ā
I donāt know about you, but I tend to eat in front of a screen. Iām either watching someoneās vlog on YouTube, the latest episode of a Kdrama, or reading emails. So most of the time, Iām distracted, eating too fast, and swallowing without chewing enough.Ā
The result?Ā
Iām overstuffed by the end of the meal because my body didnāt know (or get the chance to tell me) Iāve eaten too muchāuntil it was too late.Ā
So lately, Iāve been practicing conscious and mindful eating. I will focus on my meal. I will eat slowly. I will take one bite at a time. I will make sure I chew enough. I will pay attention to how my body feels. And I will stop eating once I feel the amount Iāve eaten feels good for me.Ā
And two, Radhi says a great indication of whether youāve eaten too much (or the wrong foods) is when you feel under the weather or groggy instead of feeling energized by the meal youāre eating.
Detrimental habit #2: Drinking cold or iced beverages
I used to love having a mango smoothie or fresh watermelon juice while I ate.Ā
But I am now unlearning this habit because of its harmful effects on digestion.Ā
Here are two reasons why drinking cold or iced beverages is terrible for your digestion (and what you should do instead) according to Ayurveda.Ā
One, the cold water dampens your agniāYour fire, your digestive power.Ā
Just like how fire needs to be bright and hot to burn woodā¦ your body, your digestive system, needs heat to digest your food.Ā
And so, when you drink cold or iced beverages while you eat, you end up dimming your agniās intensity. You end up āputting out the fireā in your body.Ā
This makes it difficult for your body to process food effectively.Ā
Two, too much liquid while you eat dilutes your digestive juices. And again, this makes it hard for your body to digest food.Ā
Now, if you *really* want to drink something while you eat, Radhi recommends Ā½ a cup of warm water with spices like ginger or cumin or herbal tea. Drink that slowly, a sip at a time, as youāre eating your food.Ā
And if you *really really really* want to drink something cold, do it either half an hour before or after you eat.Ā
Both of these tips will help your agni remain strong. And when your agni is strong, youāll feel more energetic and healthy.
Detrimental habit #3: Eating a heavy dinner
Lately, my eating window has been from 10-11 AM to 6-7 PM.
The result?Ā
I wake up feeling bloated, groggy, and heavy.Ā
I finally learned why this has been happening from Radhi (and what you and I should do instead).Ā
Reason #1, dinner has been the biggest meal of my day.Ā
For lunch, I usually opt for something lightālike a salad with three eggs and two pieces of toastāto stay alert and energized all day.
Naturally, this leads me to eat a larger and heavier meal in the evening.
But, this isnāt great for your body.
According to Ayurvedic principles, agni, your digestive fire, is strongest during the day when the sun is highest in the sky. It weakens as the sun sets.Ā
So, if you eat a big and heavy meal at night, your body will have trouble breaking down the food.Ā
Instead, it'll sit undigested in your gut, leading to toxicity.
Reason #2, I donāt give my body enough time to burn off my last (and biggest and heaviest) meal before I sleep.Ā
Most nights, Iām in bed by 8-9 PM. So, if I have dinner at 7 PM, thatās only about an hour before bedtime.
Thatās not enough time for my body to digest the food Iāve eaten before I sleep. This means, my body will be busy working throughout the night, which explains why I wake up feeling tired even after sleeping.
So, hereās what you should do instead for better digestion and sleep according to Ayurveda.
One, make lunch your biggest meal of the day. Itās the best time to eat heavier and harder-to-digest foods. And youāll have plenty of time to burn off the meal.Ā
Two, eat a lighter meal for dinner.Ā
Three, your last meal should be about 3 hours before you sleep.Ā
Bonus tip: Go for a walk after dinner to help with your digestion!
Final thoughts
āThe secret to health lies in the digestive system.ā ā Sahara Rose.Ā
I encourage you to try and apply these three Ayurvedic principles to your lifestyle to improve your digestion. Pay attention to how these changes impact your well-being.Ā
Because hereās the thing: No single habit or guideline works for everyone. We all have unique needs.Ā
So, test out these guidelines. Observe how they make you feel. And determine what works best for you.
This weekās recommendations
Radhi Devlukia On The Surprising Habits That Are HARMING Your DigestionāThis podcast episode inspired this weekās newsletter! I 100% recommend giving this a listen.
10 Rules for an Ayurvedic DietāErin Easterly shares 10 rules for tapping into the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and using it to create health, vitality, and energy through food.
Ayurveda (Idiot's Guides)āSuper easy to read and understand! So far, Iāve learned about the origin of Ayurveda along with some popular Ayurvedic practices like dry brushing, tongue scraping, and rubbing oil into your skin for self-love.
Before you go
I hope you enjoyed reading todayās newsletter!
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Thank you so much for being here! š
Iāll see you next Sunday,
Irene
P.S. In upcoming editions of A Joyful Life, I will write more about living a healthier and happier life via an Ayurvedic lifestyle!
Nutrition is the #1 thing that keeps your healthy. I'm thinking of focusing more on a plant-based diet but I don't want to avoid meat altogether.