Ayurveda food tips to improve your gut health

A healthy gut is directly related to better overall health. An active gut mechanism keeps immunity high, improves mood, promotes better sleep, aids digestion and prevents stomach infections. Thus, it is of utmost importance to keep your gut in the prime of its health. What’s better than following the age-old tried and tested tips by Ayurveda? Here are some Ayurveda tips that will help you naturally improve your gut health.

Always eat your meals when you are actually hungry. Avoid unnecessarily snacking whenever you feel bored or feel the slightest of hunger. Your body might be feeling dehydrated, which can be the reason behind those hunger pangs. Schedule your meals as per your body clock. Have meals at regular intervals and at least 3-4 hours before retiring to bed. It is recommended to have your dinner by 7 or maximum by 8 pm.

Most of us have a habit of enjoying food with the TV on or something playing on the laptop or scrolling on our mobile phones. This leads to distraction, which might make you chew less. This will make you gulp down food quickly and will make your digestive system work twice as hard to digest the food. Ayurveda suggests sitting in a calm and composed place while consuming food and keeping all the distractions away while eating.

Always have freshly cooked food for each meal of the day. Avoid having leftovers from lunch for dinner, especially during summer months, as food tends to go bad quickly. Warm foods which are freshly prepared will preserve your digestive agni and will allow the digestive enzymes to work properly.

Ayurveda recommends paying all your attention to the food that you are eating. Use all the five senses and savour each bite you take. Appreciate the aroma of the food, look at the food that you are eating, be aware of the texture of the dish, enjoy the flavours it has to offer and also pay attention to the sounds that you make while eating.

There are a number of food combinations that should be avoided, as per Ayurveda. Citrus fruits of all types must not be paired with dairy products. Similarly, fish should not be paired with milk, onion with curd, milk with fruits etc.

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