Indigestion: Ayurvedic Treatment, Causes & Natural Remedies

Apakti means indigestion or impaired digestion. It is the foundational disturbance from which ama (toxic residue) accumulates and from which most diseases ultimately arise in Ayurvedic pathology.

ONION JUICE . Take ¼ cup of fresh onion juice with ½ teaspoon honey and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

GARLIC. Or chop up a clove of fresh garlic, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking soda, and eat it.

. For acute indigestion, squeeze the juice from ¼ lime in 1 cup warm water. Just

LIME JUICE

before drinking, add ½ teaspoon baking soda, and then drink it down quickly.

FOR CHRONIC INDIGESTION

For people with chronic poor digestion (that is, weak agni), prepare this herbal mixture:

trikatu 1 part chitrak 2 parts kutki 1 part

Take ¼ teaspoon of this effective formula before meals, with a little honey and fresh ginger juice. If you don’t have fresh ginger, just use honey. This mixture will strengthen the digestive fire.

TEN TIPS TO PREVENT INDIGESTION

• Don’t eat unless you are really hungry. • Don’t eat emotionally. Emotional eating can affect the digestive fire adversely. • Eat only two or at most three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Avoid snacking between meals. • Avoid cold and iced drinks, especially during or after meals. They cool the digestive fire. For best digestion, take small sips of warm water during a meal. • Fill your stomach to one-third of its capacity with food and one-third with liquid, leaving one-third empty. This aids in proper digestion and promotes mental clarity. • Chew your food well to make sure the saliva is well mixed in. Saliva plays a major role in digestion. • You can finish your meal by drinking a cup of lassi. This is made by blending 4 teaspoons of yogurt with 2 pinches each of ginger and cumin powder in 1 cup of water. • Yoga postures that can be helpful for improving digestion include Leg Lifts and the Peacock pose. (See illustrations in appendix 4.) • You might also want to try the Ayurvedic procedure known as nauli (see appendix 3). • The pranayama (breathing exercise) called Breath of Fire will help to stoke your digestive fires (see chapter 6).

• chitraka
• cumin
• garlic
• ginger
• kutki
• pepper
• trikatu

Eat one clove of minced garlic with a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking soda. Or take one-fourth cupful of onion juice with one-half teaspoonful of honey and one-half teaspoonful of black pepper.