Indigestion

SYMPTOMS:

Common symptoms are feeling of heaviness and uneasiness in stomach, stomach ache, coated tongue, anorexia, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, acidity, wind and distention in stomach, laziness, weakness, headache and pain in lower legs.

CAUSES:

Indigestion is a very common trouble. It can be caused due to improper and wrong eating habits. Eating too much fried foods, meats, sweets, wrong combination of foods, irregular eating, eating before the last meal is fully digested, mixing too many foods in a meal and over eating can cause indigestion. Taking too much tea, coffee, alcohol, excessive smoking ,staying up late in the night or not sleeping at all, emotional disturbances like stress, grief, anxiety, taking too much drugs like antibiotics, pain killers and steroids etc. can cause indigestion.

Eating food which is not fresh like fast food and microwaved food, eating very fast or too slowly, eating while moving, eating while watching television or reading, eating in noisy and unpleasant surroundings and eating too much raw foods can cause indigestion. It can also be present as a symptom of some other disease. According to Ayurveda aggravation of one, two or all the three doshas (Tridosha) can cause indigestion.

REMEDIES:

1.According to Ayurveda a toxic material called 'ama' is produced as a result of indigestion. Fasting is a very nice method to digest this ama. If the patient is fat and strong he can fast completely for two days. Taking fruits, fruit juices and boiled vegetables for one week is also a very beneficial way of fasting.

2.Taking lemon juice in warm water three times a day improves digestion.

3.Chewing a piece of raw ginger (about one gram) with rock salt or common salt is good.

This should be taken about five minutes before each meal.

4.Take equal amount of dry ginger, black pepper, dried mint leaves, asa asafetida, anise seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel and common salt (20gms. each).

Grind them together and make a fine powder. Take about 5gms. of this powder with water twice a day after meals. You can also make the powder with whatever ingredients available in case all the ingredients are not found.

5.Drinking butter milk is very beneficial to improve the digestion. It should be taken at the end of a meal. It is better to mix some roasted cumin seeds and a little rock salt or common salt in this.

6.Drinking plain soda water gives immediate relief with symptoms like wind, distended

stomach and acidity.

7.Eating about three grams of anise seeds increases digestion.

8.Take a tea spoon of fresh ginger juice mixed in 50ml. warm water two or three times a day.

A tea spoonful of lemon juice and a pinch of common salt can be added to make it more

effective.

9. A paste or powder of one gram garlic mixed in 50ml of warm water can be taken twice a

day. (You can skip this one as Vaisnavas don't use garlic).

DIET AND REGIMEN:

A light and easily digestible diet is advised for a patient suffering from

indigestion. The patient should take plenty of boiled vegetables, fruits, fruit juices and lemon juice. Fresh and cooked food should be taken. Cooking with spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, fresh ginger, black pepper, asafetida etc. is beneficial. A meal should not be taken until the previous meal has been digested.

A difference of four hours is advised between two meals. Food should be taken in pleasant and peaceful surroundings. It is good to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. Do not eat while moving or traveling in a car, watching television or reading. Do not eat fast food or food that has been micro waved. Foods should not be contradicting one another, like milk and yogurt, or hot coffee and ice cream.

Eating should not be too fast or too slow and the food should be properly chewed. Choose your diet according to your constitution. It is better not to reheat the food. The kitchen should be neat and clean and the cook should be healthy both mentally as well as physically. The dinner should include light preparation like vegetable soups, sprouts, boiled vegetables. Sleeping during day time specially after lunch is prohibited as it increases Kapha and produces indigestion. The patient should not stay awake late in the night. He should be free from mental stress, anxiety, fear and grief. Physical exercise according to the strength is beneficial. The best is a morning walk everyday.

For more information, contact Dr. Partap S. Chauhan at

partap@ayurvedic.org