Festive season is here and it’s the time to indulge in hearty feasts and spend some quality time with your loved ones. It’s natural for one’s diet plan to go haywire when one is eating with loved ones on a festive occasion. While a day or two of binge eating would not harm you in long run, it could certainly lead to digestive issues such as bloating, stomach ache, acidity among others. (Also read: Raksha Bandhan 2022: Tips to celebrate the festival with your pet)
In case you gave in to your cravings this Raksha Bandhan and want to burn all those extra calories, here are some detox tips from an Ayurveda expert that will help your gut health back on track.
There are some herbs, formulations and remedies in Ayurveda that can help ignite your digestive fire and restore your gut health. Dr Archana Sukumaran an Ayurveda doctor (BAMS) at Kerala Ayurveda suggests five easily-available herbs and spices that could work wonders for your digestion.
Hing: This resinous extract from Ferula assafoetida is the best herb that removes Ama, the end product of improper digestion. It can increase the rate of digestion. Hing fried in ghee (Clarified butter) can be consumed with a bolus of boiled rice to create the needed surge in your digestive mechanism. Hinguvachadi Gulika with ingredients like, Hing, Vacha, and other digestive herbs is a recipe from the ancient Kerala text, Sahasrayogam. It is a gut cleansing remedy for indigestion, bloating, and heaviness.
Haritaki: Terminalia chebula is a fruit that helps to clear all undigested matter and Ama from the body. It helps to normalise the path of Vata as well as improve digestion. After a heavy eating episode, you may feel lethargic and heavy. Haritaki has a hot potency (Ushna Virya) and anuloma action bringing down the obstructed wastes that curb all the vitiated entities. It can be consumed as a simple brewed tea with a pick of cinnamon to see its effects on the body.
Dasamoolahareethaki (Lehyam) is an ancient herbal jam preparation made with ten roots featuring Haritaki is an effective formulation to cleanse your gut. Abhayarishta, the medicated wine prepared with Haritaki, is a simple yet excellent remedy for indigestion. It has the properties of herbs and wine, ensuring an extra level of digestive care.
Shunthi: This kitchen essential, the dry ginger or Zingiber officinale, is a compulsory herb in every Ayurvedic formulation. It is called Vishva Bheshajam in Sanskrit, meaning universal medicine. Shunthii helps to induce digestion, enhance absorption and eliminate the undigested matter. It has hot potency with astringent metabolic end effects (Katu Vipaka) and penetrating action (Tikshna Guna), the perfect combo to eliminate all your digestive complaints. This simple herb can singly manage daily detox plans when consumed righteously. Shundi can be consumed either as a decoction or as tea.
Ajwain: Ajwain or Caraway is a spice with a rich aroma and flavour. Apart from sprinkling them on your rotis and dal tadka, chewing a few seeds of ajwain or drinking water boiled with roasted ajwain can help reduce indigestion and bloating. Ashta choornam is an Ayurvedic recipe with eight powerful digestive herbs, including ajwain, ginger, hingu that can help reduce indigestion.
Triphala: The righteous trio of Amlaki (Emblica Officinalis), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), and Vibhitaki (Terminalia Billerica) is the best remedy to help to flush out all the endotoxins with a single use. Triphala effervescent tablets can help you digest and detox on the go.
