You know that classic saying…”You Are What You Eat”, well have you heard, “You Are HOW You eat”? Or even more specific, “You are how you digest”. According to Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, the “how” is just as, if not more important than the what. In this article I will share with you mindful eating techniques you can implement into your daily routine to improve nutritional intake, stronger digestion, less gas and bloating and even less brain fog. With a few simple switches, you have the power to transform and improve your mind-gut connection.
Key Takeaways
For starters, what is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is known as the sister science to yoga, founded over 5,000 years ago. According to Vedic Culture Ayurveda is known as the “Science of Life”. Used in combination with yoga, and other vedic health modalities, the aim of Ayurveda is meant to offer individual guidance on how to reach total health, balance and wellbeing in one’s lifetime.
Ayurveda specifically focuses on an individual's unique constitution to determine what type of food they should be eating, when they should be eating, how long they should be sleeping, how they should be exercising, what type of yoga they should practice and so forth. It is a complete and holistic modality of health and is entirely unique based on the individual.
According to Ayurveda there are three major constitutions known as Pitta, Kapha and Vata. Each constitution is made up of the elements, Pitta: fire + water, Kapha: earth + water and Vata: ether + air. If an individual is experiencing bloating, gas, or high anxiety, Ayurveda would say this person has too much Vata in their bodies, too much air. The counter would be to bring balance to the individual. Offering more grounding foods like sweet potatoes and beetroot or grounding exercise like yoga nidra and walking meditation.
If a person is highly agitated, breaking out in acne often and high strung they may contain too much fire or Pitta in their system, a balancing act may be to consume more cooking foods, less gut aggravating foods and perhaps swim in cool water more often.
If an individual is experiencing weight gain, sluggishness or excessive tiredness this person may have too much earth in their system and may require more spicy and stimulating foods and perhaps more stimulating exercise while they are at it. It’s all a balancing game in Ayurveda.
Why eating mindfully matters
So all this to say, why does it matter to eat mindfully and what does that even mean?
When we think about Western culture we often think about productivity. It is impressive to share that I woke up early to head to Crossfit at 9am before breaking my intermittent fast, to then be followed by an 8 hour work day and maybe a social drink after work before heading home to scroll on social media, or watch a tv show, or both, after dinner, or maybe during. We pride ourselves on multitasking, or at least I know I did.
The more things we can fit into our day the better.
With this mindset it is common that mindful eating isn’t prioritized. I’d go further to say meal time isn’t prioritized, neither is cooking, neither is dining as a family, neither is eating in silence, or chewing slowly, or drinking after and not during a meal.
Often we eat at different times of the day, standing, driving to work, in a noisy environment, with a cocktail, after a fight, while talking on the phone, watching tv…raise your hand if you're guilty.
Most people reading this probably are. It is how we are raised and how eating culture is normalized. So I’m here to tell you that, it is just as, if not more important to remember “You aren’t just what you eat, you’re how you eat”.
My personal story
According to Ayurveda, symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, ulcers, acid reflux, runny stools, constipation and even weight gain are signs of improper eating technique.
In Ayurveda if you’re not properly eating, you’re not properly digesting properly. I eat really clean, always reading labels and favor only whole foods.
When I went to my first Ayurvedic practitioner and had my tongue examined I was shocked to hear that I was nutrient deficient.
As in, I wasn't absorbing the nutrients I was putting into my body. After questioning and reflecting on my eating habits I realized the issue wasn’t the food, it was the method.
I ate and I multi-tasked. I ate in the car, on the way to work, standing and talking, rushing from activity to next, on the phone, watching movies and my meal times were very inconsistent.
In Ayurveda this is a waking nightmare. My methods of eating were not indicating to my mind- gut connection that I was consuming nutritious meals. My body didn’t register when I was full, causing me to, at times, over eat. I experienced bloating, constipation and inconsistent bowel movements. I had a foggy brain and experienced weight gain.
After my consultation I left with a few friendly recommendations to change my eating habits, time of eating and some postures I could incorporate into my daily routine.
I’m happy to report, my tongue looks healthier and my mindset around meal time has shifted significantly. I have since lost weight, maintained normal and healthy elimination times and experienced more clarity on a day to day. So here I’m going to share with you, a few ways in which you can change the way you eat according to Ayurveda:
Mindful eating practices:
FINAL THOUGHTS
It may seem so simple, and it is. According to this thousand year old practice, these few simple steps when practiced with intention can alter your entire mind-gut connection. What did you think about this article? Have you heard of Ayurveda before? Would you try implementing any of these practices? If so, comment which ones below!
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