Bringing Balance to Digestive Disorders
Annavaha what?
Anna-vaha-srota or ahnuh-vah-ha-shrota - is where all health begins. Get to know this important part of your body system. Learn to care for it. By doing so, you will keep disease at bay. If you are tired of taking medicines that do not work, keep reading.
It is the universal belief that all health begins in the gut. We can go further than this and say all health begins in the mind because what affects the mind affects the body and what affects the body affects the mind.
In taking care of brain and gut (second brain), what makes Ayurveda treatment so different than the rest of the medical systems thinking? The focus on agni - the digestive strength to transform, assimilate and digest all we eat (think, hear and say!). To heal agni, is to heal the gut and to heal all imbalances in the body.
For those who struggle with abdominal pains, inconsistent bowel movements, nutrient deficiencies and malabsorption, Ayurveda offers us a leg up on conventional medicine - giving you more individualized attention by asking the right questions, understanding the root causes (that make sense) and most importantly delivering natural treatments that keep you feeling great in your life.
Annavaha srota disorders - disorders of the digestive tract
General symptoms - fatigue, heavy stomach, lack of taste, fevers, stiffness, indigestion, constipation or lose stools, abdominal distension, dizzy, excess gas and belching, swelling, burning sensation in the chest, acidity, pain in small joints, blackouts, weight loss and weight gain
Disorders:
Agni Mandya - slow digestion
Ajirna - chronic undigested food/indigestion
Aruci - loss of interests in food
Chardi - vomiting
Grahani - chronic malabsorption syndromes - diarrhea alternating with constipation
Anaha Adhmana - abdominal pain and gurgling
Amla Pitta - acidic related conditions
Sula - pricking pain
Asayapaka - mouth ulcers
General Main Causes
Akale - untimely intake of food
Ahita bhojana - inappropriate food intake - wrong combinations, eating before previous food has digested, ignoring indigestion (by not stopping eating or eating heavy foods)
Vaigunyat Pavakasya - weakness or disturbance in the digestive fire/agni
Atimatrasya - overeating
Eating raw foods (lots of uncooked salads, sushi)
Eating lots of heavy, dense foods
Eating excessive sweet, sour and salty foods
Day time sleep/laying down after meals
Drinking lots of water before, while, or after eating
Resisting urges to urinate or defecate
Emotions of fear, anxiety, stress, greed, anger, grief while eating
Ati drutam asnutah - eating in a hurry
Irregular eating times
Excessive consumption of dry, cold heavy foods
Inappropriate fasting and cleanses
Food intolerances
Seasonal changes
Staying awake late at night
Late night eating
Excessive talking or laughing while eating
Excess pungent/spicy foods
Overexposure to sun
General Lifestyle management
Herbal therapy using Ayurvedic formulations are highly effective and necessary in treating chronic cases - full history and current health intake required. Herbs are to be chosen based on an individuals dosha imbalance with great consideration in current digestive strength, in mental and emotional state and willingness to take herbs and change diet and lifestyle. Herbal therapy is very specific with herbs being given in a dosage that is correct for that person and current state of imbalance, at a specific time of day with the correct anupana or that which is taken with the herb to increase its effectiveness.
Strengthen weak agni, digestive fire with the use of warming herbs and spices in the diet and to bring balance to the doshas such as fennel, cumin, and coriander
Eat food in moderation
Eat light foods
Eat a small piece of fresh ginger with a pink of pink salt before meals to kindle agni
Eat only when you feel hungry
Drink warm to hot water - helps in the assimilation of nutrients and to dissolve ama or toxins
Wind-relieving yoga pose
Keep a regular schedule of eating meals
Keep a regular schedule of sleep
Avoid daytime sleep
Reduce anxieties and worries through daily pause and reflection; journaling
Regular exercise
Include buttermilk in the diet
Breathing exercises
Include pomegranates in the diet
Avoid pungent foods including garlic
Avoid junk foods, processed foods and alcohol
Avoid fermented foods and drinks and excessively salty and sour foods
Purishavaha srota disorders - disorders of the feces route, colon and rectum
General symptoms: difficulty passing stools, small or large amount of stools, painful bowel movements with sound, watery stools, body weakness, headaches, gassy, heavy body, low backaches, pain in abdomen, hemorrhoids, fissures, bloating, prolapse, indigestion
Disorders:
Krimi roga - worms and parasites
Vibandha - constipation
Atisara - diarrhea
Pravahika - mucous in feces, small amounts with pain
General Main Causes
Lack of fiber in the diet
Emotional stress and trauma
Excessive traveling
Straining during bowl movements
Certain medications
Chemotherapy
Lack of chewing of food when eating
Suppressing natural urge to have a bowl movement
Excess intake of food in one sitting
Intake of food before last meal has digested
Excess consumption of sweet or sour foods
Lack of exercise
Day time sleep
Less water intake
General Lifestyle Management
Light, simple food
Goat’s milk
Vegetable soups
Plenty of fluids
Regular exercise
Breathing exercises
Meditate
Yoga asanas - diamond pose, wind-relieving pose, back bend bow pose
Herbal therapy using ayurvedic formulations and highly effective and necessary in treating chronic cases - full history and current health intake required
Rasavaha srota disorders
General symptoms - lack of interest in foods, distaste, tired and heavy body, fevers, anemia, fatigue, body pain, early greying of hair
General Main Causes
Heavy food
Cold food and drinks
Deep fried foods
Excess food in one sitting
Excess thinking
General Lifestyle Management
Warm foods and drinks
Soups
Warm water
Pomegranates
Non-oily food
Herbal therapy
Regular exercise
If you are suffering from digestive upset, ulcers or pain, get help sooner than later. Ayurveda offers natural remedies to your most troubling symptoms and takes time to understand and treat the main root cause of the disorder, educating you in specific diet and lifestyle recommendations that are right for you. The goal is to bring balance where there is imbalance, by finding and correcting the root cause, to prevent it from coming back, and rejuvenating the body, mind and soul. Ayurveda treatments are highly individualized. Seek help now for your troubling symptoms. You are worth it.
Journeying together,
Kari Prabhakar
Your Ayurveda Health Counselor