Food for cures

As ‘we are what we eat’ we are also what we digest. Our health depends to a large extent on how our digestive system functions in providing the building blocks for our physical body. It is not just a matter of what you put into your mouth but also how it is processed, metabolised, utilised and excreted by the body.

You need to compliment the body not supplement it to digest effortlessly and naturally. So apart from tips to fix digestion it is important that you also try and prevent indigestion.

Chew properly: Digestion starts in the mouth. Not chewing well means that the stomach does not have time to secrete the digestive juices needed for its breakdown. Additionally, chewing well allows enzymes in the saliva to commence digestion before the food reaches the stomach.

Mix less: Foods that take approximately the same amount of time to be digested should be eaten together. For instance, you will want to avoid eating starches and proteins together. Proteins can be eaten with brown rice or with green, leafy vegetables. Fruits are best eaten alone. Vegetables may be eaten with grains or legumes.

Lime shot: if you get indigestion once in a while due to heavy or bad food, drink the juice of a lime as a neat shot just post the meal.

Fenugreek seeds: if you feel indigestion, bloating and flatulence on a regular basis, soak 6 to 8 fenugreek seeds (also known as methi dana) overnight in a small bowl of water. Strain and drink only the water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach every day.

Over the counter pills work by absorbing acids in the stomach, unfortunately, they don’t discriminate between good and bad acids and absorb both. The good acids are already in short supply, so with medication absorbing these acids, the root problem is not addressed. Prescription drugs take it a step further and stop the production of essential enzymes all together.

Less enzymes and lower levels of good acids lead to incomplete digestion. Foods ferment and become toxic. Nutrients pass without being absorbed.

Sejal Vora
Naturotherapy practitioner, talks about healing through food