Every time I go to any social lunch or dinner event I am bombarded with comments like “what you eat? No wonder you are so skinny,” or “come on girl, it’s your stomach teach it to get more and soon you will be eating like us. ” or even worst ” Apna pet samajh ke kha yaar.” Exactly, it is my stomach so i should know to respect its working and digesting capacity and not load it up with all the things my tongue desires. But, majority of people are just doing that. Their sense of taste is their “boss”. Let’s learn to love and respect our very important organ STOMACH.
Just imagine making a rangoli. If your hand shivers and shakes then how can you even make one straight line???? So if the beginning is faulty then how can you get a perfect rangoli??? In the same way, our stomach is the site of the first stage of digestion. If the first stage is faulty, imagine what will happen to the digestive process??? Ever thought about it???? Let’s do it….
Most of the digestive disorders either begin from the stomach or at least are first noted there. According to ayurveda, the condition of our stomach indicates our state of contentment, nourishment and happiness. Stomach is a very sensitive organ and is easily disturbed by wrong eating habits like wrong food choices, overeating when like something and not eating properly when don’t like it or worst is skipping meals. Stomach’s job is also disrupted due to stress and other emotional disturbances. Vomiting, acidity, ulcers, bloating, constipation, diarrhea are some of the problems that arise from faulty stomach function (Frawley,2008).
We never pay attention to the screaming , yelling and crying of our stomach. We have quick fixes like sodas, antacids and laxatives to take care of that. We eat all the junk available around us and then rely on these quick fixes on a daily basis which are harmful in the long run.
What is overeating? Overeating simply means eating much more than our body’s ability to digest. It does not just mean eating wrong foods or eating even after you are full. Our stomach has the fire or power to digest at a particular time. If the stomach lacks this fire to digest at a particular time, then even a healthy balanced meal or a fruit will amount to overeating. So, overeating is not only eating too much food but eating it at the wrong times.
Say bye bye to the life of not eating anything through out the day and then hogging at dinner time. This is brutal for our stomach.
Dietitian Rujuta Diwekar has explained this in a wonderful way in her book ” Don’t lose your mind, loose your weight”.
Rujuta explains that it’s like hiring staff to work a 9 to 5 shift and giving them hardly any work till the end of the shift and suddenly loading them with all the work possible. These kind of bosses do not receive any respect from their staff and this also causes loss of productivity, creativity and loss of health of the organisation ( Diwekar,2009, pg 47).
To keep the digestive fire active and digestion proper, experts suggest the following :
- Disciplined lifestyle:
- Do not skip any meal. 3 main meals and 2 in between meal snack is the ideal way to go.
- Try to eat slowly, savoring each bite as you go along.
- Pay attention to your overeating “threshold”.
- Do not watch T.V. while eating.
- Don’t starve just eat healthy nutritious foods.
- Try to eat at the same time everyday.
- Indulge in regular exercise
- Be positive and Optimistic
** The above information is for educational purposes only. There is absolutely no intension to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any health problems or diseases. Consult your doctor for specific medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, advice on diet, herb and exercise.**
References:
1. Frawley,D. DR (2008). Ayurvedic Healing- A Comprehensive Guide. Delhi, India: Motilal banarsidass Publishers PVT.LTD.
2. Diwekar, R (2009). Don’t lose your mind, Lose your weight. Delhi, India: Random house Publishers India Pvt. Ltd.
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