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The Maple Street Co-op

Healing Your Gut the Ayurvedic Way

by Ayurvedic practitioner Maaya Eagle


In Ayurveda, it's said that good digestion equals good health and that an imbalance can, over time, lead to disease. Ayurveda is an ancient traditional healing system from India that is holistic and similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Using a range of diet, lifestyle, treatments and herbal remedies including everyday kitchen spices, Ayurveda seeks to help people maintain optimal health or heal when there is an imbalance.


Ayurveda is not a ‘one size fits all’ quick-fix approach. There are, however, recommended practices that everyone can follow to help aid digestion and heal the gut. Some of these are summarised here:


  • Undertake seasonal cleanses, especially in Spring

  • Rise with the sun and retire before 10pm

  • Set a positive intention for your day

  • Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue upon waking

  • Regularly undertake self-massage with black sesame, coconut, or herbal oils

  • Eat foods that are in season and as local as possible

  • Eat your largest, heaviest meal at lunchtime and smallest meal for dinner

  • Favour eating cooked, warm and spiced foods and avoid raw, cold, frozen,processed, canned and spoiled foods as much as possible

  • Aid your digestion of heavier foods such as meat, oily foods or dairy by cooking them with spices such as cumin, black pepper, ginger and turmeric; slow cooking meats also aids digestion

  • Avoid eating yoghurt and fruit together, and eat fruits on their own at least 30 minutes before or two hours after other foods

  • Avoid excessive exercise, stress and over- or under-eating

  • Only eat when there is hunger, and when there is hunger, eat

  • Avoid fast foods and eat leftovers within 24 hours

  • Relieve bowels daily within 30 minutes of rising without the aid of caffeine or strain; if there is difficulty, drink hot water and massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction.


The information in this article is for educational purposesonly and is not intended as a substitute for health care advice. Please consult your friendly local naturopath, herbalist or other health care practitioner for personalised advice, particularly if you have a diagnosed medical condition or take pharmaceutical medications.



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