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Tummy Troubles: Battling Common Digestive Woes
By Dr. Helen Thomas, D.C. | November 26, 2008
Revealed in this week’s issue…
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“I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!” When Belly Pain Strikes… |
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“Double, Double, Toil and Trouble” Stomach Burn and Acid Bubble… |
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Herbs and Motion: Taming Your Tummy with Ayurveda… |
To my Western friends who celebrate the upcoming holiday: Happy Thanksgiving! I never wait for a holiday to be thankful for all of the blessings in my life, but Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to focus on all of the good that surrounds us - especially those people who we take for granted. This year, I’m especially thankful for the continued strides my husband, Dr. Craig, is making with his health after suffering a stroke.
And I’m ALWAYS thankful for the healing science of Ayurveda!
Holidays are a time of celebration and often include gathering with friends and family to partake in a delicious meal. And overdoing it at the dinner table can result in painful digestive issues that, thankfully, can be controlled and eliminated through gentle Ayurvedic practices.
THE PAIN! THE PAIN!
EASING ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT
Pain can occur in many locations of the large area known as the abdomen. Much abdominal pain is due to indigestion, which has symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, burping, and intestinal gas sometimes accompanied by pain.
Here, we’re concerned with what is medically known as left-epigastric pain, in which the discomfort is located on the left side under the rib cage. Pain in this area is specifically associated with the stomach. Sharp abdominal pain is the number one sign of a Vata imbalance; burning pain is due to aggravated Pitta, and dull pain characterizes Kapha imbalance.
STOP ABDOMINAL PAIN IN ITS TRACKS WITH AYURVEDA
The number one preventative treatment and remedy for abdominal pain is following the appropriate Daily Lifestyle Regimen for your dosha, paying particular attention to your diet and eating habits. As with abdominal bloating, eat a light diet of primarily vegetables and rice, or kicharee, and practice the 10-Day Ginger Treatment
I’ve described the dosha Daily Lifestyle Regimens, outlined the 10-Day Ginger Treatment, and included a delicious recipe for kicharee in my pamphlet “What Is Ayurveda? Understanding the Principles of Ayurveda and the Ayurvedic Body Types.” The PDF downloadable version is available right now for only $5.00, and you can order your copy here (ordering provided by The Cove Group, Inc. and Michelle Y. Drake).
Yoga can come to the rescue again as well, particularly the Leg Cycling Pose illustrated and described below:
Leg Cycling Pose: Lie flat on your back and raise your right leg. First, make ten forward-cycling movements and ten reverse-cycling movements. Repeat with your left leg. Second, if you have enough abdominal strength to prevent your lower back from popping up, use both legs to make alternating cycling movements, ten times in both directions. Third, keep your legs pressed together and again make ten cycling motions in each direction. It will help to tuck your palms under your buttocks. Repeat the first and third movements, making big sideways circles instead of cycling.
Herbal Remedies:
Use one of the following when you experience abdominal pain:
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Combine 5 parts shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), 3 parts guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), and 2 parts kama dudha; take 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture daily in 1/2 cup warm water following lunch and dinner.
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Take 1/2 teaspoon amalaki (Emblica officinalis) before bedtime every night, mixed with 1/2 cup warm water.
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Make a paste using 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger and 1 teaspoon ghee; apply over the area of discomfort; leave on for 20 minutes, or apply before going to bed and leave on overnight.
Five-Senses Therapies:
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Taste: Bitter is better for digestion, so emphasize foods, herbs, and spices that have a bitter taste; some people also benefit from sweet and sour tastes as well.
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Smell: Use aromatherapy with sweet, bitter and cool aromas such as sandalwood, cinnamon, and jasmine.
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Sight: Choose yellow-green or blue-green colors.
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Hearing: Play the midmorning raga between the hours of 10AM and 1 PM.
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Touch: Apply one drop of warm sesame oil and finger pressure to the marma point known as Oorvee (see the illustration in my article on abdominal bloating)
Seek medical care if: the pain is severe; the pain begins near the navel and then moves to the lower right abdomen (a possible sign of appendicitis); the pain is severely disabling; you have vomiting or diarrhea that is persistent or contains blood; or there is a possibility of poisoning.
QUENCH THE RAGING STOMACH FIRE
Acid stomach is often a result of indigestion. If you have poor digestion, you compromise the absorption and assimilation of food. According to Ayurveda, your digestive system begins to increase the digestive liquid and fire to compensate: your system becomes overheated. As a result, you have high Pitta and this creates excess acidity in the stomach.
I can’t say this enough: to prevent and treat issues like acid stomach, follow the appropriate Daily Lifestyle Regimen for your dosha, focusing on diet and eating habits. So many of our troubling health issues can be cured and even prevented if we know our prevailing dosha and engage in practices to keep it in balance. The Thunderbolt Pose in yoga is especially helpful to relieve acid stomach (illustration and description below):
Thunderbolt Pose: This is especially effective after a meal. Kneel with your knees apart and feet stretched back; your heels are not touching but your big toes are crossed. Lower yourself down so that your buttocks rest on the soles of your feet. Hold for at least five minutes, with eyes closed, and breathing normally.
Herbal Remedies:
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Take 1/2 teaspoon shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) mixed with 1/2 cup warm water or milk before eating; and 1 cup fennel tea three times a day until the acidity is relieved.
Five-Senses Therapies:
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Taste: Bitter and astringent foods, herbs and spices reduce acidity; it may be helpful to use the summer churna plus a little salt and lemon flakes every day.
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Smell: Use aromatherapy with sweet, cool aromas such as sandalwood, jasmine, cinnamon, and fennel.
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Sight: Use yellow if your problem is related to feelings of anger or rage. Use blue if the acidity is related to lack of communication of suppressed emotions such as grief or sadness.
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Hearing: Listen to the midmorning raga between the hours of 10AM and 1PM.
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Touch: Apply one drop of coconut oil and slight finger pressure to the marma point known as Oorvee (see illustration here).
Don’t put up with an acid stomach! If symptoms don’t subside within one week of Ayurvedic treatment, consult a physician. This symptom could indicate an ulcer or pre-ulcerous condition.
Whether you’re planning on sitting down to a great Thanksgiving feast or you simply suffer from these common stomach ailments, I hope these Ayurvedic tips and treatments will soothe your discomfort and increase your well-being tenfold!
Until next time…
P.S. Don’t forget to order your copy of my “What Is Ayurveda? Understanding the Principles of Ayurveda and the Ayurvedic Body Types”. It’s available now - in an easy-to-download PDF file - for only $5 here! (Ordering is safe, easy and provided by The Cove Group, Inc. and Michelle Y. Drake.)
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One Response to “Tummy Troubles: Battling Common Digestive Woes”
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November 28th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Dear Dr. Helen,
Thank you very much for the xcellant information on digestion. With best wishes.
yours sincerely,
shanmukha.