Sunblock, Flip Flops, and Cardamom
The sun has been poking its head out and the weather gauge is finally hitting 85*. You’ve been working on your bikini body all winter. So, why is your tummy weighing you down and making you want to wish for two more weeks of winter? It could be Food Stagnation.
In the Ayurvedic Tradition, the root cause of all disease is malabsorption caused by improper digestion. Why is this? This is because when we don’t properly digest our foods, they sit stagnate in our stomachs and we accumulate toxic material, Ama. Food stagnation does not allow us to absorb the bodies necessary nutrients, vitamins that it would normally benefit from food.
Overeating sweet, rich, oily foods such as ice cream, wheat and cheese can cause food stagnation. Sitting heavy in the stomach. They can cause mucus to accumulate and slow down digestion, creating more issues in the stomach, leading people to believe they have heart troubles when really it was only the bowl of Rock Road ice cream from yesterday. Food Stagnation may be either acute or chronic. Acute Food Stagnation comes at the onset of over-eating; Chronic Food Stagnation comes over time with your lifestyle and diet.
Food stagnation can be caused for dehydration in the body which takes moisture away from the intestines and stomach; heat in warm climates which focuses heat and energy to cool your skin and causes a loss of blood flow to your organs; food stagnation can also be caused by stress . It is imperative to be mindful of these conditions in the Florida sun as the weather heats up and we seek shelter from the sun or actively seek the suns rays for pleasure.
Symptoms of Food Stagnation can Include: Nausea, Loos of Appetite at Breakfast, Gas and Bloating, and Dehydration.
The treatment of Food Stagnation is easy: avoid heavy, oily, rich foods; drink water with mineral salt and lime; take spices suck as cardamom and turmeric to activate the stomach and clear the stagnant foods.
So when you’re packing your beach cooler, don’t forget your sunblock, flip flops, and cardamom!
