- Digestion is like a sacred fire (Agni) – (Charaka Samhita)
Ayurveda compares your digestive power (jatharagni) to a sacrificial fire (yajna agni). If this fire is weak, even healthy food becomes toxic. Maintaining a strong agni is the key to health and immunity.
- First bite affects the whole digestion – (Ashtanga Hridaya)
The taste and nature (rasa) of the first morsel you eat determines how your body interprets the whole meal.
Tip: Start with something warm, light, and suitable for your prakriti.
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Eating while standing is considered unhealthy – (Bhavaprakasha)
When you stand and eat, your apana vayu (downward-moving energy) is disturbed. Sitting cross-legged helps in better secretion of digestive enzymes. -
Different seasons require different foods – (Ritucharya – Charaka Samhita)
Ayurveda guides that diet should shift with the seasons:
Grishma (summer) – Cool, hydrating foods
Varsha (monsoon) – Light, warm, spicy foods
Hemanta (winter) – Heavier, nourishing, oily foods -
Emotion impacts digestion – (Sattva-Ahara Link – Ashtanga Hridaya)
Eating with anxiety, anger, or sadness disturbs agni and forms ama (toxins). Gratitude and calmness while eating is considered as important as the food itself. -
Overeating is a major cause of all disease – (Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 5)
Excess food overloads agni and is linked to obesity, skin disorders, diabetes, and even mental fog. Charaka warns: “Ati bhojana is the root of all disease.”
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Chewing is considered the first stage of digestion – (Anna Parinamanam)
You must chew each bite thoroughly (32 times is often advised) to mix it well with saliva and activate digestive enzymes. Half-digested food is a cause of ama. -
Sequence of food matters – (Ahar Vidhi Vidhan)
Ayurveda recommends starting with sweet or carbohydrate-heavy food, followed by sour/salty, then pungent/bitter/astringent. This sequence stimulates digestion optimally. -
Eating after sunset is discouraged – (Dincharya)
Ayurveda advises eating the heaviest meal at midday, when agni is strongest (aligned with the sun). Eating late at night disrupts vata and leads to poor digestion and sleep. -
Fasting is medicine – (Langhanam param aushadham)
One of the most powerful Ayurvedic principles: fasting (short-term) helps reset agni, clear ama, and rejuvenate the gut. Not starvation, but planned lightness is the idea.
