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You have Tikshna agni, or sharp digestion
It is said in Ayurveda that “a person is as old as their agni.” The word agni is translated as our “digestive fire.” Our body’s ability to transform food into nutrients that nourish the cells of our body depends on the strength of our digestive fire. In Ayurvedic Nutrition we recognize four main classifications of our digestive fire.You have Tikshna (sharp) agni. This occurs when there is hypermetabolism, and is associated with pitta dosha. You have sharp hunger and may be frequently hungry and/or “hangry” when food isn’t available. You may have a tendency toward heartburn or acid reflux, diarrhea, burning sensations, and/or ulcers.The 3 other types of agni are:Sama (balanced) agni is when the digestive fire is balanced. Optimal digestion consists of having a bowel movement first thing in the morning; well-formed, banana-shaped stools; consuming regular meals and having a regular appetite; and no digestive complaints.Vishama (variable) agni occurs when when digestion is irregular, and is associated with vata dosha. It consists of having a variable appetite; a tendency toward constipation, or alternating between constipation and loose stools; and consuming irregular meals.Manda (dull) agni occurs when there is hypometabolism, and is associated with kapha dosha. It consists of having little to no appetite; slow digestion and sticky stools; emotional eating and cravings for sweets; and excess mucous secretions.Here are 4 recommendations to improve your digestion:1. Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables. Leafy greens tend to be both sweet and bitter, which are tastes that help to cool excess heat. Adding fresh or cooked greens to your meals will help cool and soothe pitta in the GI tract (cilantro is an especially beneficial garnish if you like the taste).2. Eat more beans and legumes. Beans and legumes are astringent, meaning that they soak up excess liquid (such as acidic secretions) in the GI tract. Additionally, they are full of fiber which aids in the detoxification of the liver, an organ that tends to store excess heat.3. Favor fresh fruit as a snack between meals. Because of the sharp quality of pitta, having sharp hunger means that you need to eat when hungry. Fresh fruit is generally cooling and sweet, and is a great snack to hold you over until your next meal.4. Go easy on the spices. There are certain digestive herbs/spices that are beneficial for pitta, such as fresh cilantro, coriander (seeds), cardamom, turmeric, saffron, fennel, dill, and mint. But stay away from anything really heating.More about Pitta DoshaPitta dosha is the principle of transformation. Pitta describes the functions of fire and water elements, which governs all bodily metabolic processes, from our gut to our cells. We can identify pitta through its qualities of being hot, sharp, oily, light, fleshy-smelling, spreading, and liquid.When we boil water, it becomes vapor, changing form. Similarly, Pitta transforms everything we take in: from the food we consume, to the information and experiences we process. Pitta transforms food into the cells of our body, information into intelligence, and experience into wisdom.The functions of pitta include: transformationmetabolismdigestionabsorptionassimilationmaintenance of body temperatureappetitethirstcolorationvisual perceptionIf there’s a disturbance in any of these bodily functions, pitta is out of balance.Because of its fiery qualities, pitta dosha often expresses itself through fiery emotions such as anger, irritablity, aggression, rage, and competitiveness.For tikshna agni, try these pitta-pacifying recipes.*Bonus Tip – This Cooling Ayurvedic Electrolyte Drink is an excellent way to keep pitta cool, especially in the summer.Things to avoid with tikshna agni:Spicy food. Spicy food is hot, sharp, and light, and will increase these qualities that are already high with pitta. Instead favor cooling, dull, grounding, and astringent foods such as whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and good quality fresh dairy.Sour or fermented food. Sour fruits, citrus, and fermented foods (such as kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, alcohol, or vinegar) tend to be hot, sharp, and acidic. These are not beneficial for pitta. There is one exception though: fresh lime juice has a cooling energy, and is therefore the favored sour flavor for pitta.Deep fried or excessively fatty food. Pitta is already liquid and oily, and tends to have difficulty digesting excess fat, especially when the oils are of poor quality. Therefore, avoid fried food and fast food. The best oils for pitta (in moderation) are olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and ghee.Prolonged Fasting. Pitta does not do well with fasting, as it tends to make them irritable, impatient, angry, or even "hangry." Instead, listen to your hunger, and don't allow yourself to become overly hungry.Pitta-pacifying LifestyleOne of the major factors that impacts your digestion is stress. You've probably heard of the fight-or-flight response of the nervous system. When your nervous system is experiencing a lot of stress, sometimes it doesn't matter how well you're eating--your body isn't in a state where it can digest anything.That's because, if you're stuck in "fight-or-flight," your body feels as though it is under threat and must find safety before it will be ready to digest anything. And if you're chronically in this state, your digestive system will struggle.Here are some things you can do to help you manage stress and return your nervous system to its "rest-and-digest" (parasympathetic) state.Ayurvedic Self-Massage (Abhyanga). This technique is unique to Ayurveda, and involves mindfully anointing the body with warm oil in the direction of the heart. Warm oil nourishes the nervous system, which promotes relaxation, clarity, and rejuvenation. By allowing the oil to penetrate the skin before bathing, it protects, nourishes, and cultivates self-love and self-compassion. Learn how to do it here.Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana). The Sanskrit word shodhana means “purification.” Nadi shodhana calms, purifies, and strengthens the nervous system, relieves insomnia, balances hormones, prevents headaches and migraines, and alleviates anxiety and stress. Learn how to do it here.Could your digestion use a reset?According to Ayurveda, when a dosha has accumulated, there are two ways to address it: you can manage the dosha through diet and lifestyle until balance is restored, or you can “expel the dosha” (along with accumulated toxins) through panchakarma, the Ayurvedic cleansing and rejuvenation process.Can you guess which method is faster for restoring balance?Ama: The byproduct of poor digestionWhen our digestive fire is strong and healthy, our body is able to process and remove toxins through our urine, feces, and sweat. But when digestion is impaired, metabolic waste, known as ama, starts to accumulate, clogging the channels of elimination and leading to diminished health. Over time, if this ama is not removed, the buildup of toxins can lead to disease.This is why regular, seasonal Ayurvedic Cleansing is so important. Ayurveda recommends following a detoxification and rejuvenation program a minimum of once a year; for most people, twice a year is ideal.Cleansing has become very trendy in recent years, and for good reason. The benefits of a good cleanse can range from improved energy and weight loss to decreased pain and improved digestion. But not all cleanses will have these effects. Some will leave you feeling depleted and can even weaken your digestive fire, making it hard on your body to go back to “real” food. This negates the effects of the cleanse altogether, as returning to your regular diet only increases toxins more quickly.That’s why I feel so fortunate to have discovered Ayurveda, and with it the cleansing process that has been used successfully for thousands of years to help people heal from a wide variety of illnesses—some that are even thought to be incurable. This form of cleansing is an effective way to prevent disease later in life.Is your body craving a detox? Here are 7 Signs You Need a Cleanse.1. Low energy levels. Low energy is a result of two possible scenarios: either you have toxins inhibiting proper absorption in the GI tract, leading to insufficient cellular nutrition and fatigue. Or your nervous system is fried from too much activity, resulting in burnout. Both of these scenarios are addressed in an Ayurvedic cleanse, which gently cleanses toxins from the GI tract, while calming the nervous system.2. Tongue coating. Our tongue reflects the health of our digestive organs. If your tongue is coated, it also indicates your GI tract is coated, which inhibits proper digestion and absorption. And if your tongue has scalloping along the sides, which look like teeth indentations, it means your body isn’t adequately absorbing the nutrients in your food. Ayurvedic cleansing not only removes these toxins, but also enhances the digestive fire so these toxins don’t re-accumulate.3. Mental confusion, anxiety, or depression. Toxins don’t only exist in the physical body…they can exist in the mind as well. When our perception becomes cloudy, confused, dull, or depressed, it means we could use a mental cleanse as well as a physical one. And when we’re anxious, it means our nervous system is overworking, which makes it hard for our body to digest food and leads to toxic accumulation.4. Feeling of heaviness. Heaviness is a sign that the digestive fire is low. It can’t adequately break down the food we’re eating, so it just sits there heavily in our gut. This accumulation of undigested food can lead to weight gain if we don’t clear it out. An Ayurvedic cleanse brings about lightness in the body by removing these accumulated, undigested foods.5. Gas, bloating, digestive distress. Any and all digestive problems are a sign that our digestive fire is out of balance. It may be burning too hot, or too cool. Either scenario creates nutrients that our body can’t properly utilize, leading to either depletion of our body’s tissues, or accumulation of excess tissue. Balancing the digestive fire through a cleanse leads to healthy, balanced, and nourished tissues.6. Foul odors or breath. Foul smells coming from your body mean there’s something not right. Even our feces is not meant to smell particularly foul…if it does, it’s a sign of toxins. Same for stinky body odor or breath. Foul smells=toxins!7. Body aches and pains. Aches and pains can signal that toxins in our body have moved into the deeper tissues. Unfortunately, many of us go get massages to alleviate the pain, but if the pain is coming from toxins, a massage can actually drive the toxins deeper into the tissues! Ayurvedic cleansing is designed to pull toxins from the deeper tissues back into the GI tract where they can be eliminated, which alleviates this type of pain.I offer a guided Ayurvedic cleanse twice a year, in the spring and fall. Learn more about it here.The Path To BalanceHey there! I'm Debby Andersen, a NAMA-registered Ayurvedic Practitioner and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist, based in San Antonio, Texas.True healing is rarely a linear path. My own journey has taken many unexpected twists and turns. But I believe we all have the power to heal within us. Yoga and Ayurveda have provided me with the support I need to navigate life’s challenges with more ease and grace. These days, we are bombarded with external noise, urging us to cure our pain or heal ourselves through various diets or pills. The problem with these approaches is that they don’t take into account the most important factor in healing—you. You are unique, and your healing journey will be unique. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, and Ayurveda honors that. I’m here to support your journey, and help you access the wisdom that is already alive in you.