New Years Series (5/5): Choose Smarter Sweeteners

January 5, 2017 Meredith Klein

There’s a saying that you can pour the purest golden nectar into a chalice, but if the cup is dirty on the inside, then the quality of the nectar is irrelevant.

When it comes to food and your body, the same is true. You can eat the freshet, high-quality whole foods but if your digestive system is not in good shape, then your ability to process and assimilate the nutrients from your food is severely compromised. This is a key reason why Ayurveda and most other healing systems place such a strong focus on creating and maintaining a healthy gut.

This week, as many people focus on making changes to what they are eating, I am offering a five-part series on simple ways to boost your digestive capacity so that you can more optimally process the healthy foods you are consuming.

Part 5: Choose Smarter Sweeteners

Most of us know there are plenty of reasons to stay away from refined sugars, yet their addictive nature keep many people hooked. If you’re hoping to have a healthier gut, kicking the sugar habit is essential because “bad bacteria” in your gut (e.g., candida) thrive on sugar. When you consume a lot of sugar regularly, these bacteria can begin to swell to a point where they outnumber “good” gut flora that assist in the digestive process.

If you’re a fan of diet sodas or artificial sweeteners, you’re still at risk. Numerous studies in recent years have found that Splenda and other sweeteners still cause an upset in the balance of delicate gut bacteria. Over time, both refined sugars and artificial sweeteners can diminish healthy bacteria to a point where the body becomes glucose intolerant, increasing the risk of diabetes.

When you decide to eliminate refined sugars, you automatically say good-bye to the majority of processed foods, and in doing so also give up a host of other ingredients that can cause havoc in the gut.

If you do consume light to moderate amounts of refined sugars, there is some evidence that probiotic supplements can help mitigate the effects of sugar on the gut. But, given the host of other health threats refined sugars pose, I suggest steering clear of them as much as possible.

If you are heavily reliant on sugar in your diet, know that it can be difficult to quit sugar completely overnight. Go slow, making incremental changes. Familiarize yourself with unrefined sweeteners, and use them in moderation. My personal favorite sweeteners are maple syrup and honey, and I enjoy using coconut sugar in baking in place of white sugar.

New Years Series (3/5): Stop Eating Bland Food

January 3, 2017 Meredith Klein

There’s a saying that you can pour the purest golden nectar into a chalice, but if the cup is dirty on the inside, then the quality of the nectar is irrelevant.

When it comes to food and your body, the same is true. You can eat the freshest, high-quality whole foods but if your digestive system is not in good shape, then your ability to process and assimilate the nutrients from your food is severely compromised. This is a key reason why Ayurveda and most other healing systems place such a strong focus on creating and maintaining a healthy gut.

Part 3: Stop Eating Bland Food

In a pinch, roasting or sautéing your food in some olive oil with a little salt in pepper can make for a quick and easy meal, but over time you’re missing out on many opportunities to build your digestive fire (see part 1 for more on this concept).

Spices – particularly those that are slightly warming/heating – are a key ingredient to Ayurvedic cooking. When we spice our food, we are adding bits of kindling to our digestive fire, increasing its potency. And, as an added bonus, our food tastes more delicious! When we include varied tastes in our meals, the brain is stimulated and sends signals to the gut to prepare for the digestive work ahead. The more flavorful our food is, the stronger these signals are.

If you feel unsure of how to combine spices as you cook, consider using pre-mixed blends (like garam masala, curry powders and pastes, etc.) as you become more skilled in making up your own combinations. One of my favorite spice blends is the Moroccan staple ras-el-hanout, which pairs well with just about anything.

If you are hesitant to spice your food while cooking it, or are cooking for children or others who may be spice-averse, consider adding spice as a garnish to your food. In Ayurveda, medicinal spice blends called churnas are used to aid digestion and to help treat other conditions as well. Here is a recipe for an easy digestive churna, which can be made using all ground spices, no grinding needed:

Mix together the following in a small bowl, then keep in a clean, sealed jar:

1 t. ground coriander
1 t. ground fennel
½ t. ground cumin
½ t. turmeric powder

Add a pinch or two of churna to anything and everything – even things like salads, eggs, etc.

Lastly, if you don’t have spices with your food, you can always have them immediately following. Spices teas with cinnamon, clove, ginger and other warming ingredients are good post-meal beverages to keep on hand.

Alternatively, popping some spices directly into your mouth is a great option too! Have you ever noticed that Indian restaurants often have a small bowl of fennel seeds (sometimes candy-coated) available as you exit? This practice stems from Ayurveda. You can keep fennel seeds on hand and chew a few after eating for a digestive boost (added benefit: it freshens your breath too!) Feel free to mix the seed with a small amount of honey if the taste of the fennel alone is overpowering for you.

New Years 2017 Series (1/5): Don't Put Out Your Fire!

January 2, 2017 Meredith Klein

There’s a saying that you can pour the purest golden nectar into a chalice, but if the cup is dirty on the inside, then the quality of the nectar is irrelevant.

Part 1: Don’t Put Out Your Fire

In Ayurveda, the metabolic process is symbolized by fire (known as agni in Sanskrit). Fire is the energy of transformation, converting our food into absorbable components that the body can then use as sources of energy. If you’ve ever built a fire, you know that there is a delicate balance between not having enough wood/kindling, and having too much. So it goes with our gut.

Likewise, we all know what happens if we pour a giant bucket of cold water on a campfire. And yet, that is exactly what many of us are doing daily to our belly fire when we consume large amounts of cold liquids right around the time that we eat.

In Ayurveda, it’s recommended to avoid drinking much of anything within half an hour before or after meals. If you need to sip something, warm water is best. Ginger tea can be particularly beneficial for those with slower digestion.

Between meal times, I encourage you to skip ice water entirely. This is often a hard change to make, but one that can quickly be rewarding, not only for its digestive benefits but also for the increased energy you may reclaim. Think about: each time your douse your digestive fire with water, the body has to use energy to rekindle its fire (as well as to simply regulate internal body temperature).

I was never much of an ice water fan, but I did used to drink all my water from a filter pitcher I kept in my refrigerator. Once I switched to drinking only room-temperature water, I noticed some really profound shifts in my energy levels, especially after working out or other strenuous activities.

Every now and then, in the heat of summer or when traveling to a humid tropical locale, I will indulge in a glass of something frosty, but in general my body is much happier when I drink things close to body temperature. I usually lightly heat my water in an electric kettle and sip that throughout the day, often with some sliced lemon (especially in the mornings).

If you’re hooked on ice water, try reducing the amount of ice you use over 5-7 days, eventually omitting it altogether. Then, stick to room temperature water only for a couple weeks and see how you feel.