Free (and easy) ways to incorporate Ayurveda for better health

Warm, moist foods are easier to digest and utilise than cold, raw foods. Plus, it just feels better on your tummy, no?

Generally speaking, I don’t like making broad statements for things we all “should” do for better health, because I believe (and the heart of the Ayurvedic approach) is that every single person is unique, and there is a time and a place for everything. Ask an Ayurvedic practitioner if something is good or bad, and they’ll invariably say, “it depends”. This is because everything has the capacity to be either positive or detrimental to health – depending on the individual and their situation.

That said, there are lots of things almost everyone can incorporate right now that will have a quick and noticeable impact on our overall health.

These Ayurvedic tips are simple, free and easy to implement in daily life. Every little positive step adds up, and good results come from the small things we do consistently rather than the radical one-off changes we make every now and then. Instill a few of these little habits in your day and feel the difference!

1 Sip warm or hot water instead of cold

Sipping warm or hot water throughout the day instead of chugging big glasses of cold ice water is one of the simplest ways to improve your digestion. Cold substances slow down our digestive fire, making it harder for us to breakdown and assimilate food. If you have any symptoms like gas, pain after eating, bloating, constipation or generally struggle to digest and assimilate nutrients, switch to warm/hot beverages only and notice the difference.

2 Minimise cold/raw food

Just like liquids, cold and raw food is also harder to digest. Warm, freshly cooked foods are still high in nutrients, while being more available for your stomach to break down and assimilate. This isn’t something often suggested to people suffering with digestive issues, yet it makes a real difference. A little raw here and there is completely fine, but in the cold months or if you’re healing from issues with digestion, keep it warm and cooked for now.

3 Sleep by 9-10pm & wake by 6am

You might be familiar with the doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and their influence on the human body, but did you know they also govern different times of the day? This is known as the Ayurvedic clock. Vata dominates from 2-6 am and 2-6 pm, Kapha dominates 6am-10am and 6pm-10pm and Pitta dominates 10am - 2pm and 10pm - 2 am. Waking before 6 am means we capitalise on Vata’s more energetic qualities, while going to sleep in the Kapha time when energy naturally begins to drop means we are aligning our activities with the rhythms of the day. Going to bed after 10pm means we’re trying to sleep in Pitta time, which is when there tends to be more activity – this is great in the 10am-2pm window when you’re working, but at night, that energy should be reserved for the overnight repair processes that take place while you sleep.

The most delicious bowl of vibrant fresh fruit from our recent trip to Asia.

4 Eat seasonally

Some circles in the Ayurveda world get very hung up on giving people big lists of foods they can and can’t eat for their dosha type. This is helpful in one sense, but can also create pressure and feel restrictive. For women especially, there is often a lot of internalised restriction around food already, so it can be unhelpful to add more. A really wonderful way to improve your health (and that of your wallet and the environment!) is to eat seasonally according to your area. Going to the local market or veggie store, asking them what’s in season at the moment and start to learn more about what’s good in your area. This is also a wonderful way to vary your produce so over the year you’re eating more than just the same handful of vegetable types.

5 Eat fruit on its own

We all love adding some fruit to our breakfast, but did you know it could be contributing to gas and bloating? Most fruits are very quick to breakdown and digest, while the rate of other foods like starchy grains and proteins take longer (this is why you feel fuller for longer with those foods). When we eat fruit with other foods, it tends to be broken down much sooner than the rest, meaning it then sits in your gut and begins to ferment. This then produces gassiness, bloating and general belly discomfort. If you experience any of these regularly, try keeping fruit for your mid morning and mid afternoon snack and see how you feel.

6 Meditate

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to reduce your stress levels, which in turn means your body is spending less time in survival mode (fight/flight) and more time in a rested state. Survival mode is just that – it’s all about survival, and this means a lot of our long term survival systems are shut down. This includes your immune system, reproductive system and digestive system. This is fine in short bursts, but when you are constantly in a low level state of stress or anxiety, and these systems are regularly being impaired, it leads to serious health issues. This is what people mean when they quote statistics around stress being responsible for up to 90% of disease these days. Having a daily practice that allows the mind and body to rest, rejuvenate and release stored stresses means you can return to a baseline of calm, clarity and presence. Come along and learn Vedic meditation at one of my courses in Melbourne or Adelaide – it’s an easy, effortless and effective way to reduce stress and reconnect with your true nature. Ps I realise this one isn’t technically free, but once you learn and start implementing meditation into your everyday, it really is priceless!

7 Reduce your caffeine intake

This is the part where everyone shields their lattes with a mortified look on their faces, ha! Ok, just hear me out. Coffee does have some benefits, and it’s important to mention that for many, it’s a ritual and a daily little pleasure – I completely understand that. However, for many people, coffee is doing more harm than good. If you struggle with period pain, anxiety, migraines or acidic digestion, reducing and potentially removing coffee and caffeine can make a dramatic difference to your health. For me, I struggled with migraines for years, and removing coffee and most caffeine (I still enjoy the odd chai) meant I went from having 2-3 migraines a month to a max of 1 every few months, if that! This is one of those things that can have significant impact – and there are lots of fun alternatives to explore such as decaf (it’s come a long way!), herbal teas, matcha (which still contains caffeine, but also other compounds that can support a healthier caffeine release in some) and other things. And by the way, if you need coffee to poo in the morning, you’ve got constipation – this is a sign to improve your diet and lifestyle so you don’t need an external substance to have a regular, normal bowel movement.

Ready to go deeper with your health?

Get a completely tailored plan for your health with an Ayurvedic consultation

If you’re working through some health challenges and would like more in-depth, individualised guidance, book yourself in for an Ayurvedic health consultation. These sessions allow us to dive deep into your health and together we can create an action plan that gets to the root cause of your issues, and offers solutions that are natural, holistic and effective.