Welcome to Day 6 of the 7 Days of Digestion Tips with Ayurveda::: Day 6 of our 7 Days of Digestion Tips with Ayurveda Invitation. Day 6 of 7 days of Invitations to Aid and Optimize Digestion.
Today’s Invitation: Be Kind to Your Liver
Choose Liver-Friendly Foods: Incorporate leafy greens, beets, turmeric, and ginger, which support detoxification and bile flow. Ayurveda recommends cooked foods as they are easier to digest. Avoid processed and packaged foods for the day. These foods often contain hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, and chemicals that overwork the liver. Instead, focus on fresh, whole, and natural ingredients to nourish your liver and digestion.
Hydrate with Warm Water or Herbal Teas: Sip dandelion root or turmeric tea to cleanse and rejuvenate the liver. Very key to keep hydrated.. Consider more than 2L of water a day. Helps hydrate the colon. Also avoid drinking 30 min or 30 min after eating. If you are going to drink during eating just take a sip or two, as too water is said to extinguish the digestive fire.
Cook with & Ingest Healthy Fats: Ghee, coconut oil, mustard oil. Olive oil ok, and sesame oil depending on your dosha (it is heating so can be too much for some aggravated Pitta constitutions)
In Ayurveda, the liver is associated with the Pitta dosha, which governs transformation and metabolism. The liver’s primary roles include filtering toxins, regulating digestion, and managing bile production. When the liver is overburdened—whether by processed foods, excessive sugar, or poor digestion—imbalances can manifest as inflammation, sluggishness, or skin issues. Supporting the liver ensures healthy digestion, clear skin, and a calm mind.
Why do we care?
The liver is an integral part of the body. When the liver is functioning as it is meant to it supports detoxification by removing toxins from the blood, helping to maintain a clean system. It regulates bile production, which is necessary for breaking down fats and ensuring balanced digestion. It processes and balances hormones- super relevant to many people and their quality of life and happiness at home and in the mind as it contributes to emotional stability and overall hormonal harmony. By eliminating toxins, the liver promotes clear, healthy skin, preventing potential skin issues. It purifies the body.
The liver efficiently converts nutrients into energy, sustaining the body's vitality. The liver also plays a key role in regulating blood sugar levels, producing substances that help blood clot, and apparently supports to the immune system by identifying and destroying harmful bacteria and viruses. I believe it all works together and we are like nature itself, designed to thrive. To ensure the liver stays healthy, it's important to adopt a lifestyle that includes a diet of food that is healthy for you, a nice exercise regime, which can actually be more than many people think.. and is very much interelated to age, and personality.
Internal Oleation
In Ayurveda, internal oleation (Snehapana) is a therapeutic practice designed to nourish and detoxify the body, particularly targeting the liver and digestive system. This practice involves the internal administration of fats such as ghee, oils, or other lipid-based substances, depending on an individual’s constitution (prakriti) and health concerns. Internal oleation is a great detox and helps balance the doshas, prepare the body for deeper cleansing therapies, and promote overall vitality. Adding a spoonful of healthy oil to your diet is said to nourish all the tissues and help you stay regular. I like coconut oil, a lot of people use castor oil, others really enjoy fish oil.
While traditional Snehapana may involve intensive administration of fats under expert guidance, incorporating small amounts of ghee or healthy oils into your daily diet can offer similar benefits for liver and digestive health. Use ghee in cooking, drizzle olive oil on salads, or sip warm milk with a teaspoon of ghee at bedtime for a gentle, nourishing boost.
There are four primary types of fats used in internal oleation: ghee, oils, animal fats, and bone marrow. Each has unique properties and therapeutic benefits:
Ghee: Cooling and soothing, it’s ideal for balancing Vata and Pitta doshas. Ghee is deeply nourishing, promotes reproductive health, and aids in healing burns and wounds.
Oils: Known for their grounding qualities, oils are effective in relieving constipation, promoting strength, and soothing disorders involving Vata imbalance.
Animal Fat: Recommended for individuals with high physical exertion, it enhances strength and stamina and addresses traumatic injuries and uterine prolapse.
Bone Marrow: Especially beneficial for severe Vata disorders, bone marrow strengthens ligaments, joints, and the abdomen.
The liver is closely linked to the Pitta dosha and governs digestion, metabolism, and detoxification. Internal oleation enhances liver function by saturating the body’s cells with healthy fats, triggering the release of toxins. Toxins are drawn into the gastrointestinal tract, where they are eliminated through cleansing therapies like Vamana (emesis) and Virechana (purgation).
General Reminders for Healthy Digestion:
Eat Warm, Cooked Foods: Cold and raw foods can weaken digestion. Warm, cooked meals are easier to process.
Chew Your Food Well: Proper chewing supports the liver by easing the digestive process.
Practice Gratitude: Acknowledge the effort behind your meal to enhance mindful eating.
A Mantra for Liver Health
This mantra popped in to my head as I was writing this, seems fitting..
Om asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotir gamaya
mrtyor ma amritam gamaya
Om shanti shanti shanti
Lead us from the unreal to the real
Lead us from darkness to light
Lead us from death to immortality
Om peace, peace, peace
The Pavamana or Purifying Mantra, it is often used as a purifying prayer which is chanted for the wellbeing of oneself or for humanity. It can be quite healing and grounding, it is definitely one of my favorites.
Taking care of your liver is a simple yet powerful way to improve digestion and vitality. By avoiding processed foods and embracing fresh, whole ingredients, you lighten your liver’s load and support your body’s natural detoxification processes. Just makes sense.
Would you like to explore these practices further?
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Stay tuned for Day 6, where we’ll uncover another Ayurvedic secret to better digestion and vitality.
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