Want to speed up your metabolism? Most of us generally want to burn more calories and lose that extra weight. However, your metabolism is only part of the equation to a healthy gut and losing weight. Ayurveda provides a more comprehensive guide to digestion. Weight loss, mental focus, and a balanced energy level can all be improved through understanding that your gut is the key!

Metabolism is the chemical process that converts the food you eat into energy. The body needs this energy to function in your day-to-day life. In Ayurveda, the concept of metabolism is Agni, your digestive fire. Agni, is the element of fire and leads to transformation. Your Agni’s primary function are digestion, absorption, assimilation, and the transformation of food into energy. Much of our concept of metabolism is driven by the idea of dieting. Ayurveda does not believe in fad diets or the concept of “one size fits all”. Digestion affects not only the food you eat, but also your mental capacities and energy levels.

           Agni is responsible for digesting food into nutrients and helping process feelings, emotions, and thoughts. An important concept in Ayurveda that goes along with Agni is Ama. Ama is understood as toxins or undigested food, emotions and thoughts that get stored in our fat cells. Ama (toxins) depletes Agni (your digestive fire), which leads to gained weight, food allergies, and low energy levels. Ama clogs the digestive tracts, visceral organs, and even arteries. This build up of Ama depletes Agni, and a depleted Agni cannot properly digest, assimilate, or absorb food. Thus creating more Ama. Sounds like a nasty cycle, right?

Ayurveda provides a way to step out of those cycles of dieting, low energy levels, and illnesses. Here at Santa Cruz Ayurveda our main goal is to heal the gut, because once we heal the gut everything else will fall into place. Our six-month gut healing protocol works with you step by step to improve your Agni (digestive fire) and get rid of Ama (toxins).

The Plan of Action for the Six-Month Gut Healing Protocol

          We start with detoxification, restoration, and then rejuvenation. Our six- month gut protocol was created to have long term shifts, not quick fixes. By understanding your Dosha (your physical, emotional, and mental constitution or tendencies) you can begin to have an awareness for what foods can be best suited for you. You can find out your Dosha (body unique body constitution) by doing this quick, simple quiz on our website, Santacruzayurveda.com. By understanding your Dosha we work on bringing the digestive fire back into balance. Ayurveda isn’t about counting calories or going on extreme diets. It’s about truly becoming attuned to who you are.

One of our clients reported that by doing our gut healing protocol, he lost 40 pounds in a couple of months and has improved energy and a clear mind. He did this not by dieting or counting calories, but by healing his gut and his relationship to food. His energy went from high peeks of energy drinks and fast food to an increased stable energy of whole foods.

Some Tips!

Eating on a schedule.
Your body works best on a schedule! If you eat on a schedule your body will begin to prepare by increasing your enzymes before you even eat!

 Make lunch the biggest meal of the day.

This is because out digestive fire is optimal between 12-2, so food can be the most easily digested and assimilated.

What you eat, your body will become attuned to.

Your gut bacteria will adjust to the foods you eat regularly. That’s why switching to extreme diets can be hard on the body. By stabilizing what you eat, your body can more easily recognize and break it down.

Avoid deep- fried foods, frozen foods, leftovers, or refined sugars and flours.

This is not by principle, but by understanding that these foods lack prana (life-force energy) and don’t provide stable energy. It’s okay to have these foods once in awhile, but our unhealthy dependence on them only create more of a cycle of dependency.

Prep your body for food.

Have hot water throughout the day to help aid in detoxification.
Try having a slice of fresh ginger with a squeezed lemon on it before food to awaken your digestive fire.

Check out our next workshop on March 18th to learn more about Ayurveda and how to cook Ayurvedic meals!

Many Blessings,

Santa Cruz Ayurveda
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