Ama is toxin.  It is often that you hear that you are what you eat.  You will be surprised to know how much of toxin reaches your body via the food you eat. These toxins are not just from the fertiliser and pollution that affects the food we consume but also the way we consume it. Here are a few tips to a healthy and an ama reducing diet.

1- Eat light, warm, cooked and easily digestible food. Eating light is a good way to keep your toxins in check as a light meal is quickly and completely digested by your system. It also means the body is able to absorb significant quantities of nutrition from the food as it is not being pushed to digest a large quantity. Eating warm food keeps most pathogens at bay as well as your body is able to move to the digestion process much easier than eating cold foods. It is advised that you consume cooked food as it kills any natural pathogens that existed in your food prior to cooking. Consuming easily digestible food is good for your body as your systems is not taxed in the digestion process. You must also be aware that a person with limited exercise and who spends most of their time on the chair does not need the same amount of food or calories as someone who uses their body throughout the day doing physical labour or playing a sport.

2- Eat freshly prepared foods like phulka, parathas, rice, roti, dosa, idly, kichadi, soups, dals etc. These fresh and light foods keep your digestive system in good shape and also makes you feel light. This, in turn, reduces any possibility of toxin buildup within your body.

3- Prefer that the food you consume is cooked in ghee, coconut oil, ground oil, sesame oil, or mustard oil depending on the region where you reside or you are originally from. Avoid synthetic and refined oils as they include chemicals that are used to clear up the natural oil. Natural seed oil is one the best cooking mediums as they do not contain unnatural fats that are difficult to digest.

4- Opt for brown sugar, honey, jaggery as a sweetener instead of refined sugar. White sugar is widely known as one of the white poisons for a very good reason as it contains a wide variety of chemical residues that remain from refining it. Natural sweeteners do not contain harmful chemicals and often have added health benefits as they aid in digestion and help in boosting your immunity.

5- Hydrate your body with boiled warm water. Warm water aids in your digestion as well as it helps the body maintain its optimum temperature. Consume buttermilk, fresh juices and tender coconut instead of artificially sweetened and aerated drinks.

Our body is a remarkable machine. It works hard, day in day out to process every input that we knowingly or unknowingly put into it. It differentiates what is good for you and what isn’t, and uses what we need and discards what we don’t. This well-oiled machinery is subject to a lot of stress in the present day.  The changing lifestyle and the rising pollution around us have resulted in a change of regular metabolic activities and excretory functions of our body. These changes result in the accumulation of toxins (ama) and alter the equilibrium of the body and its systems.

Our current lifestyle adds significant amounts of toxins from adulterated foods, polluted air and water. Overwhelmed with a continuous bombardment of stressors from toxins in processed food, environment, our workspaces, unresolved emotional tussles, psychological and physiological stress, the body accumulates some degree of toxins which over time builds up in the systems and tissues, compromising our health. These toxins even cross placental barriers and affect the growing foetus leading to birth defects, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, behavioural issues etc.

The symptoms of toxic accumulation are often quite visible. Here are few of those symptoms that you might have noticed.

Fatigue: Your coffee is not getting you through your day like it used to! You have this nagging fatigue despite sleeping for 8 hours. The fatigue is your body signalling you that all is not well. Often a good rest and fresh air dispell the fatigue. When your immune system is under pressure or imbalance in your hormones the body experiences fatigue. This is often due to toxin build up.

Acne or Rashes: The skin is our first defence against the environmental toxins. Acne and rashes are a very early sign of toxin build up, your skin is the first to succumb as it is one of the primary excretory organs. Skin is exposed to a variety of toxins constantly. Right from the pollution in the air and water, to the chemicals in soap, shampoos, deodorants/antiperspirants, cosmetics, and of course excessive exposure to the sun.

Constipation: Constipation causes the toxins to build up in your system as it not being expelled at the rate at which it is being accumulated in the body. The intestines along with the liver are responsible for absorbing the good stuff and expelling the bad ones. While you are constipated this process is hindered and you will experience the effects of it as a headache, acne, bad breath etc.

Bad breath: Are you experiencing bad bread despite brushing your teeth twice a day regularly or like a few people after every meal? You chew gum, mouth fresheners, use mouthwashes etc but bad breath persists? There is a good chance that your liver is unable to break down and expel the toxins. The liver plays a vital role in cleansing your system and keep your metabolic functions optimal. Thus the old proverb, the life of the liver depends on the liver.

Aches and Pains: If you are experiencing muscle and body aches without having done any major physical task, then it is a certain indication of the toxin buildup in your system.

Gout: This is another common symptom of dysfunctional metabolism. While your body continues to try and break down the protein, if the liver and intestines are unable to function optimally, a significant portion of the unmetabolised protein begins to accumulate in the body. This is toxic and apart from the pain, it aggravates the impediment of the metabolism.

Thankfully there is something which you can do to give your body a break. With the help of Ayurvedic cleansing process known as Shodhana Karma, you can reduce the complexity and variety of inputs to the body so that it can rest, recuperate and repair itself. The body takes advantage of the break from the deluge of damaging inputs to do some very deep cleansing. Of course, regular meditation and moderate exercise help act as a catalyst during the recuperation.

Read here – 5 Reasons to regularly detox your self – https://www.brahmasutra.in/5-reasons-to-regularly-detox-your-self/