Spice Up Your Life
The natural approach to health includes using food as medicine. Utilizing the principle of “treating with opposites”, nutritional advice is given to counteract problems in the digestive system and address symptoms in the body. For example, gas, bloating, and constipation are related to the concepts of too much air and space, which have the properties of cold, light, dry, and mobile. So, the nutritional remedy is to eat foods that are warm, heavy, moist and grounding. Burning indigestion and loose stools or diarrhea are related to the concept of heat and movement, so the remedy is to eat foods that are cooling and stable. And sluggish digestion, including sleepiness and heaviness after eating, relates to the concept of too much earth and water, which are cold, heavy, moist and grounding, so the remedy is to eat foods that are warm, light, dry, and mobile.
Classical texts have given much detail about the properties of foods, and these have been developed into food lists appropriate for specific conditions. When individuals are more aware of their body type and needs, they can use these lists to develop diets that will promote health and maintain balance. Ayurvedic Health Practitioners are trained to help individuals identify diets specific to the individual’s needs.
In addition to using foods for health, natural approaches utilize plant medicine (including herbs and spices) to maintain health and balance and to treat medical conditions. Plant medicines are more concentrated than foods and tend to target more specific conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 40% of approved pharmaceutics are derived from plants, including the well-known examples of aspirin (from willow tree bark) and the contraceptive pill (from wild yam roots). The WHO also estimates that 80% of the world’s population uses traditional medicine, including Ayurveda, so natural treatments have been used in large populations for thousands of years. These are becoming a more popular area in current research.
The great news is that you can begin to experiment with plant medicines today by using the spices you already have in your kitchen cabinet! Spices are used to enhance the properties of foods, address digestive system issues, and target specific body systems to aid in healing. Here, we’ll highlight a few common spices to address digestive system issues, since the digestive system is the portal for taking in our food and affects how well we absorb nutrients.
Common spices used in cooking for improving digestive issues include cumin, ginger, black pepper, long pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, clove, coriander, and turmeric. Most of these herbs improve the digestive fire (which makes digestion more efficient), but also have other actions such as reducing gas and bloating, removing toxins, increasing bowel movements, and toning the colon. Spices can be used as teas as well as seasonings, so having a cup of fennel tea after meals can improve digestion and reduce burning indigestion.
As you start to use more spices in your cooking (add them to everything!), please be mindful that they have effects throughout the body, so it is better to be conservative with doses until you know more about the herb and how it affects you individually. Because herbs (like food) should be used according to the principle of “treating with opposites” (discussed earlier), it is also important to understand your own body and its needs, and which herbs are more suited to you individually.