Welcome to our first Special Edition. In honour of Papaya Month, we’re bringing you papaya tips and an in-depth look at how to improve your digestion.
At The Beautiful Societies, we are all about bringing yo. This means we go directly to the source: for ayurveda, that means registered Ayurvedic doctors practicing in South Asia, all People of Color experts preserving this heritage.
Eat: This bright orange fruit is excellent for your digestion so we’ve rounded up some fun and innovative recipes: this papaya yoghurt bowl with hemp hearts (easy peasy to make) or this papaya salad for lunch.
Drink: Down this papaya smoothie for breakfast as part of your hot girl routine, whip up this easy Taiwanese papaya milk or if you want to experiment, this hot Polynesian papaya soup is just the thing.
Treat: Papaya is also one of the buzziest skincare ingredients in the market. Try cleansing with the Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm from Glow Recipe (founded by Sarah Lee and Christine Chang), toning with the Deep Sweep 2% BHA Pore Cleaning Toner with Moringa and Papaya from (Farmacy founded by David Chang) or exfoliating with Tatcha The Rice Polish which contains papaya enzymes (founded by Vicky Tsai) all while giving your scalp a scrub with the Ceremonia Papaya Scalp Scrub (founded by Babba Rivera).
We spoke to Dr. Sugandihka Lakmali, a registered Ayurvedic Doctor at Siddhalepa Ayurveda Hospital a renowned ayurvedic company who own ayurvedic hospitals and spas in Sri Lanka and Europe, to understand how we can build best digestive practices into our daily habits.
Ayurveda prioritizes a holistic approach to wellness “placing a great deal of emphasis on maintaining a supportive daily routine”, says Lakmali. “A routine creates a sense of regularity throughout the day, which bolsters natural hunger at regular intervals and prepares the digestive fire to receive food at consistent times”.
She additionally notes that “a daily routine also helps to reduce stress and maintain a healthy nervous system, which is directly linked to the health of the digestive system”.
Start your day before the sun rises: Waking up at the same time each morning ideally before 6am.
Have a water intake routine: Drink one or two cups of warm water first thing after you wake up in the morning and a glass of warm water 20–30 minutes before your meals”. By doing so “not only do you cleanse and hydrate your body tissues, but drinking water also helps to enhance your digestive capacity and dramatically improve your digestion”.
Ignite your digestive fire before eating by taking a short walk or drinking water which “awakens your actual digestive capacity, helping you to clarify whether you are really hungry or not”.
Eat on a schedule: Eat your three meals at the same time every day where you naturally start to feel hungry at a regular time daily.
Avoid digestive inhibitors: the following foods can actually inhibit your digestion - ice cold drinks, dairy, meat, mushrooms and heavy foods can dampen your digestive fire.
Practice intentional relaxing techniques after eating: You can take a deep breath before getting up and moving on to your next activity. This, she says, “helps the body to register satisfaction and retains a helpful level of mindfulness as you transition away from eating”. If you are someone who feels sleepy after your meal, Lakmali advises you take a very short walk.
Sleep early: Not possible for all of us but try your best to get to bed as early as you can ideally by 10pm.
Here are some special ayurvedic tips from Lakmali to help you get in tune with your digestive fire.
🔥 Recipe to kickstart your digestive fire: Prepare a mixture of grated ginger, lime juice, and mineral salt” and “eat a small pinch of it before your meals”. This, says Lakmali, will “awaken the digestive fire and activate helpful digestive enzymes”.
🫃🏾If you have over eaten: try lying on your left side for 5–15 minutes after lunch. Laying on the left side, according to ayurveda, activates the solar energy channel, which is linked to Agni, making it not only relaxing and rejuvenating, but also very supportive of good digestion.
Ayurvedic remedies for digestion:
Asamodagam: A traditional South Asian tonic made from Ajowan Wild Celery, its a go-to for calming your digestive system.
Triphala Powder: Considered the magic potion in ayurveda, triphala refers to a power made of blended Amalaki (Nelli), Vibhitaki (Bulu) and Haritaki (Aralu) fruits. Adding a teaspoon of this into a warm glass of water can help improve digestion, regulate bowel movements, and reduce gas formation.
