Boost Your Immunity
Food as Medicine Part 3: Building Ojas
*This is the third installment in a series on digestive health. Click these links to read or review Part 1 and Part 2.
tatra rasādīnāṁ śukrāntānāṁ dhātūnāṁ yatparaṁ
ojastat khalu ojaḥ tadeva balaṁ iti ucyate |
Su.Sū. 15/23
You know the old saying, “You are what you eat”? Ayurveda teaches that strong digestion is essential to building a healthy body, as well as building a strong immune system. The food that we eat is churned in the stomach into the ahara rasa, or the juice of life. The ahara rasa irrigates the seven layers of tissue in the body and provides each tissue the nutrients it needs to build strength. According to the classical texts of Ayurveda, ojas is the substance produced in the body after all of the seven tissues (dhātus) have been nourished by the nutrients in the food we eat. Ojas is our strength and vigor, and it is the source of our immunity. The strength of our immune system and the strength of our tissues are the direct result of the food that we eat.
Ojas is the subtle form of kapha doṣa and forms the container for the life force of prana and the luster of tejas. When ojas is healthy, we are strong and resilient in body, mind, and spirit. Good digestion is essential for creating healthy ojas. If the digestive fire is weak, the quality of the nutrients is poor, or we have too much stress and not enough rest in our lives, it will affect our vitality.
Signs of Low Ojas
Fatigue
Low energy
New intolerance to loud sounds or bright lights
Super dry, lusterless, dull skin
Depression
Loose joints (which over time can become stiff if ojas remains impaired)
General aches and pains
Malaise and generally feeling “off”
Poor waste removal
Imbalanced doṣas
Low Immunity
Practices to Support Ojas
Nourish your being with foods that are prepared with love.
When possible, eat seasonal, local foods. The earth provides the medicine we need. The foods that grow in a particular season naturally balance the qualities of that season. Eating foods that are locally grown ensures that you are eating seasonally, and freshly picked food has more prana than food that was picked and shipped from across the globe.
Minimize or eliminate the consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods.
In the winter, avoid foods that are dry, cold, rough, and raw (including raw salads and smoothies). Include high quality oils and fats in your diet in the winter to ensure that you have the nutrients you need to build healthy tissues.
Create a daily rhythm and eat your meals at the same times each day, preferably with 4 - 6 hours between each meal to give your body time to fully digest and absorb the nutrients from your meal before adding more food to be processed.
Rest! Sleep is essential for the body to process and remove waste products and to prevent the accumulation of ama that ultimately prevents the formation of ojas.
Develop a daily practice of self-care that is balancing for the nervous system. This could include meditation, pranayama, asana, yoga nidra, journaling, a gratitude practice, or other stress-relieving practices.
Get outside in nature.
Move your body to promote the flow of prana.
Build community and spend time with people who are caring and nurturing.
Hydrate your skin and provide self-love and healing touch by practicing abhyaṅga (oil massage).
Drink warm water to hydrate your internal tissues. Cold water dampens the digestive fire.
Eat with mindfulness and without multi-tasking (e.g. avoid eating on the go, while working, or while watching TV).
Align the rhythm of your day with the rhythm of the sun and moon. Wake up early and rise with the sun. Go to bed by 10:00 pm at the latest (or earlier in the winter when the sun sets early).
Herbs that support Ojas
*Please consult with a medical provider before incorporating herbs into your daily practice, particularly if you take medications, as some herbs can interact negatively with medications.
Aśvagandha
Vidāri
Śatāvari
Triphala
Bala
Chyavanprāśa (a rejuvenating herbal jam)
As we move into the darker days of winter, now is a good time to eat foods that are warm, building and nourishing, and to develop a daily practice of self-care that leaves you feeling nourished, healthy, and strong. If you would like support developing a personalized self-care practice (including recommendations for using food as medicine), let's work together one-on-one.
Rachel
