How to Rid Your Body of Toxins (Ama)

Another week... Another information packed blog post, Hope you're all having a fabulous day!

In the world of Ayurveda, you hear a lot about the concept of Ama or toxins. These can build up in your body due to factors like weak digestion, pollution, an improper diet, or less-than-ideal lifestyle choices. Ama clogs the channels of the body, preventing nutrients from being delivered efficiently to the 7 dhatus and the cells they nourish. preventing wastes from being discharged efficiently from the body.

If you were to take all the junk that's circulating in your body and clump it together and give it a name, that would be Ama. It's germs. it's partially-digested food. putrefied food that's been left in the stomach, it's oxidised LDL - bad cholesterol, etc. Ama is the forerunner of ALL disease in the body. If you have enough of it, you will get sick. The less of it you have, the healthier you are.

With all that in mind, keep reading for more information on signs you might have an accumulation and how you can safely and easily rid your system of it.

So how do you know if you have ama? And how do you get rid of it? Grab a piece of paper and a pen and write out the following quiz, then circle your responses from 1 to 5 (1 being least and 5 being most)

Q1: I tend to feel blocked in my body with constipation, congestion in the head, and general lack of clarity

Q2: In the morning when I wake up I feel groggy, it takes me quite a while to feel really awake

Q3: I tend to feel physically weak for no reason

Q4: I get colds or flu several times each year

Q5: My body tends to have a feeling of heaviness

Q6: I just feel that 'something isn't working right in the body - digestion, breathing, bowel movements etc

Q7: I tend to feel lazy, my capacity to work seems all right, but I just can't be bothered

Q8: I commonly have indigestion after eating

Q9: I often have to spit or salivate a lot

Q10: More often than not, I just don't have a taste for food and have no appetite

Q11: I just feel tired and exhausted... in mind or body

Add up your scores to arrive at a rating for your level of Ama:

45-55 Severe

35-45 Moderate

25-35 Mild

11-25 Minimal

If your results show you have some Ama build-up in your system, don’t lose heart. I'll offer some helpful, Ama-reducing tips later in this article. For now, let’s do a deeper dive into the different types of ama, and how they’re created in your physiology.

The Different Types of Ama:

First, there is the regular Ama that is heavy and sticky, it is formed through poor dietary habits and low digestive fire. Over time ama tends to accumulate in the system and block the channels of the body, causing a variety of conditions, think of stools that stick to the toilet bowl when you poo.

The second type of ama, which is more toxic, is called Amavisha. This type of Ama migrated and gets mixed with your doshas, tissues or waste products of the body and causes chronic problems. This is called the vitiation process.

The third type of ama is called Garvisha and is due to the bioaccumulation of environmental toxins. The human body has hundreds of different cell types and 50 to 75 trillion cells. Each one of your cells knows who you are and where it has to be in order for it to be part of you and to be able to communicate that to all the other cells. This is what is called inner intelligence.

In the world of cells, information must flow, and Ama blocks the flow of this information.

Over time, each type of Ama can lead to chronic illness if not addressed.

10 Things That Cause Ama:

Many factors can lead to an accumulation of ama in the mind and body, including:

• overeating

• eating before the previous meal is digested

• not making lunch the main meal (when your Agni / digestive fire is strongest)

• eating large meals at night

• iced drinks and cold food meals (like raw foods or salads)

• food that isn't fresh, pure, and organic.

• eating leftovers, stale food or commercially packaged foods

• eating without full attention to the meal (watching TV, checking out your socials or reading)

• eating too quickly

• eating while emotionally upset

• not taking time to relax, decompress, and unwind after a huge day

• not engaging in light, enjoyable exercise daily or whenever possible

5 Easy Ways To Eliminate Ama:

1. The first and easiest way of eliminating Ama is always Nidan Parivarjanan (reducing the causes of Ama). Put simply, try to avoid the 10 less-than-ideal behaviours listed above. Chances are, you’ll feel much better in just a few days.

2. If you DO have Ama, there is only one way to get rid of it, and that's to digest it! A process known as Ama Pachan, through the use of digestive substances. This can be as simple as sipping hot water or using specific spices or herbal preparations recommended by Anji, your practitioner.

3. Then comes Lekhan, or cleansing of the digestive tract. Lekhan means 'to scrape'. Again, this can be as simple as taking a drink such as hot water and lemon in the morning, and may also include the use of specific spices such as ginger, salt, black pepper or specific herbal preparations that have been recommended for you. Many factors play a part in these herbal solutions and this depends on your Prakruti, as certain spices may be unsuitable for your dosha. When in doubt, book a consultation with Anji.

4. The next step is to increase your digestive fire. This is known as Agni Dipan, or kindling the digestive fire. This may consist of a change of diet, beginning with basic, nutritive meals like kitchari and progressing gradually back to your recommended dosha specific diet over a period of time. The inclusion of specific spices in your food, and prescribed herbal preparations, taken at specific times of your meals and during the day, is also helpful. These are prescribed according to your individual nature and your present level of Agni.

5. Finally comes Shodhan, which is the elimination of Ama. This can be done with specific Ayurvedic herbal formulas or, for a more intensive Ama elimination, through Panchakarma Treatment. Panchakarma is a specific supervised in clinic cleansing program, specifically designed for you and your current level of health. This must be managed carefully and under the guidance and recommendations of a qualified practitioner like Anji. Don't go it alone, as debilitating weakness and stresses may develop, making you sicker than before.

Massages Help The Process:

Abhyanga massage stimulates blood flow, stimulates the lymphatic system, removes blockages in the physiology, nourishes the mind and nervous system, removes Ama, helps enliven alertness and relaxes the whole body allowing for the elimination process to happen.

The specific strokes of an abhyanga massage exfoliate the skin and stimulate blood flow to the deeper tissue cells that hold Ama. According to Ayurveda, this kind of massage helps to remove the lymphatic blockages that hold Ama in the microchannels (or srotas) and works to shift any stagnant impurities to the alimentary canal ready for elimination from your waste systems.

In addition, massage helps detoxify the liver and helps create negative ions in the body. This traditional Ayurvedic treatment also opens the skin pores so the medicated oil can penetrate and nourish the skin deeply.

Recipes That Can Help Eliminate Ama

These delicious recipes help dissolve and digest Ama in the heart and elsewhere, opening the shrota (the microcirculatory channels located throughout the body).

Using select foods, flavours, and eating at times that help the body detox is one of the special skills of authentic Ayurveda treatment. When undigested toxins accumulate, they tend to do so in vitiated parts of the body, including the stomach.

Here are three delicious Ama-reducing recipes:

In Ayurveda, good digestion is the cornerstone of good health. Lassi, a popular Indian drink made from yogurt, aids digestion and is abundant in nutrients like calcium and protein. It’s loaded with probiotics that support gut health, and combined with potent spices like ginger and cumin, is particularly good for warding off gas and bloating.

Digestive Lassi recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup room-temperature water

• 1/4 cup fresh greek yoghurt or indian curd

• 1 pinch ground ginger

• 1 pinch ground cumin

• 1 pinch ground coriander

• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

Blend for one minute and drink after lunch, drink at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Ayurvedic Poached Pears Recipe

Cooked fruit with spices is a light, delicious meal or dessert that may be especially appealing during the cooler months. In Ayurveda, lighter, easy to digest meals are recommended in the morning and evening, when your Agni is weaker. Enjoy this recipe for poached pears as a gentle way to ‘break the fast’ after sleeping overnight, or, as a healthier dessert option! I love this recipe because it's a good pacifier for both Vata and Pitta with its cooling influence and sweet taste. Pears are on my go-to list of fave fruits and the added ginger, cinnamon and cardamom are warming spices that aid digestion. It's also quite versatile, you can swap other spices, use apples, or any other seasonal fruit like apples. Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 ripe organic pears

• water

• 2 tablespoons of organic brown sugar (or less, to taste)

• 1 teaspoon of finely-slivered fresh ginger

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 pinch of cardamom powder

• Optional — 2 tablespoons of organic raisins or sultanas

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the pears into quarters or smaller

2. Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel pot. Add water to cover the pears by half

3. Cook over a low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until the juice becomes like a syrup

Options: Use organic apple juice instead of water (omitting the brown sugar). Serve on a platter or in a bowl and garnish with mint leaves.

Fabulous Fruit Compote

This delicious fruit compote recipe is excellent for balancing both Pitta and Vata As summer leaves us and heads into Autumn we naturally notice changes in our appetite and food desires.

It is a perfect transitional dish that is quick and easy to prepare. It can be served as a breakfast treat, for a healthy snack or for a delicious naturally yummy dessert. Fruit compote is full of flavour and pleasing to all the senses. For my Vata's, serve it warm on cooler Autumn days, or if the weather is hot, let it cool and serve this dish at room temperature for a perfect Pitta balancing dessert.

Ingredients:

organic apples, plums, pears, peaches, bananas, cranberries and mangos

• pinch of cardamom

• a slice of fresh ginger root

• sprinkle of cinnamon

• 2 whole cloves

Directions:

1. Peel and cube 2 medium organic apples, one peach or nectarine, and one additional fruit such as a pear, plum or mango

2. Place in a saucepan with one cup of water on medium-low heat. (note: high cooking temperatures break down vitamins and nutrients that are in the fruits, so keep it cool

3. Add spices and simmer over medium-low heat in a saucepan with a cup of water, stirring occasionally until mushy, if the water boils off before they're done, add a dribble of hot or room-temperature water while cooking.

4. Serve in individual dishes warm or at room temperature

Variations:

1. Use only organic apples, pears and bananas, to which a tablespoon of grated coconut can be added during cooking

2. Use apples and plums and add whole cranberries for a more chutney-like compote

With all these helpful, Ama-reducing tips, supplements, and recipes, you’ll be well on your way to living a life in greater balance! Don't forget, Ama can be the sign of something serious. Please, if in doubt, book a consultation appointment to check if things are ok.

Namaste and Good Health

Anji

DISCLAIMER:

'Glow Ayurveda does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, cures or treatment. These statements have not been evaluated by the Australian Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.'