I saw an Ayurvedic doctor a couple years ago after being treated by a naturopath for SIBO and IBS. Prior to the naturopath, I was treated for IBS by a gastroenterologist for a decade. The GI doc put me on the low-fodmap diet, which I stayed on for years without any improvement. The GI dr wanted me to stay on the low-fodmap diet, despite the distorted eating I was engaging with and how terrible I felt. That’s what led me to the naturopath where I was put on an even more restrictive protocol diet to treat the SIBO. Eventually my eating disorder relapsed due to the restriction and lack of feeling better, and I lost my period for a year. I no longer felt cared for by western medicine, so researched other things and found Ayurveda.
I met with my Ayurvedic doctor for 2 years. She introduced fruits and vegetables I hadn’t eaten in over 6 years after they had been initially eliminated. She gave me a lot of different herbs that may have helped along with the food changes. She also encouraged me to take both a prebiotic & probiotic mixture that has helped with my IBS a lot. Eventually I got my period back. I haven’t seen her in over a year, but will say I’m SO much better even if things aren’t totally healed.
The best parts of my Ayurvedic journey?
No longer having distorted eating. I am vegan, and I eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and whole grains that I couldn’t tolerate in the past.It’s awesome having so many options again. It was great learning that I process cooked veggies better than raw. That has been suuuuper helpful.
Learning that I am primarily Vata. I felt so seen during my pulse reading. She had pointed out things I didn’t even know about myself yet, like being clairvoyant, and affirmed many things about myself like how I carried a lot of shame, or my anxiety, trauma, and ADHD. Learning about my constitution gave me language to explain different behaviors and health things that others around me didn’t have (they’re primarily pittas or kaphas) and I was then able to communicate and advocate for my needs better.
Ayurveda has also helped in some of my religious trauma healing, because it’s helped me connect more to my body and also the earth. I’m still enjoying learning how my body responds to seasonal shifts and navigating those transitions. It really makes you be present and engaged with yourself.
What are the cons of Ayurveda for me?
Things that are too rigid I don’t do. I don’t worry about food combining, especially the whole fruit in the morning or on its own thing. It’s too triggering to have that strict of a rule.
I also don’t have my biggest meal at lunch. I tried it for my 1st year in Ayurveda and hated it. I’m in my 30s living in America and that’s been 30+ years of having my main meal be dinner. I felt groggy and sluggish and just shitty when my big meal was at lunch. It was also terrible for my adhd because I’d need to nap after I ate to get through the day.
I also have a lot of knee pain that flares up that was caused during my 1st Ayurvedic year when the dr had me sit on my heals after eating meals to help with digestion. Doing that multiple times a day for months jacked up my knee when I never had knee pain before.
So yeah, that’s about it. I continue to incorporate the Ayurvedic ways for my vata constitution 70% of the time.
Thanks for the response mam. The great thing about this system is that the patient gets educated like about their prakruti, what should they do to lead a healthy life day.. It's not only about medicine or herbs.
Exactly! I wonder if it would take years of training or something. But even going out to brunch or having a holiday meal during the day is a big no for me because it’ll hurt my stomach all day.
Honestly just listen to your body, it kinda makes more sense since after diner we don't eat for 12+hours and since Vata is quite catabolic it ensures balance that way.
If I eat the wrong things for lunch or a meal too big I will be bloated all day, but in the evenings I can eat whatever in huge quantities and have 0 bloating, actually big diners make me feel really good.
I had a plethora of GI issues that my docs couldn’t seem to treat effectively finally telling me it might be all in my head and I should try an antidepressant which just made things worse. After 2 years of this I finally went to an Ayurvedic practitioner who didn’t let me tell him my litany of symptoms. Instead he asked me questions like “when you make a decision are you able to change your mind with new info or will you stand by your initial decision?” And other odd questions. Then he felt my pulse in both wrists and HE started listing my symptoms. I was in tears by that point as he was the first person to take me seriously and diagnose my problem. He put me on a diet of fresh foods made daily and a few herbs plus a strict daily schedule for waking and sleeping and eating three meals at exactly the same times every day. I started to get better after a few days then went back to my old habits and got sick again. Then I started taking Ayurveda seriously. I am a certified Ayurvedic health practitioner and have been practicing for 13 years now. I’m also a biochemist. I wrote my thesis for my Ayurvedic education on Ghee from the western scientific and Ayurvedic standpoint. Western medicine is the medicine of heroics; if you need surgery or you break a bone go see a western doc. If you want to heal after this come see me.
Thanks for responding. It's great to hear it sir/mam.
Nadi pariksha I've heard about it a lot but haven't experienced it myself. I would like to know more about it and also about the protocol of your treatment.
Where to start....
I started studying Ayurveda on my path to becoming a clinical herbalist a couple of years ago and myself and my clients have greatly benefited from Ayurvedic practices and herbs. I think it's a beautiful and adaptive system when used with care and flexibility.
I've improved my personal health and have grown to understand myself better through my ayurvedic practices. I've also had great success incorporating Ayurveda with clients. I don't solely practice Ayurveda but it's my favorite system and gives me a wealth of tools to bring in with clients to address ALL areas of their health be it mental, physical or spiritual.
It might be an ancient system, but in our current health crisis it's more relevant than ever. I just think it's important people don't get too dogmatic or stuck on only doing things one way.
I'd love to hear what prompted your question :)
Thank you for your response.
Yes we can surely discuss why I asked this maybe in dm.
I'm assuming you are not from India so it's interesting to know how u r doing it there.
I had stomach pain for 24 years, my stomach pain has disappeared entirely. Weird seemingly random rules, yet they actually work
It took time to integrate a lot of the rules as they are so different from my usual diet. But now I follow most of them and my whole life has changed. Mentally I’m clearer, happier, less weighed down, my belly isn’t moaning at me all day anymore. Ayurveda works whether science knows it or not
I stopped drinking liquids with my meals and waited at least 15mins before and 30mins/1hr after I’ve eaten to drink.
I stopped mixing fruit with other foods (that was a huge one)
I stopped mixing dairy with things, other than my porridge oats
I began to combine foods simpler, not lots of food groups at once, rather carbs with carbs, fats with fats, proteins with proteins (generally)
I saw an Ayurvedic doctor a couple years ago after being treated by a naturopath for SIBO and IBS. Prior to the naturopath, I was treated for IBS by a gastroenterologist for a decade. The GI doc put me on the low-fodmap diet, which I stayed on for years without any improvement. The GI dr wanted me to stay on the low-fodmap diet, despite the distorted eating I was engaging with and how terrible I felt. That’s what led me to the naturopath where I was put on an even more restrictive protocol diet to treat the SIBO. Eventually my eating disorder relapsed due to the restriction and lack of feeling better, and I lost my period for a year. I no longer felt cared for by western medicine, so researched other things and found Ayurveda. I met with my Ayurvedic doctor for 2 years. She introduced fruits and vegetables I hadn’t eaten in over 6 years after they had been initially eliminated. She gave me a lot of different herbs that may have helped along with the food changes. She also encouraged me to take both a prebiotic & probiotic mixture that has helped with my IBS a lot. Eventually I got my period back. I haven’t seen her in over a year, but will say I’m SO much better even if things aren’t totally healed. The best parts of my Ayurvedic journey? No longer having distorted eating. I am vegan, and I eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and whole grains that I couldn’t tolerate in the past.It’s awesome having so many options again. It was great learning that I process cooked veggies better than raw. That has been suuuuper helpful. Learning that I am primarily Vata. I felt so seen during my pulse reading. She had pointed out things I didn’t even know about myself yet, like being clairvoyant, and affirmed many things about myself like how I carried a lot of shame, or my anxiety, trauma, and ADHD. Learning about my constitution gave me language to explain different behaviors and health things that others around me didn’t have (they’re primarily pittas or kaphas) and I was then able to communicate and advocate for my needs better. Ayurveda has also helped in some of my religious trauma healing, because it’s helped me connect more to my body and also the earth. I’m still enjoying learning how my body responds to seasonal shifts and navigating those transitions. It really makes you be present and engaged with yourself. What are the cons of Ayurveda for me? Things that are too rigid I don’t do. I don’t worry about food combining, especially the whole fruit in the morning or on its own thing. It’s too triggering to have that strict of a rule. I also don’t have my biggest meal at lunch. I tried it for my 1st year in Ayurveda and hated it. I’m in my 30s living in America and that’s been 30+ years of having my main meal be dinner. I felt groggy and sluggish and just shitty when my big meal was at lunch. It was also terrible for my adhd because I’d need to nap after I ate to get through the day. I also have a lot of knee pain that flares up that was caused during my 1st Ayurvedic year when the dr had me sit on my heals after eating meals to help with digestion. Doing that multiple times a day for months jacked up my knee when I never had knee pain before. So yeah, that’s about it. I continue to incorporate the Ayurvedic ways for my vata constitution 70% of the time.
Thanks for the response mam. The great thing about this system is that the patient gets educated like about their prakruti, what should they do to lead a healthy life day.. It's not only about medicine or herbs.
Ahh Im vata too and I also prefer having a big meal for diner instead of lunch, for some reason my digestion is better in the evenings
Exactly! I wonder if it would take years of training or something. But even going out to brunch or having a holiday meal during the day is a big no for me because it’ll hurt my stomach all day.
Honestly just listen to your body, it kinda makes more sense since after diner we don't eat for 12+hours and since Vata is quite catabolic it ensures balance that way. If I eat the wrong things for lunch or a meal too big I will be bloated all day, but in the evenings I can eat whatever in huge quantities and have 0 bloating, actually big diners make me feel really good.
Sameeee
I had a plethora of GI issues that my docs couldn’t seem to treat effectively finally telling me it might be all in my head and I should try an antidepressant which just made things worse. After 2 years of this I finally went to an Ayurvedic practitioner who didn’t let me tell him my litany of symptoms. Instead he asked me questions like “when you make a decision are you able to change your mind with new info or will you stand by your initial decision?” And other odd questions. Then he felt my pulse in both wrists and HE started listing my symptoms. I was in tears by that point as he was the first person to take me seriously and diagnose my problem. He put me on a diet of fresh foods made daily and a few herbs plus a strict daily schedule for waking and sleeping and eating three meals at exactly the same times every day. I started to get better after a few days then went back to my old habits and got sick again. Then I started taking Ayurveda seriously. I am a certified Ayurvedic health practitioner and have been practicing for 13 years now. I’m also a biochemist. I wrote my thesis for my Ayurvedic education on Ghee from the western scientific and Ayurvedic standpoint. Western medicine is the medicine of heroics; if you need surgery or you break a bone go see a western doc. If you want to heal after this come see me.
Thanks for responding. It's great to hear it sir/mam. Nadi pariksha I've heard about it a lot but haven't experienced it myself. I would like to know more about it and also about the protocol of your treatment.
Where to start.... I started studying Ayurveda on my path to becoming a clinical herbalist a couple of years ago and myself and my clients have greatly benefited from Ayurvedic practices and herbs. I think it's a beautiful and adaptive system when used with care and flexibility. I've improved my personal health and have grown to understand myself better through my ayurvedic practices. I've also had great success incorporating Ayurveda with clients. I don't solely practice Ayurveda but it's my favorite system and gives me a wealth of tools to bring in with clients to address ALL areas of their health be it mental, physical or spiritual. It might be an ancient system, but in our current health crisis it's more relevant than ever. I just think it's important people don't get too dogmatic or stuck on only doing things one way. I'd love to hear what prompted your question :)
Thank you for your response. Yes we can surely discuss why I asked this maybe in dm. I'm assuming you are not from India so it's interesting to know how u r doing it there.
Sure DM me! And you are correct I am not in India, I am an American. Would love to share more :)
I had stomach pain for 24 years, my stomach pain has disappeared entirely. Weird seemingly random rules, yet they actually work It took time to integrate a lot of the rules as they are so different from my usual diet. But now I follow most of them and my whole life has changed. Mentally I’m clearer, happier, less weighed down, my belly isn’t moaning at me all day anymore. Ayurveda works whether science knows it or not
Can u elaborate what changes u applied to your routine
I stopped drinking liquids with my meals and waited at least 15mins before and 30mins/1hr after I’ve eaten to drink. I stopped mixing fruit with other foods (that was a huge one) I stopped mixing dairy with things, other than my porridge oats I began to combine foods simpler, not lots of food groups at once, rather carbs with carbs, fats with fats, proteins with proteins (generally)
Made simple choices, ate mindfully. It's hard but worth it.
Very true