Food allergies
Nowadays many people suffer from food allergies and unfortunately I belong to this group as well. According Ayurveda the problem is not caused by the specific substance but by the amount of undigested food, or toxins, that you built up in your body. In Ayurveda they call this Ama. In Western terms these deposits are called among others, ammonia or uric acid, that start to accumulate in the digestive tract. Purine, the source of uric acid is a viable substance present in all foods. It is a relevant biochemical component for maintaining our cardiovascular health, blood flow and oxygen delivery. However, high amounts of purine can lead to the formation of uric acid. Research (Burnstock, 2009) has been proven that purine in plant based foods are less likely to create uric acid or Ama in Sanskrit. A simple reason for this is that plant based foods are easier to digest. It takes around 18-24 hours to process plant based foods versus 48-72 hours for animal based foods. Besides animal based foods, also yeast contains high levels of purine. Accumulation of these undigested matters in the digestive tract cause insufficient assimilation and digestion of nutrients. After accumulation of undigested food in the digestive tract it can even enter other tissues and organs.
Recurrent ailment caused by Ama formation or uric acid are for example kidney stones and gout, both caused by a lifestyle of 'excess' as my teacher Atreya Smith would call it. It is the result of the improper intake of too heavy food and/or too much food that your body can not digest. Even if you follow already for a while a plant based or vegetarian diet it is possible that the body still contains these left overs causing food allergies, sensitivities or even worse autoimmune diseases and kidney stones. The best thing is to work on your digestive system, Agni in Sanskrit, in order to combat food allergies.
A few basic guidelines are:
1. Eat at regular times
2. Don't overeat
3. Eat in a calm environment and with full attention
4. Improve enzyme function by using some spices that aid the digestion. These spices differ per constitution. For Vata: Cardamom, Fennel, Cumin and Asafoetida. For Pitta: Cumin, Fennel adn Coriander. For Kapha: Ginger, Black pepper, Fenugreek and Cumin.
5. Don't drink too much liquids during the meal. And no cold drinks at all.
However if you experience troubles with processing gluten this recipe is perfect.
Recipe
1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flaxseed
(1/2 cup nuts that you like)
2 tbsp chia seeds
4 tbsp psyllium seeds
1 tsp fine grain salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
1,5 cup of oats (or any other grain that you can digest)
1,5 cup water
Mix everything and leave it for a few hours (or even for a night). Bake for 20 min (175 degrees) and then take the bread out of the loaf pan and put it upside down and bake it for another 40 minutes.