We are living in the age of designer diets. There are diets for every ill and every belief. I have yet to meet one person on a designer diet who, before commencing that new diet, had eaten a high-quality, balanced diet of traditional foods. ~ Steve Gagné, Food Energetics.

We are bombarded with different diet recommendations that lead us to believe that it will be beneficial for everyone. We are all unique beings and with this each of us has a unique constitution and requires different nutrients to thrive.

Some people do well as vegans or vegetarians. Others must eat meat to feel grounded and nourished. You just need to listen to what your body tells you, there is no perfect diet for everyone and we should not judge a person on their food choices. Just make sure that your diet is made up of whole unprocessed foods.

I do not do well with dairy. It is something that has been an issue my whole life. I can tolerate a small amount in a cup of chai, but give me a bowl of cereal with milk or an ice-cream sundae and I will feel the effects very shortly, starting with the rumbling in my belly, increased phlegm in my mouth and congestion like I am coming down with a head cold. This feeling lasts for about a day or until my body has eliminated the dairy from my system.

Whatever dietary choice that you make, please make sure that it is balanced and you are eating real foods and not food like substances. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store focusing on good quality organic fruits, vegetables, free range grass fed beef, pasture raised chicken and eggs. Limit your shopping on the isles with boxed foodstuffs that are packed full of ingredients that you cannot pronounce. Experiment with different grains and dried beans from the bulk bins. Try new fresh herbs as well as spices to bring new flavors to your meals.

Maybe you were lucky enough to have grown up with parents or grandparents who had a garden and grew some if not all of their own food. Remember that connection and time spent in the kitchen preparing the food that was harvested fresh from the garden. This food was clean and organic before those terms were hip and current buzzwords.

If you find that you have indigestion after eating your meal. Check in with yourself. Were you distracted or rushed and not chew your food well? Was there a new food introduced during the meal? Are eating vegetables or other fibrous foods new to you? Become a food detective to see how your body reacts to what you eat.

I find my clients who see me for indigestion have a weakened digestive fire. Here are a few recommendations that help rebuild that digestive fire (Agni) in your stomach. Reduce your caffeine consumption and replace it with a ginger tea that is made from taking a few slices of fresh ginger and steeping in boiling water for several minutes. 

Ginger is one of my favorite herbs that I use as a tea as well as part of my cooking. It is a powerful helper for digestive issues such as nausea, diarrhea, dispelling gas from the gastrointestinal tract and don’t forget that ginger pickle to stimulate your appetite.

Eat simpler foods that are easier to digest such as a slow cooked soup that you can even puree so your body can more readily absorb the nutrients. Use spices that help build up your digestive fire.

If you have been on antibiotics for a long time, you need to re-establish the good bacteria in the gut. Try adding fermented foods to your diet such as sauerkraut, kimchee, miso, plain yogurt or kefir to help rebuild that gut bacteria. This should only be done once you have completed your antibiotics and your infection has cleared up.

Take time to see what your body likes. If eating whole foods is new, allow yourself time to adjust how whole vegetables and grains fill you up. Soon you will be able to see what type of foods energize you to help you return to vibrant health.