DIGESTIVE AGNI - THE FIRE IN THE BELLY

Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva

Praninaam Dehamaashritaha

Pranapana Samayuktah
Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham

 - Bhagavad Gita

I am the fire in the bodies of living beings

united with the Prana (upward) and Apana (downward) breaths,

I digest the four categories of foods. (food that is chewed, 

food that is masticated with the tongue, 

food that is gulped and food that is drunk)

When it comes to the subject of diet, we often hear people saying "You should eat lots of this or lots of that". But no matter what you eat and no matter how much of it you eat and no matter how unprocessed and pure and organic it is, it will be of no use if your body cannot digest it properly. And hence, in this post I will share whatever little I know about the digestive agni (fire).

Agni is a very central concept to Ayurveda and the reason why agni is likened to digestion is because just like fire, digestion transforms using the different digestive juices, acids and enzymes. Agni is the biological fire that governs metabolism and is very intimately related to the Pitta dosha. The primary element of Pitta dosha is fire but fire cannot exist directly in the body and so the heat is held in liquids like blood and digestive fluids which is the reason why the secondary element for pitta is water. Hence, the Pitta dosha should be in balance for healthy digestive agni. If classified on the basis of function, there are 13 different types of agni in the body. However, in this post we will talk only about the Jatharagni i.e. The digestive fire or quite literally - Fire in the Belly! The Jatharagni is mainly prevalent in the area from the stomach to the anus.

As long as agni is functioning properly, the breaking down of food and absorbing and assimilating in into the body will operate smoothly. When digestive agni is not adequately strong, food remains undigested and therefore, unabsorbed turning into ama (toxins) over a period of time and eventually leading to disease. When the digestive agni is too strong, the essential nutrients are destroyed, leading to deficiencies, weakening of immune system, emaciation and consequently, disease. Some claim that majority of the diseases are caused due to irregularities in agni. What helps fire burn more strongly? - Air. What helps control fire? - Water. So, it follows that besides balanced Pitta, proper balance of Vata and Kapha is also required for healthy digestive agni.

"A faulty fire leads to improper functioning of the tissues which in turn, creates ama in the gastro-intestinal tract leading to poor synthesis of tissues."
                                                                                                      - Charaka

On the basis on intensity, Agni can be classified into four following categories:

1. Visham (Erratic) agni:

People with Visham agni have characteristics like irregular appetite, irregular hunger, gas, bloating, constipation, dry stool and intestinal cramps. Visham agni is common in people with Vata dosha. When the supply of air is just right, it inflames the fire. On the other hand if the supply of air is too strong, it blows out the fire. This is the same principle that results into extreme variations in Visham agni where the person will have highly inflamed agni at one time while a very weak agni at other times.

General suggestions to counter Visham agni are using sweet (to control the agni) and pungent flavours (to kindle the agni) in your diet, eating appropriately cooked food that is easy to digest (i.e. reducing or avoiding raw foods), using moderate spices such as fresh ginger, cumin and fennel, using Asafoetida in vegetables and lentils to reduce bloating and gas, including more grounding and heavier items like ghee and oils and eating with complete awareness (i.e. not doing anything else while you eat)

2. Tikshna (Sharp) agni:

People with Tikshna agni have characteristics like intense hunger and thirst, burning sensations in the stomach and intestines, dry throat, loose stool, burning sensation during urination and elimination and reduced blood sugar levels. Tikshna agni is common in people with Pitta dosha and it is most unpleasant to be in the company of a hungry Pitta. Due to Tikshna agni, the nutrition in the foods gets destroyed by the acidic digestive juices and the food passes through the digestive process very quickly.

General suggestions to counter Tikshna agni are going easy on sour tasting foods, including more sweet (not sugar!) and bitter tasting foods in your diet, eating moderate meals at fixed times, using less spices and avoiding sharp and pungent foods like tamarind or chilies, including more cooling foods like mint, coriander, lime, coconut and green vegetables in your dishes.

3. Manda (Slow) agni:

People with Manda agni have characteristics like low appetite, feeling of heaviness, dullness, bulky stool, lethargy and slow digestion. Manda agni is common among people with Kapha dosha as the water and earth elements of Kapha douse the agni.

General suggestions to counter Manda agni are including pungent (to kindle agni) and bitter (to counter the heaviness) flavours in your diet, using sharper and warming spices like dry ginger and black pepper, drinking ginger tea or cinnamon tea, consuming foods that are easy to digest, avoiding heavy foods like dairy, oils, ghee and sugars and fasting once a week. (this will make the body lighter and kindle the agni)

4. Sama (Balanced) agni:

People with Sama agni have characteristics like excellent health, calm and composed mind, blissfulness, balanced hunger and digestion. In the state of Sama agni, one can digest food very easily, has strong immunity, the absorption, assimilation and elimination is perfect and the body and mind are free from toxins. Such people have a very heightened awareness of their bodies and are very attuned with nature and their surrounding environments which guides them as to what their body needs. 

The above are the four different types of agni which arise from the imbalance of different doshas and this classification is to be used only as a guidance or a tool to determine the causes for the disturbance in your own agni. Obviously, everyone has only one agni and this agni is affected in various different ways due to our doshic imbalances. For example – If you have tikshna agni, what could be the cause? Is it because your pitta is aggravated or is it that your pitta is normal but is being fanned and stoked by the airy vata? If you have Manda agni, what is its cause? Is it because too much vata is blowing out the agni completely or is it because earth and water components of kapha dosha are putting it out OR is it the watery component of pitta that is responsible? Or is it possible that multiple doshic imbalances are causing disturbances in your agni? Developing awareness of the body and doing trial and error with your diet and lifestyle using ayurvedic principles will definitely help. However, if the imbalance in agni is chronic or urgent or complex, it is always better to consult a professional.

Some very easy and doable tips to help maintain a healthy agni:

1. In the morning, agni is weak and is just waking up and hence it is better to have a light breakfast. Agni is strongest when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, which is usually between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and so, it is best to have the main meal of the day during this time. Have a small meal at night otherwise agni will have to work overtime and the body will not be rested during the night.
2. Agni is naturally strong during the summer season and weak during the winter season and hence it is better to modify ones diet using this information. Examples: Use less spices in summer; Avoid eating too many raw foods in winter.
3. Avoid overeating. Consistent overeating causes tremendous damage to agni and given an option to overeat or eat less, always choose for the later because if you feel low on energy later, you can always eat a bit more. But if you eat more, a portion of the undigested food is likely to remain in your guts in form of 'ama' for a long time unless you do regular cleansing practices like fasting or drinking cleansing teas/drinks. Fasting helps kindle the agni and since there is no food to digest, the agni incinerates the long existing toxins in the intestines. Not overeating has been one of my biggest challenges because Ayurveda also advises to avoid eating left over food. This means that you must prepare just the right amount of food that is commensurate with your hunger. If you prepare more, it is likely to go to waste. And being from a country like India, it always pains me to waste any food and so I consume it resulting into overeating.
4. Some say that 50% of the stomach should be filled with food, 25% with water and 25% should be empty. Others say that about two handfuls of food is just right while some say that one handful is just right. These suggestions are all correct and should only be used as a general guidance. The best guide is to be aware of the body's needs and stop eating once you start feeling full. Always eat a little less than what you feel like and you will notice that you will never feel heavy after your meals. Remember, if you cover a burning fire with too much wood, it is going to put the fire out.
5. Avoid eating in between meals. If you feel like eating something in between meals, eat something light like fruits. Tiny amount of nuts are okay but too many are a meal in itself. Logically, I feel that it is  better for the stomach to finish digesting the first batch first before taking on the next one. Usually you know the food is digested when you feel hungry and light, the body is asking for it and your breath is fresh. Many people advise that you should eat only when you are hungry but it seems a bit paradoxical especially if you are suffering from Visham agni because the Visham agni is going to make you feel hungry at different times. And following this advice when you are suffering from Visham agni is going to further add to the disturbed agni. Of course, when you are in balance, the body will ask for food at more or less the same time everyday depending on the season and environment. So, for starters, if you are moving from a state of imbalance to balance, start by having a regular time for meals, hungry or not. Once you feel more balanced, the hunger will automatically come at regular times.
6. Drinking too much water before or after the meal douses the agni. Drink a cup of warm water during the meal in tiny sips between bites and this will aid in digestion. Stop drinking cold drinks completely as it destroys the heat of the agni and hence Ayurveda generally advises on avoiding cold drinks. This is a very simple tip and will go a long way in improving your digestion.
7. The location of jatharagni is the same as the location of manipura chakra whose corresponding element is also fire. So, usually all types of forwards bends, back bends, side bends and twists stretch, compress, stimulate and massage the digestive organs. Surya namaskar is considered as one of the best exercises and regular practice will help prevent and cure irregularities in digestion. Sitting in Vajrasana for at least 5-10 minutes after every meal reduces the blood circulation in the legs and thus provides more circulation in the stomach and intestinal area thus aiding greatly in digestion. Regular practice of doing Vajrasana after meals improves the digestive power. And finally, there is no other asana or kriya that improves digestion more than - the Agnisara Kriya. It is recommended that one learns the Agnisara Kriya from an experienced hatha yoga teacher.
8. Include herbal teas in your daily routine which aid in digestion as opposed to caffeinated drinks. The best teas for digestion are ginger tea and CCF tea (cumin, coriander and fennel – can be easily prepared at home by mixing cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds in equal proportions.)

Please refer my post Getting Started With Ayurveda for understanding of Ayurvedic terms and concepts.

GETTING STARTED WITH AYURVEDA

I realised that I have been using many Ayurvedic terms in my posts without really explaining what they mean. So, in this post, I will try and give some basic and practical information about Ayurveda, in a logical manner which would enable you to read my recipes and posts in a more meaningful way. In fact, I know only a few more things than what I have written below and yet I have been able to comfortably incorporate Ayurveda in my life to a reasonable extent.

Ayurveda: Ayurveda (Ayur=Life; Veda=Wisdom/Knowledge) is an ancient, natural and holistic healing science from India rooted in the ancient scripture of the Atharva Veda and was developed by the rishis (seers) through a deep understanding of the Universe and nature. Other very important Ayurvedic texts are the Chraka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita. Ayurveda emphasizes on the connectedness of the Universe and its elements and provides guidance on achieving balance of body, mind and spirit through diet and lifestyle. One very unique aspect of Ayurveda is that its recommendations for diet and lifestyle are unique for every person depending upon what their Ayurvedic constitution (explained later in this post) is. 

The Pancha Maha Bhutas: The Five Great Elements: The physical Universe is the manifested form of consciousness and is made up of the Pancha Maha Bhutas – The Five Great Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Human being is a microcosm of the Universe with the five elements residing in the human body – Earth in form of all solid structures like bones, muscles, nails, Water in liquid forms like mucus membranes, plasma, Fire in form of transformation through metabolism, Air in form of movements within the body like beating of the heart, expansion and contraction of lungs and Ether, the space within which it all resides.

Tridosha: The three doshas: The above five elements are represented in the human body in form of three humors or principles or doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Every humor has one primary element and a secondary element.
Table 1:

Dosha	Primary Element	Secondary Element
Vata	Air	Ether
Pitta	Fire	Water
Kapha	Water	Earth

Prakruti: Prakruti or what is commonly referred to as the 'basic Ayurvedic constitution' is determined at the time of your conception depending on the combination of the doshas in the bodies of the parents. People will rarely have a constitution of a single dosha or a completely balanced constitution of all three doshas. Usually, people will have all three doshas in varying amounts. However, usually two will be more predominant and the third will be insignificant. Among the two predominant ones, one will be primary and the other with be secondary and therefore, such dual constitutions are described in terms of two most prevalent doshas example: Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Kapha etc. The inherent physical, physiological and psychological characteristics of these dual doshas will get reflected in your personality. Dual dosha constitution is the most common. Below are the characteristics associated with different doshas and it is worth noting how these resemble the primary element of their respective dosha.

Characteristics associated with Vata: Dry, small, dull, brown or black eyes; dry frizzy, thin brown or black hair; minimal body hair; frame is usually thin, very tall or very short; flat chested; protruding joints; dry, rough, cold, darkish skin wrinkling early in life; brittle and dry nails; dry and hard faeces; do not sweat much; don't sleep well; speak fast; learn quickly and forget quickly; physically very active; usually have cold hands and feet; uncomfortable in cold weather; cannot hold on to money; impulsive; irregular daily routines; unstable; prone to disease; high energy in short bursts; tire easily; When in balance, natural state is creative, lively, joyful enthusiastic, perceptive and spiritual; When out of balance: mood swings, restless, nervous, scattered thoughts; When under stress Vatas fear, worry, and become anxious. 

Characteristics associated with Pitta: Sharp, piercing, hazel or green eyes; auburn or red, soft hair; bald early in life; moderate body hair; medium, athletic and toned frame; oily, warm, fair, soft, reddish skin with freckles or moles; pink, clear and flexible nails; oily, soft and loose faeces; sweat a lot; sleep okay and moderately; digestion is very strong; great appetite and cannot handle hunger for too long; need to frequently drink water; uncomfortable in hot weather; focused; sharp mind and good concentration powers; assertive, self-confident; competitive and enjoy challenges; sharp speech; When in balance, natural state is bright, intelligent, passionate, successful with good management and leadership abilities; When out of balance: aggressive, demanding, short tempered, irritable, judgemental, impatient and pushy; When under stress, Pittas become irritated and angry.

Characteristics associated with Kapha: Large, clear, wet, attractive blue or black eyes with thick eye lashes; thick, oily, wavy dark or light hair; hairy body; large, voluptuous, heavy and strong frame; thick, oily, smooth, soft and pale skin; strong clear nails; heavy, oily and thick faeces; sleep deep and heavy and have tendency to oversleep; steady appetite; drink very little water; not comfortable in cold, damp weather; easygoing; relaxed; stable, reliable and loyal; slow learners with excellent memory; save money very well and self sufficient; slow but steady and enduring; slow and soft speech; sluggish digestion; excellent health, good immune system; When in balance, natural state is gentle, calm, peace loving, nurturing, forgiving, maternal, compassionate, non judgemental and loving; When out of balance: Prone to depression, lazy, greedy, attached, lethargic; When under stress Kaphas are jealous and possessive.

The basic Ayurvedic constitution or the prakruti remains the same throughout your life and depending on what your prakruti is, you will have certain inherent inclinations. Though these inherent inclinations remain the same throughout the life, the external environment around you like food, weather, lifestyle etc. will keep changing and this external environment will have different effects on individuals with different doshas. For example, summer season will affect a Pitta adversely but not a Kapha. A crazy busy lifestyle will affect Vata adversely but not a Kapha. Heavy foods will affect Kapha adversely but not a Vata. The knowledge of your internal constitution will help you balance the changes in the external environment by designing a diet and lifestyle which suits your internal constitution and external environment. When there is imbalance of doshas in your body, it is called as vikruti. As a general rule, you should reduce those foods and activities which aggravate your inherently high doshas and increase foods and activities which are opposite to your inherently high doshas. With reference to the various tables used in this post, the up arrow indicates aggravation and the down arrow indicates pacification.  

You can determine your constitution accurately by consulting an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner. However, if you do not want to spend money, then there are many 'tests' or 'check lists' or 'questionnaires' on the internet which help you determine your constitution fairly accurately. A fail safe way is to take this test on five different websites and see if it gives the same results. Usually it does. But if you get mixed results or if you want to be completely sure, then it is better to see an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Taste: The concept of taste in Ayurveda is threefold – Rasa, Virya and Vipak. Rasa is what we call taste in common parlance and which we feel on the tongue. There are six tastes according to Ayurveda and each taste aggravates or pacifies specific doshas. Vata is aggravated the most by the bitter taste, Pitta is aggravated the most by the sour taste and Kapha is aggravated the most by the sweet taste. Virya is the hot or cold sensation which you feel inside your stomach when the food enters the stomach. And finally, Vipak is the post digestive effect with three tastes – Sweet, Sour and Pungent. Sweet vipak increases Kapha and helps in nourishing the body (anabolism). Sour vipak increases Pitta and helps improve digestion (metabolism). Pungent viapaka increases Vata and helps the deterioration processes in the body (catabolism). Following tables shows the effects of different tastes on different doshas:
Table 2:

Rasa	Virya	Vipak	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Sweet	Cold	Sweet	↓	↓	↑
Sour	Hot	Sour	↓	↑	↑
Salty	Hot	Sweet	↓	↑	↑
Pungent	Hot	Pungent	↑	↑	↓
Bitter	Cold	Pungent	↑	↓	↓
Astringent	Cold	Pungent	↑	↓	↓

When a food does not follow the above rules, it is called prabhav, an exception to the rules. For example, honey, even though sweet in rasa, has a hot virya instead of cold. Lime, even though sour in rasa, has a cold virya instead of hot. Even though foods with different tastes aggravate or pacify different doshas, you must include all tastes and foods with all doshas in your daily diet. Only its proportions will vary according to your prakruti and the external environment. Because of the intense assault of extreme tastes which we have faced in the past decades through processed and commercially grown foods, our tongues have been desensitized to a great extent and this makes it difficult for us to precisely determine the taste of a certain food item. In this spreadsheet, I have collected information from various different sources about the different foods and its effects on doshas which is based on the above rules of taste and the below rules of the 20 gunas. Use this spreadsheet as guidance but in your everyday life, try and find out this same information through your own experience.

20 gunas: 20 attributes: The entire physical Universe is duality of opposites – Shiva and Shakti, Yin and Yang. As per Ayurveda, all things, subtle and gross, tangible and intangible are made up of 20 attributes or 10 opposites. Following is the table showing how each attribute affects the doshas:
Table 3:

Sr. No.	Attribute (Guna)	Vata	Pitta	Kapha	Agni
1	Heavy (guru)	↓	↓	↑	↓
2	Light (laghu)	↑	↑	↓	↑
3	Hot (ushna)	↓	↑	↓	↑
4	Cold (sita)	↑	↓	↑	↓
5	Hard (kathina)	↑	↓	↑	↓
6	Soft (mrudu)	↓	↑	↑	↓
7	Slow (manda)	↓	↓	↑	↓
8	Sharp (tikshna)	↑	↑	↓	↑
9	Clear (vishada)	↑	↑	↓	↑
10	Cloudy (avila)	↓	↓	↑	↓
11	Static (sthira)	↓	↓	↑	↓
12	Mobile (chala)	↑	↑	↓	↑
13	Slimy (slakshna)	↓	↑	↑	↓
14	Rough (khara)	↑	↓	↓	↑
15	Subtle (sukshma)	↑	↑	↓	↑
16	Gross (sthula)	↓	↓	↑	↓
17	Oily (snigda)	↓	↑	↑	↓
18	Dry (ruksha)	↑	↓	↓	↑
19	Dense (sandra)	↓	↓	↑	↓
20	Liquid (drava)	↓	↑	↑	↓

Agni: Another very central concept to Ayurveda is that of Agni. In Ayurveda, agni (fire) is likened to digestion because just like fire, digestion transforms as well, using the different digestive juices, acids and enzymes. What happens when the fire/heat is not enough? You do not get the desired output and the fuel stays unburnt. What happens if the fire/heat is too strong? It burns and destroys. Similarly, what happens when digestive agni is not enough? Food remains undigested and therefore, unabsorbed turning into toxins called ama over a period of time and eventually leading to disease. What happens if the digestive agni is too strong? Same thing as when you overcook food. The essential nutrients are destroyed, leading to deficiencies, weakening of immune system, emaciation and consequently, disease. Therefore, the Pitta dosha should be in balance for healthy digestive agni. What helps control fire? Air (Vata) because it kindles fire and Water (Kapha) because it limits fire. So, it follows that besides balanced Pitta, proper balance of Vata and Kapha is also required for healthy digestive agni. Agni is strongest when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, which is usually between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Agni is also strongest during the summer season.

Three Malas: The three waste products: The three primary waste products or malas as per Ayurveda are faeces, urine and sweat. The texture of your faeces, how much you sweat, the color of your urine will all depend on your constitution (prakruti) and imbalance (vikruti). The optimum production and appropriate elimination of these malas is very important for good health.

Sapta dhatus: The seven bodily tissues: The seven dhatus or tissues support the structure of the body. In the order of formation, these are the Rasa (Plasma), Rakta (Blood), Mamsa (Muscle), Meda (Fat), Asthi (Bone), Majja (Nerves and Marrow) and Shukra (reproductive tissue). The first dhatu, Rasa, receives nourishment from the digested food. Thereafter, every subsequent dhatu receives nourishment from the previous dhatu, the quality of every subsequent dhatu depending on the quality of the previous dhatu and every subsequent dhatu getting more refined than the previous dhatu. Hence when one dhatu is defective, it will affect all the subsequent dhatus. The last dhatu which is shukra – the ovum/sperm dhatu – is the most refined of all the dhatus. The quality of the progeny created from this dhatu will depend upon the quality of the ovum or sperm. The health of the dhatus depends on how balanced the doshas are.

For daily practical implementation of Ayurveda, a very important practice is to be constantly aware of how the five elements (Table 1), three doshas, six tastes (Table 2 and the spreadsheet), 20 attributes (Table 3) and agni are affecting the body and the mind. It is very important to make it a habit to continuously observe the body for sensations (like vipassana) and the movements of the mind and see if you can identify patterns with reference to food, surroundings, company you keep or activities you do.

Examples:

1. If your prakruti has Pitta as the primary dosha, then eating extra spicy food at noon (the time when agni is the strongest during the day) on a hot summer day will aggravate Pitta excessively. The strong agni will burn the foods destroying the nutrition and the excess heat in the body may result into excessive sweating, irritability and impatience. So, for Pittas, it is advisable to have salads in summer which usually pacify Pitta. If you use lime as seasoning in the salad, it will be even better. Pittas have naturally strong agni and it is even stronger in summers. Hence, it is the best time to eat raw vegetables as they would get digested easily and at the same time, you will be able to enjoy the full nutritional benefits of the vegetables.
2. If your prakruti has Vata as the primary dosha, then having a very busy and high pressure lifestyle which involves multitasking (a fake, made up concept) will aggravate Vata excessively resulting into exertion, tiredness, restlessness and possibly, lack of sleep. In such a scenario, it is best for Vata individuals to plan the day properly to reduce anxiety, not do any mind stimulating activities like work or television after 06:00 p.m., drink calming teas like lavender or chamomile during the day and before sleep or take a dip in the pool or bathtub.
3. If your prakruti has Kapha as the primary dosha, then eating a heavy breakfast with cold milk or yoghurt or banana (all Kapha forming foods) on a cold winter morning or a humid spring/monsoon morning (the time of the day when agni is just waking up) will douse the agni resulting into undigested food, poor absorption and dullness. For a Kapha individual, it would be better to have a light breakfast. If you eat muesli with milk, it would be better to have less dense milks like oat or rice and have the muesli in hot milk. Also, you can add spices which go well with muesli like fresh ground cardamom or cinnamon and ginger which will help in kindling of agni.

All the above information is good for guidance but nothing is more authoritative than the knowing which you gain from within by honestly observing the body and the mind. Please don't follow Ayurveda like the modern obsessive military diet/health regimes. Please don't enforce it upon yourself or worse even, force someone else to follow it. You are only going to do damage and violence to yourself or that other person respectively. Don't base your decisions relating to diet and lifestyle purely on the basis of what Ayurveda suggests while totally ignoring the body's intelligence. Don't let the overpowering mind prevent you from truly listening to your body's intelligence. I feel a balanced approach is to use Ayurveda's wisdom as guidance and at the same time learn from your own experience. Ayurveda is a subtle science. Although the information exists outside, let the knowing come from within.

Some people use Ayurveda as an excuse to avoid or take on foods or activities which in reality are the reflections of their prejudices. Such mind induced, convenient interpretation of Ayurveda to me is similar to fanatics manipulating religious teachings to suit their own needs. Be honest. Be conscious. Be aware. Since I am writing this, I might give you an impression that I follow Ayurvedic principles perfectly. I do not believe I do. I stray sometimes too. Everybody does. But the realisation that you have strayed is a good start! You laugh at yourself, you learn your lessons and move on. I will end this post with a very beautiful description of a healthy person given in the Sushruta Samhita:

Sama dosha samagnis ca sama dhatu mala kriya prasannatmendriya manah svastha ityabhidiyate

"One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas, balanced agni, properly formed dhatus, proper elimination of malas, well functioning bodily processes and whose mind, soul and senses are full of bliss, is called a healthy person."

GOING ORGANIC THE SMART WAY

There are many well meaning people who want to go organic but the apparent cost of doing so is so ridiculously high, that people are quick to dismiss this option. I remember how I used to march out of wholefoods shops outraged and indignant. Ohhh these pretentious people with money raving about their chia seeds and goji berries and quinoa and spirulina and other weird sounding foods. Yes. It is all super healthy. But what is the point if a large section of society cannot afford it? But the good news is that with progression of time, more options have become available which are relatively cheaper. So, in this post, I just want to share some alternative sources of organic produce which I have come across till now and some smart ways of doing it.

Further, there are ways to “phase” into buying organic. Or if you cannot afford to go 100% organic, you can always choose the “hybrid” option and yet substantially reduce the harm done by pesticides. It involves a bit of research and continuous monitoring but is it so unreasonable to spend some time on something as important as your health? Also, you will have to spend some additional money than usual so the first step can be to determine the extent by which you can stretch your food budget.

The Dirty Dozen: The dirty dozen is a list of vegetables/fruits with the highest amount of pesticides residue issued annually by Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the pesticides residue tests conducted by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists. It is strongly recommended that you buy these foods organic. The list is updated every year and the latest list which was issued in 2013 contains the following vegetables/fruits:

Apples (89)

Strawberries (82). This is a picture of how they grow strawberries. Make your decision:

Grapes (43)

Celery (85)

Peaches (100)

Spinach (60)

Sweet bell peppers (86)

Nectarines (84)

Cucumbers

Potatoes (58)

Cherry tomatoes

Hot peppers

'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. Of all the fruits in this world, apple is always associated with 'going healthy'. When people decide to start eating healthy, first thing that they say is 'OK, I am going to have an apple everyday'. Little do they know! The FDA tests different vegetables and fruits and rates them on a scale of 100, 100 being the worst. Apple was rated at 89. Having a conventionally grown apple everyday is going to fast bring the doctor to your door step. The numbers in brackets besides the above foods represent the rating. As you can see, peaches are the worst.

The Clean 15: This is the list of vegetable and fruits with relatively less amount of pesticide contamination and hence you can save money by buying conventionally grown produce for these items.

Onions

Sweet corn

Pineapples

Avocado

Cabbage

Sweet peas

Asparagus

Mangoes

Eggplant

Kiwi

Cantaloupe (domestic)

Sweet potatoes

Grapefruit

Papayas

Mushrooms

Besides the above items, the following items in my opinion should be bought organic if you can:

Milk – A high amount of antibiotics and hormones are used in the animals in conventional dairy production. There is nothing more to say – really.

Coffee – Coffee is a very competitive industry and a lot of chemicals, processing and taste enhancers are used in its production to cater to the taste buds of the increasingly demanding coffee drinkers. Also, the countries from which these coffees come from are not regulated for pesticides and chemical usage.

Grains: Grains have been found very low in pesticide residue so there is an opportunity for saving money by buying conventionally grown grains. But there are few exceptions to this. Soya and Corn are notorious for being produced using genetically modified farming methods. In many countries the labeling requirements are not stringent and hence there is no way to know whether the corn or soya is GMO or non GMO. In case of such ambiguity it is better to avoid these products and opt for organic. This means avoiding non labeled, conventionally produced soya beans, soya flour, tofu, miso, tempeh, soya sauce and anything that is produced using soya bean. I have noticed that many vegetarians in the west consume high quantities of soya related products as a substitute to meat. But there are many other sources of high protein like different types of lentils, beans, sprouts, nuts, seeds and it is okay to buy conventionally grown produce for these items. Another exception is rice. Research indicated that relatively higher amount of pesticide residue was found on rice because rice grows in stagnant water.

Sourcing: So now, we have a fair idea of what to preferably buy organic. Now, we identify the sources. As far as wholefoods shops are concerned, there are two types. The ones which have a strong 'pretentious' energy where people with money frequent so that they can appear cool and the ones which are owned and run by people who genuinely care about their health and nature. I prefer the later but it is worthwhile checking both types for the purpose of price comparisons. Another option is of course, the supermarkets. Though not an ideal option, they are able to sell whatever tiny percentage of organic produce they have at lower prices because of economies of scale. I am confident that in time as awareness about organic food increases, the variety of produce available in supermarkets will increase and the prices will go down. Also, keep looking for deals. Many times you get huge discounts on organic food in the super markets and the pretentious whole foods shops.

Another great option is organic co-operatives. Usually organic co-operatives are a group of individuals and families who come together and pool their resources to gain buying power. Buying in bulk helps them get discounts which are passed down to the members. These stores are owned and managed by members and majority of the staff working in such shops are volunteers cutting down costs even more. Almost all of them are not for profit and many times they also source their produce from the small local organic farmer thus eliminating middle men. Another way in which they cut costs is selling loose hence cutting down on packing costs.

Next option is identifying small local organic farmers. When I lived in Queensland, we had identified a local organic farmer who used to deliver the produce himself at no additional cost every Monday. He used to deliver the produce 4-5 hours after he picked it from his farm – very fresh and alive! Many times such small farmers might advertise on the internet. Or if you find a wholefoods shop in your town, ask the person working there where they get their produce from and then approach the farmer directly. You can also identify small organic farmers at open markets. Which brings me to the next option – home grown produce. If you visit any of the farmers markets, many times you find country folk who may not necessarily be farmers but who grow vegetables at home and they show up at the markets to sell their excess produce. They do not follow the stringent requirements which make their produce 'certified organic' but it is still good enough and most of them do not spray their produce with pesticides or chemicals. You can always ask the farmers about how they grow their produce and decide accordingly. And I think home grown produce has one advantage over 'certified organic' produce which is grown for commercial purposes – it is grown with love.

And last but not the least, the most fulfilling way of accessing organic food is – growing your own. If you have your own backyard or front yard or whatever piece of earth you have around your house, use it to grow veggies and flowers. It is a very enriching and enlightening experience and it will transform you. It will help you cultivate patience, gratitude, calmness, compassion and it will teach you many many lessons. I just feel that it is magical to witness the natural phenomenon of a plant growing out of a seed up close. If you do not have your own land, check if there are any opportunities for 'land share'. Land share is an arrangement which brings together people owning a spare piece of land but do not have time to grow their own produce and people who do not own land but are willing to grow their own. People with spare land let people interested in growing use their land in return for home grown produce. So, if you don't own land, check on the internet if you have any land share arrangement near your area. If none of these options work, get small pots and start growing simple things like herbs (very easy to grow) and greens.

The last thing which I would like to share is home made vegetable wash solution. You need white vinegar and a spray bottle. Fill the spray bottle with three parts water and one part vinegar and voila! you have home made vegetable wash solution. Spray it on your produce, rub it in gently and leave it for ten minutes before rinsing it off. Apparently, this solution helps reducing the impact of pesticides and kills of most of the bacteria. Use it generously on conventionally grown greens.

In countries with colder winters, it is possible that you will not find many different varieties of seasonal vegetables or fruits in organic stores. This may prevent you from having a balanced diet and it may become difficult to include necessary nutrients in your diet. In such cases, in my opinion it is much better to eat conventionally grown produce by buying it locally or in farmers markets than eating supplements (unless you have a deficiency) which are produced in factories using machines. To me, it does not make complete sense. Do you think Mother Nature said “Ok children, I have given you everything you need nutritionally except the humans will have to create companies which will set up factories consisting of machines and labourers/workers to produce supplements.” Yes, people may argue that Mother Nature did not intend for humans to create factories producing pesticides and fertilisers either. But to me, eating vegetables and fruits seems more closer to nature than eating supplement tablets of white, pink yellow or whatever colour they come in.  

So why eat organic if you can avoid it? There are other concerns which are bigger than your own personal health like ground water contamination, imbalanced ecosystems and soil erosion. But that is a subject for another discussion. For now, why not research the above options in your area and slowly phase into buying organic, if time and money permits.