The energy that is spent continuously in physical and mental work done by our body gets replenished by the food we eat. The digested food after generating various juices, blood, fats, bone marrow, and semen eventually gets transformed into energy. However, it is not that the act of just putting food in the mouth would assimilate it into the body, or would it get converted into energy. This process involves the entire digestive system. Salivary juices secreted in the mouth, digestive juices in the stomach, bile released by the liver, and various digestive juices in intestines hold such magic that their mixing with food causes an amazing transformation of food. The conversion of plant-based products like food grains, vegetables, etc. into animal proteins, blood, and flesh is a fantastic process. For this reason, the digestive system is fondly called a magic box.
Importance of the digestive system
The digestive system is the foundation of our lives. If a person has his digestive system in order, he can overcome all the obstacles that come in his way to good health. On the other hand, if this system develops any illness, then despite all accessibilities, a huge mountain of difficulty would pile up. Often people believe that by eating expensive food items like milk, butter, dry fruits, etc. or eating nutritious foods and sweets and savories, they would become healthy and strong. For this, they buy high-priced foods and prepare them to increase vitality and vigor. But in the process, they forget that the credit of conversion of food to the energy goes to the digestive system. If this system is not in order, then whatever is eaten would not get digested and absorbed, and instead of entering the bloodstream would convert to stools and get ejected from the body. It needs to be understood that just as well-digested food enriches the body, food that does not digest well not only gets wasted by converting to stool but also harms the body by upsetting the system. Rice in a pot kept over a fireplace gets cooked when sufficient firewood is added, and the fire is stoked well. If only a few small pieces of wood are burnt, the water in the pot will not heat up; only the wood will get wasted and blacken the pot from outside. Rice will remain raw and uncooked. Likewise, when the digestive organs get weak and do not secrete digestive juices in sufficient quantity, the ingested food does not get digested, and whatever juices are secreted also get wasted. If this continues for some time, essential fluids of the body day by day keep emptying and do not get replenished from the eaten food. The treasure of juices slowly drains, making the body weak and vulnerable as it stops creating new blood. We need to thank Mother Nature that it somehow still manages to keep the body alive despite a shortage of fresh blood due to lack of proper digestion by using air, water, sleep, and all other means. If this provision were not there, all people suffering from serious diseases would die in a few days because of impaired digestion.
Assimilation of Food in the body
Food is a live substance. If the chemical processes of the body do not digest and absorb the food properly, and if the chemical substances that inhibit decay are not being released in sufficient amount, then this live food in contact with air and water begins to disintegrate and rot. This rotting causes the release of gases, acid, and other poisonous substances, which start to disturb, burn, and destroy the body organs. Just like an out of control elephant, in place of being useful becomes dangerous to its trainer, master and other people in its vicinity, undigested and rotting food in the system results in several severe disorders. The gases produced by rotting are released through belching and passing winds from the body. The same gases, if they move upward, may cause headache, cold, and even more severe disorders like epilepsy, fainting, insomnia, and even insanity. If they move towards the mouth, they cause ulcers in the mouth, toothache, pyorrhea, swollen lips, drooling, etc. If the poison begins to roll in the stomach, it causes flatulence, belching, hiccups, dysentery, ascites, swelling in the liver, and so on. Whatever little digestion occurs also results in the generation of poisonous substances, which cause diseases like high blood pressure, palpitations, paralysis, arthritis, stones, leprosy, cancer, ulcers, patches on the skin, etc.
Importance of cleansing the blood
According to Ayurveda, a primary cause for all diseases is constipation. People whose digestion is not proper are more susceptible to contracting contagious diseases too. It is not possible to completely protect ourselves from infectioncausing microbes, because they exist everywhere in the surrounding air. With every breath we take, they enter our bodies with an unobstructed pace. Only people with pure blood can protect themselves from them. Pure blood has so much radiance that microbes of even the most dangerous diseases get killed when they come in its contact. In times of pandemic, so many people voluntarily serve the sick or dispose of bodies of the deceased, yet they do not get affected by the disease. On the other hand, many others who take extreme care to protect themselves and take the best precautions yet contract the disease and die. The prime difference is in the purity or impurity of the blood. Though constipation and indigestion seem to be ordinary discomforts, the roots of almost all diseases lie within them. People keep searching for ways to treat their diseases but forget about their origins. To get rid of a poisonous tree, it is not enough to keep plucking its leaves. Instead, its roots need to be uprooted entirely. We keep contracting different diseases routinely and then run after new medicines and new doctors for the treatment. This is precisely like plucking leaves and forgetting about the roots. If constipation is treated and the digestive system is put back in order, the source of gases and poisonous substances will be removed, and the roots of all diseases will be destroyed. When pure blood is formed in sufficient quantity, its brilliance will remove all the previously set disorders of the body.
Indigestion
We can derive benefits from so-called high-calorie foods when our digestive system is in the right state to digest them. Otherwise, high-calorie, high valued foods will cause more harm than simple, inexpensive food items. Our attention should be focused not on the expensiveness of food but on whether the food will suit our body or not. Health experts say that many times in a diseased digestive system, improperly digested food components begin to enter the bloodstream. The body tries to reject such impurities through painful processes. People who suffer from excess mucous in the nose and throat mostly also suffer from indigestion. Pimples and boils often are also the means to release blood impurities. Herpes and ringworm infections are also due to blood impurities that gather at various spots on the body and solidify like gum.
A beauty tip that works
Everyone yearns to look beautiful. Many use numerous cosmetic products to look gorgeous. But a fake object always remains so. The outer makeup gets erased after a while and ugliness due to inherent ill-health resurfaces. A glow in the body and body’s expression in terms of shapeliness, softness, and natural tone is the true meaning of beauty. This beauty can be attained only when pure and healthy blood flows in the body in ample quantity. A body is considered healthy if it can work for long hours, it has zeal, and enthusiasm, the mind is alert, the sleep is sound, the eyes, teeth, and ears are strong, and all its organs are functioning well. Such a body naturally looks beautiful and becomes a center of attraction and attention for others. Those who yearn to look beautiful must know that all this is possible if the digestive system is in a good state. When the system of production of energy is working correctly, and this energy is not being put to misuse, then all the organs of the body become strong; the elements that enhance beauty get generated on their own, and the person begins to look beautiful. Even if a person has a fair skin tone and a good build but suffers from anemia and indigestion, he will look pale like a ripe mango, and his eyes, lips, and face would express sadness and lifelessness. In contrast, a person whose body is full of fresh blood would look healthy and energetic even if he is dark and ugly. Every organ of his body would display zeal and liveliness. Who will not call such a person attractive then? Beauty is not different from healthiness. And what is fitness? A brief and precise answer to that indeed is the proper functioning of the digestive system.
Life long and glow
Human life becomes worthwhile only when it is embellished with qualities like longevity, beauty, high working capacity, courageousness, being energetic, lively, enthusiastic, and so on. These qualities help us attain one outstanding worldly achievement after another in material life. Even spiritual attributes like patience, selflessness, and accomplishments like self-realization and liberation can be achieved with these. All physical and metaphysical powers can be attained only by people who are healthy and physically strong. Naturally, all of us want to be healthy, but sadly despite knowing everything, we ignore the golden rules of health. Let us resolve to follow them now.
Source: Akhand Jyoti Sept-Oct 2020 page 13