| LOSS OF
APPETITE
Loss of appetite and
indigestion are closely linked entities of digestive
disturbances in Ayurveda. Agnimandhya is the term used
to denote the loss of appetite while Ajeerna denotes
indigestion. A harmonious balance of Vata and Pitta hold
the essence of a normal appetite. A vitiation in their
mutual balance could lead to a loss of appetite.
Irregular dietary habits bring about a vitiation in
Pitta while psychic problems
like anxiety, fear or
physical causes like suppression of impeding urges lead
to an imbalance in Vata. Both these sequences lead to
disturbances in normal levels of appetite.
Ingredients:
Ajowan seeds
Honey
Asafetida Indian gooseberry
Basil leaves
Long pepper
Black Pepper Milk
Black salt Mustard
seeds
Buttermilk Nutmeg
Cinnamon bark
Pomegranate
Cloves Rock salt
Coriander Small
cardamom
Cumin seeds Sugar
Fennel seeds Tamarind
pulp
Ginger
Common
recipes:
1. Extract about a cup of
pomegranate seed juice. Add a pinch of rock salt and a
spoonful of honey. Taking this solution slowly removes
the bad taste from the mouth and increases your
appetite!
2. Take equal parts of
mustard seeds, asafetida, ginger, cumin seeds and black
salt and grind the mixture to a
fine powder. Add
this mixture to a glass of buttermilk and drink it an
hour before meals to enhance the appetite.
3. Mix well a spoonful of
each - Indian gooseberry powder, clarified butter and
honey. Take this paste prior to meals to improve the
appetite.
4. Ingredients : one part
each of cloves, nutmeg and long pepper, 3 parts of
Indian gooseberry and 8 parts of ginger.Grind the
mixture to obtain a fine powder. Add sufficient sugar to
make the taste acceptable. Consuming a spoonful of this
mixture twice or thrice a day helps in regaining the
lost appetite.
5. Mix in equal parts,
cinnamon bark, small cardamom, coriander seeds and
fennel seeds. Soak the mixture in cold water overnight.
Strain this blend with a tea strainer. Drinking this
cold infusion early in the morning helps in building an
appetite.
6. Soak about 10 grams of
tamarind in a cup of warm water for 30 minutes. Squeeze
the mass to obtain tamarind juice. Add a pinch of table
salt to suit your taste. Add about 2 grams of powdered
ajowan seeds. Taken before meals, this juice improves
appetite. Alternatively, you can dilute 1/2 a
teaspoonful of tamarind pulp in one cup of water for
this purpose.
7. Basil tea is an
efficacious drink to enhance appetite. Take about 20 gms
of Basil leaves and boil the same in
250 ml of water
till the quantity is reduced to half of the original
volume. Strain the liquid and mix an equal
amount of
milk, a pinch of cardamom powder and sufficient sugar to
suit your taste. Consuming this tea twice a day helps to
increase your appetite.
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