6 Mistakes We Make When Trying to Eat Healthy

Digestive health isn’t only about what you eat — it’s also about how you eat. Many habits we consider “healthy” — like eating more raw vegetables, avoiding carbs, or keeping meals simple — can actually work against the digestive system, especially when the body is stressed, imbalanced, or depleted.

From both Functional Medicine and Ayurveda, two approaches that blend science with ancient wisdom, digestion is seen as a dynamic process that involves the gut, the nervous system, and your emotional state.

What nourishes one person may irritate another, and even well-intentioned habits can weaken your digestive fire, disrupt your microbiome, or create inflammation over time.

---

In this blog post, I share common eating habits that might be silently affecting your digestion, along with explanations from both Functional Medicine and Ayurveda. This integrative lens will help you understand what your body actually needs, so you can make choices that support balance, energy, and long-term wellbeing.

1) Over-eating raw vegetables.

• Functional Medicine:
  
  

  • Raw vegetables are high in fiber, which can be tough on a compromised digestive system. In cases of dysbiosis, leaky gut, or low stomach acid, excessive raw veggies can cause bloating, gas, or irritation.

  • Some raw vegetables (e.g., cruciferous types) contain goitrogens or antinutrients that can affect thyroid function or impair nutrient absorption if eaten in excess.
    
    

• Ayurveda:
  
  

  • Raw foods are considered cooling, rough, and hard to digest, especially for Vata dosha individuals.

  • Cooking vegetables makes them easier to assimilate and balances Agni (digestive fire), supporting better digestion and nutrient absorption.
    
    

2) Using one or two flavours in every meal.

• Functional Medicine:

  • Limited flavor variety may signal a lack of nutritional diversity, leading to deficiencies in key phytonutrients, antioxidants, or fiber types that nourish the gut microbiome.

  • Monotonous diets can reduce microbial diversity in the gut, impacting immune function and mood.

• Ayurveda:

  • Each meal should include all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent) to balance doshas and stimulate all aspects of digestion.

  • A varied flavor profile supports satisfaction, complete digestion, and reduces post-meal cravings.
    

3) Avoiding complex carbs.

• Functional Medicine:

  • Complex carbohydrates, especially resistant starches and soluble fiber, act as prebiotics, feeding beneficial gut bacteria.

  • Low-carb diets over time may starve the microbiota, reducing short-chain fatty acid production (like butyrate), which is critical for gut lining health.

• Ayurveda:

  • Complex carbs (like grains, legumes) are grounding and nourishing, especially for Vata and Pitta types.

  • Whole grains and legumes are seen as sattvic, enhancing stability and supporting ojas (vitality/life force).
    

4) Eating when overwhelmed or stressed.

• Functional Medicine:

  • Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight), which downregulates digestion—reducing enzyme production, stomach acid, and gut motility.

  • Chronic stress is linked to leaky gut, SIBO, and inflammation.
    
    

• Ayurveda:

  • Eating in a disturbed emotional state weakens Agni, leading to ama (toxins) formation.

  • Mealtime should be sacred and mindful, ideally in a calm and sattvic environment, to foster proper digestion and mental clarity.
    

5) Eating without following your real body’s needs.

• Functional Medicine:

  • Ignoring hunger or satiety cues disrupts hormonal signaling (like ghrelin and leptin), which can impair metabolism, cause overeating, and affect gut-brain communication.

  • Personalized nutrition, based on biofeedback, is central to functional health.

• Ayurveda:

  • Ayurveda encourages intuitive eating, based on your dosha, daily rhythms, and seasonal needs.

  • Eating when true hunger is present is key. Eating without hunger leads to poor digestion and toxic buildup (ama).
    

6) Skipping meals.

• Functional Medicine:

  • While intermittent fasting may help some, frequent meal skipping can disrupt blood sugar regulation and affect gut motility.

  • For those with adrenal dysfunction or dysregulated cortisol, skipping meals may worsen fatigue and gut inflammation.

• Ayurveda:

  • Regular meals maintain a strong digestive rhythm and support Agni.

  • Skipping meals weakens digestive fire, destabilizes Vata, and can lead to mental fog, bloating, or anxiety.

“Your digestion is a direct reflection of how you nourish yourself — physically, emotionally, and energetically”.

Small shifts can create profound change.

By reconnecting with your natural rhythms, honoring your true hunger, and choosing foods and habits that support your unique constitution, you create the conditions for balance, vitality, and long-term wellbeing.

Your body is always communicating with you. Learning to listen is the beginning of real healing.