Digestive Health

About the programme

Identifying the causes of discomfort and creating a personalised digestive health strategy

Bloating, heartburn, irregular bowel movements or discomfort after meals can affect the whole day — from food choices to sleep quality. The Digestive Health programme helps clarify the condition of the digestive system and move from fragmented attempts to relieve symptoms to a consistent plan of care.

The programme is based on the links between digestion, intestinal motility, digestion and absorption of food, the microbiota, stress and metabolism. Similar symptoms can have different causes: irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, impaired bile flow, enzyme dysfunction or an inflammatory process. We therefore first clarify the medical issue and then select nutrition, treatment and restorative methods.

A special role is given to individual herbal support from CALENDULA’s own laboratory, based on the traditions of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. It is incorporated into the overall plan with diagnostics, tolerance and current medications taken into account.

Who the programme is for

• For recurrent bloating, heartburn, constipation, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

• Where food intolerance is suspected or strict dietary restrictions need to be reviewed.

• Where digestive complaints are associated with stress, sleep disturbance and overload.

• For those who have already undergone examinations but want a coherent explanation of the results and a plan for what comes next.

Medical assessment and strategy

Personal consultation. The doctor reviews the nature of symptoms, their relationship to meals, bowel habits, weight changes, previous infections and courses of antibiotics. Where useful, a food and wellbeing diary can help identify individual reactions.

Laboratory diagnostics. Where indicated: full blood count, markers of inflammation, liver, pancreatic and kidney function, and protein and carbohydrate metabolism. Ferritin, vitamin B12, folate and other indicators help assess possible deficiencies and malabsorption.

Digestive investigations. Stool tests may include calprotectin to assess intestinal inflammation and pancreatic elastase to assess pancreatic function. Breath tests are considered when SIBO — small intestinal bacterial overgrowth — or specific sugar malabsorption is suspected.

Diagnostic assessment. Abdominal ultrasound, gastroscopy, colonoscopy and additional methods are prescribed according to clinical need. Where indicated, assessment by the appropriate specialist is arranged. Microbiome analysis remains an additional tool and does not by itself determine a diagnosis or a list of supplements.

Setting priorities. Results are considered together with symptoms: what requires treatment, where diet is important, and where the focus should be on routine and the “gut–brain axis”, meaning interaction between the digestive and nervous systems.

Blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, increasing pain, repeated vomiting, jaundice or difficulty swallowing require timely medical assessment; sudden deterioration requires urgent care.

Individual programme

Duration is determined by the cause of the complaints and the amount of care required. The course includes assessment, review of results, personalised prescriptions and final recommendations, without being arbitrarily tied to a 7-, 14- or 21-day stay.

Medical care. Treatment of the identified condition, management of constipation or diarrhoea, enzyme support and correction of confirmed deficiencies are selected according to diagnostic results.

Personalised nutrition. A suitable meal pattern, sources of protein and dietary fibre, adjustment of fat intake and gradual expansion of the diet. Where needed, a temporary low-FODMAP strategy is used — restricting certain fermentable carbohydrates followed by gradual reintroduction under specialist supervision.

Microbiota support. Dietary fibre, tolerated fermented foods, prebiotics and selected probiotic strains are chosen according to symptoms. Dietary variety and tolerance matter more than the number of products prescribed.

CALENDULA phytotherapy. Personalised Ayurvedic and TCM formulas are selected with digestive complaints, liver and kidney function, sensitivity to ingredients and drug interactions in mind.

Bodywork. Abhyanga — a gentle oil massage; Shirodhara — a relaxing procedure in which liquid is applied to the forehead; Udvartana — massage with herbal powders. Acupuncture, reflexotherapy and local warming with moxa may complement work on tension and stress-associated discomfort.

Routine and recovery. Breathing practices, qigong, gentle forms of tai chi, manageable activity and work on sleep. Nutritional products are selected according to need; infusions are considered only when there is a separate medical indication.

The set of procedures is determined after the initial examination, taking into account indications, contraindications and current treatment. Traditional methods complement, but do not replace, treatment of an established condition.

Programme goals and final consultation

We assess the severity of discomfort, bowel habits, food tolerance and response to prescribed measures. You receive a clear explanation of the results, recommendations on therapy and nutrition, a plan for expanding the diet and follow-up timing. This is a personalised basis for ongoing digestive care, not a universal diet for life.

7-day programme

Food reactions and gentle restoration of routine

Consultations and assessment

• Initial consultation: heaviness, bloating, bowel movements, appetite, sleep and medical history.
• Review of current medicines, dietary restrictions and existing test results.
• Keeping a food and wellbeing diary.
• Interim adjustment of the diet according to tolerance and final assessment of symptoms.

Nutrition

• An individual diet with warm cooked meals and adequate nourishment.
• Selection of protein sources, grains and vegetables according to food tolerance.
• Gradual adjustment of fibre intake and hydration.
• Monitoring reactions to dairy products, raw vegetables, coffee and other individual food triggers.

Procedures and movement

• Gentle Abhyanga — oil body massage.
• Local relaxing procedures for the abdominal area after the nature of the symptoms has been assessed.
• Therapeutic exercise for mobility, posture and gentle work with the core muscles.
• Restorative yoga and qigong.
• Diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation training.
• Walking and manageable physical activity.

Education

• Regular meals and an unhurried pace of eating.
• Observing the relationship between stress, sleep and digestion.
• Review of eating habits and practical planning of a comfortable home diet.

Practical digestive support

• Acupuncture according to an individual plan as an additional supportive method.
• Practical selection of warm dishes: khichari, cooked vegetables and suitable protein sources — fish, eggs or paneer according to tolerance.
• Review of prebiotic foods and whether probiotic support is appropriate for the specific goal.

At completion

You receive recommendations on foods and routine, a home movement programme and a plan for gradual dietary changes. Symptoms that require further investigation are discussed. Assessment is based on complaints and food tolerance, without promising to fully “restore the microbiome” in one week.

Procedures are selected after the initial examination, taking indications and contraindications into account.

14-day programme

Ayurvedic module and restorative nutrition

Consultations and monitoring

• Assessment of digestive complaints, nutrition, current therapy and coexisting conditions.
• Assessment of whether the selected Ayurvedic procedures are appropriate.
• Monitoring appetite, bowel movements, food tolerance, wellbeing and fluid balance.
• Interim consultations and adjustment of the programme.

Ayurvedic procedures

• Preparation of the diet and daily routine according to individual tolerance.
• Snehana: external oiling; internal methods are considered only as a separate prescription by a specialist.
• Gentle Abhyanga and suitable heat procedures in the absence of contraindications.
• Virechana as a possible, but not mandatory, stage of an individual Ayurvedic plan.

If a cleansing stage is not suitable, the programme continues with gentle procedures, nutrition and restorative practices. The list does not mean that cleansing is prescribed to every patient.

Restoring the diet

• Selection of a tolerated consistency and composition of meals.
• Gradual expansion of the menu with cooked vegetables, grains and suitable protein sources.
• Assessment of nutritional adequacy and reactions to new foods.
• Creating a home menu without prolonged, unnecessary dietary restriction.

Movement and rest

• Gentle therapeutic exercise and walking.
• Restorative yoga, qigong and breathing practices.
• Relaxing massage according to tolerance.
• Adjustment of activity to wellbeing and stage of recovery.

Practical digestive support

• Acupuncture according to an individual plan as an additional supportive method.
• Practical selection of warm dishes: khichari, cooked vegetables and suitable protein sources — fish, eggs or paneer according to tolerance.
• Review of prebiotic foods and whether probiotic support is appropriate for the specific goal.
• Dipana-Pachana before the selected Snehana module; after possible Virechana — restorative nutrition and gradual expansion of the diet.
• Suitable device-based procedures or pressotherapy only at a compatible recovery stage.

At completion

You receive a final assessment of symptoms, a list of tolerated foods and a plan for further expansion of the menu. The activity routine and what to do if symptoms return are discussed separately. The outcome is assessed by digestive comfort and tolerance of a nutritionally complete diet.

Procedures are selected after the initial examination, taking indications and contraindications into account.

21-day programme

Extended digestive recovery and development of habits at home

Consultations and monitoring

• Initial assessment of digestive symptoms, nutrition, medication and coexisting conditions.
• Individual selection of investigations when there is a medical need.
• Diary of food reactions, bowel movements, energy and sleep.
• Interim consultations with adjustment of diet and procedures.
• Final review of tolerance of the expanded diet and next steps.

Ayurvedic module

• Preparation of routine and nutrition.
• Snehana and gentle Abhyanga, with the extent of treatment tailored to the individual.
• Suitable heat procedures where appropriate.
• Possible Virechana only after specialist assessment, followed by recovery.
• A gentle restorative pathway without cleansing if cleansing is not indicated or not tolerated.

Personalising nutrition

• Gradual return to a varied diet after the selected procedures.
• Selection of tolerated vegetables, grains, dietary fibre and protein sources.
• Review of individual food triggers without unjustified exclusion of entire food groups.
• Work on late snacking, rushing meals and irregular eating patterns.
• Practical menu planning for normal home life.

Physical and emotional recovery

• Therapeutic exercise with instruction in a home programme.
• Gentle yoga, qigong and walking.
• Breathing practices and yoga nidra for relaxation.
• Massage procedures according to tolerance.
• Observing the relationship between digestive complaints, stress, activity and sleep.

Practical digestive support

• Acupuncture according to an individual plan as an additional supportive method.
• Practical selection of warm dishes: khichari, cooked vegetables and suitable protein sources — fish, eggs or paneer according to tolerance.
• Review of prebiotic foods and whether probiotic support is appropriate for the specific goal.
• Dipana-Pachana before the selected Snehana module; after possible Virechana — restorative nutrition and gradual expansion of the diet.
• Suitable device-based procedures or pressotherapy only at a compatible recovery stage.

At completion

You receive a personalised map of food reactions and recommendations on nutrition, movement and restoring routine. The plan sets out further steps if symptoms persist and the need for medical follow-up. A longer course provides time to adapt habits, but does not guarantee elimination of all causes of digestive discomfort.

Procedures are selected after the initial examination, taking indications and contraindications into account.