According to Ayurveda, "agni" is the metabolic energy that helps the body assimilate nutrients, eliminate what it doesn’t need, generate warmth, and transform physical matter into the subtler forms of energy that the body requires for vitality.

In the morning, between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m., agni tends to be low, and it’s not easy for most bodies to digest a big breakfast. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend an easily digestible meal that nourishes the body by giving it the fuel it needs, without overwhelming it. A balancing morning meal might consist of stewed apples, pears, and dates, stirred into hot cereal cooked with some warming spices - those that stoke agni and make it stronger, increasing metabolism. Examples are basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek, fresh ginger, green chili, mustard, nutmeg, rock salt, rosemary, and turmeric.