Ironic is the way that something so obvious as nutrition has been overlooked in modern health care systems. How in the name convenience, our fast-paced society has given rise to microwaves, fast food, quick fixes medicines, and eating on-the-run. There is a growing awareness of the importance of nutrition in maintaining good health. Ayurveda is India’s ancient science of health, longevity and life. Food plays a significant role in maintaining health and is considered medicine.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda, which dates back to over five thousand years ago, is still a highly valued form of Indian health care. This holistic system states that everyone has a unique constitution, or prakruti, which is a unique combination of physical, emotional, and mental characteristics. It is influenced by many factors, including the time of conception and birth. Instability and eventually disease can be caused by disruptions in this balance, such as trauma, emotional and physical stress, poor food choices, seasonal and weather changes, and improper food combinations and choices.
Understanding how these factors impact us can help us take the appropriate steps to reduce their effects and eliminate the causes of imbalance. This is why the path to health is always individual. There is no one approach that is right for everyone. This applies to lifestyle, diet, exercise, and the use of medicinal herbs. Samkhya, Ayurveda’s philosophical foundation, states that creation is expressed through five elements: ether or space, air/space, fire, water, and earth. These elements are represented in the body by the three governing principles, or humors, called doshas (vata pitta and Kapha). All three doshas are present in varying degrees. However, one or two may be predominant while the other(s), sometimes secondary.
Balance
The doshas are balanced and promote normal body functions and overall health. They can cause mental, emotional, and physical problems if they are out of balance. Vata, the subtle energy associated movement, is made up of air and ether. It is a dry, light, mobile, and cold energy by nature. It can also cause flatulence and constipation, tremors and asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other neurological problems. Pitta is the combination of fire and water elements in the body. It is characterized by hot, sharp, and oily characteristics.
Pitta disorders include hyperacidity and skin eruptions, chronic fatigue as well as Crohn’s disease, colitis and many other inflammatory disorders. Kapha is composed of water and earth, and is associated to heavy, cold, damp, and static qualities. Kapha can lead to obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes, edema or tumors, as well as other congestive issues like asthma, high cholesterol, diabetes and edema. The doshas can cause digestive problems, including toxins and ama, from poorly digested foods. Ama builds up in the tissues and channels and eventually causes damage to the flow of prana (vital energie), immunity (ojas), and cellular metabolism (tejas).
Ayurvedic Medicine
Ayurvedic medicine believes that the key to optimal health and healing is to eliminate toxins and restore constitutional balance. Ayurveda stresses the importance of proper nutrition. This is achieved through proper food choices, food mixing and cooking methods, and herbal nutrition. All of these are based on the individual’s specific needs and any doshas imbalances.
Ayurvedic nutrition covers many topics, including the individual constitution, medicinal value of culinary spices, and the theory of Shad rasa (or six tastes that should be present in a meal to achieve balance). Ayurveda considers food medicine. The same goes for herbs. They are used to provide nutritional and nourishing benefits, as well as to counter any doshic imbalances or toxin formation that may result from poor digestion. To ensure optimal nutrition, it is important to ensure that food is fresh, organic, and whenever possible, local.
Ayurveda Food
Ayurveda food and spice are classified according to their taste (sweetener, salty, sour and bitter), their energetic effect on the doshas and their effect on the tissues. It is crucial to understand your original constitution before you can choose foods with opposite qualities. It is important to understand the current state of doshas in order to make the best food choices. Vata types are more deficient in nature, have a light body frame, variable digestion, and often have a tendency to gas and constipation.
They prefer warm, nourishing, unctuous, and primarily cooked foods. Avoiding cold, frozen, and excessive intake of raw foods is a good idea. They should also avoid pinto, garbanzo, and black beans as they are difficult to digest and can increase their intestinal gas. Vata needs to be balanced with sweet, sour, and salty foods. Pitta types have strong appetites and good digestion but a tendency towards hyperacidity or inflammatory disorders. They should avoid spicy, greasy, salty, and fermented foods as well as sour or acidic fruits. Pitta balances out bitter, sweet, and astringent flavors. Large Kapha types have a tendency to weight gain, obesity and sluggish digestion.
They also tend to be lethargy. They thrive on a light diet, low in carbohydrates, and avoid dairy, cold foods, and sweet treats. Kapha is reduced by bitter, pungent, and astringent flavors. Before I get into the topic of spices in Ayurvedic cooking, I want to point out that Ayurvedic cuisine is not only Indian. Ayurvedic food is not available in all Indian restaurants. Indian restaurants often serve food that is too spicy or drenched with poor quality cooking oils. Ayurvedic food is prepared according to each individual’s needs and balanced for all doshas. Many spices used in Ayurvedic cooking, such as ginger, turmeric, coriander, coriander, and cardamom are also used in Ayurvedic herbology. Cooking with these spices daily can improve digestion, assimilation, and absorption of food, increase one’s appetite, and nourish the internal organs. It can also prevent doshic imbalance. The six tastes of spices can be combined to create a harmonious combination. The first form of nourishment is taste, which is also medicinal. A balanced combination of six tastes makes a meal more appealing to the palate and is easier to digest at the deep cellular level. Modern research has confirmed the many benefits of Ayurvedic spices and herbs.
Final Tips
Turmeric, for example, is very effective in the treatment type two diabetes, skin conditions, infections, and hepatic or inflammatory disorders. Cardamom, cumin, fennel and nutmeg are all very effective in treating a variety of digestive problems. Ginger is also great for treating colds, respiratory congestion, and fevers. These spices have many medicinal uses. Proper food combining is another important aspect of Ayurvedic nutrition. Ayurveda does not consider all foods compatible. Certain foods, when eaten or cooked together, can disrupt the normal function and cause the accumulation of ama (toxins).
There are many factors that affect the ability of certain foods to be combined. These include the taste, quality, and energy of certain foods as well as how long it takes to digest them. Lighter foods like fruits, whole grains, dairy, starches, and meats don’t mix well with heavy foods. Combining sour or acidic fruits with milk, which is sweetened and cooling, causes the milk curdle and becomes heavy in the intestines. Ayurveda emphasizes the art of food combination. Ayurveda encourages people to take responsibility for their health by making changes in their diet and lifestyle. Our strongest allies in maintaining and restoring health are what we eat and how our lives are lived each day. This daily effort will support all other therapeutic measures.
Conclusion
Incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine, in addition to a balanced diet, can help prevent imbalance from its root. Regular eating and sleeping habits, which are both healthy and disciplined, will help to maintain harmony between the doshas and promote overall good health. Ayurvedic practitioners can offer dietary and lifestyle recommendations, as well as herbal nutrition that is more specific to each individual’s constitution, doshic imbalance, and situation.