7 Steps to an Ayurvedic Lifestyle. Step 3 - The Food You Make.

You are what you eat.

In Ayurveda, food not only nourishes but also maintains and restores doshic balance, which is considered essential for good health.  We are a combination of the three doshas or bodily humors determined at birth and even conception.  A rare person is tridoshic, meaning that the doshas are equally present.  If the doshas are aggravated, this can affect digestion and create toxins (known as ama) from poorly digested food.  Ayurveda believes that the buildup of toxins in the body contributes to ill health.  Proper nutrition is established through food choices and combining, cooking methods and herbal nutrition.  Ayurveda believes that understanding the individual is the key to finding a truly balanced diet.  Lifestyles & Integrated Lab, ASP 1, 2010-2011, p. 61, The Ayurvedic Institutue, 2010.

Food choices depend on an individual’s prakruti (state of doshas at birth) and vikruti (current state of imbalance).  For instance, while some raw food may be appropriate for a person who is a Pitta/Kapha type, it may not be appropriate for someone who is predominantly Vata and is currently experiencing a Vata imbalance.  Insomnia, anxiety, and the inability to focus are all signs of a Vata imbalance.  Such an individual may do better with warm moist foods that are easily digestible.  Eating more cooked foods may be the first step in this individual’s healing journey. 

Foods are classified according to their basic qualities, the impact they have on both mind and consciousness.  Foods that have a satvic quality bring clarity, harmony and balance to our lives.  Fresh fruits and vegetables and freshly cooked food all have a satvic quality.  Satvic food enriches our lives and contributes to elevating our mind.  Foods that have a rajasic quality are provoking and can be agitating.  Both garlic and onions are considered rajasic.  Tamasic food is dull and heavy.  Alchohol and coffee are both tamasic substances.  The ancient principles of Ayurveda are supported by the recent wave of books on food and mood.

While the Ayurvedic approach is individualistic, there are certain basic principles to consider when moving toward an Ayurvedic lifestyle:

·      Don’t eat by the clock.  Eat only when you feel real hunger.

·      Incorporate the six tastes at every meal (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent).

·      Don’t eat if you are not relaxed.

·      Always sit when you eat.

·      Eat with a sense of gratitude.  Be present and appreciate your food.

·      Minimize cold foods and drinks.

·      Make lunch your largest meal as your appetite is strongest midday.

·      Don’t overeat.  Leave about 25% of your stomach empty as it will aid digestion.

·      Wait at least 4 hours between meals, preferably 5 or 6 when your digestion is complete.

·      Don’t graze.  Minimize snacks as they interfere with appetite.  If you are really hungry, eat some fruit or nuts.

·      Limit leftovers and frozen food; when possible eat freshly cooked food or food cooked that day.  Freshly prepared food contains energy (known as prana), which infuses your cells and eventually your consciousness.

·      Food should be organic and fresh.  Whenever possible, choose locally grown.

·      Study food combining and eliminate foods that are incompatible therefore preventing the buildup of toxins in the body.

·      Try to make dinner a smaller meal and eat before 7:00 PM.

·      Don’t drink too much liquid at meals as it can interfere with appetite and digestion.  Sipping a half-cup of hot water aids digestion.

·      Treat meal preparation as a sadhana, a practice that brings you closer to your Divine Self. 

While Ayurvedic food is traditionally Indian cuisine, it is not by any means so limited.  Also, Indian food is not necessarily Ayurvedic.  In fact, Indian restaurant food may be overly spicy and cooked in poor quality oils.  Many of the spices used in Ayurvedic cooking are also medicinal herbs used in Ayurvedic herbology.  The most common spices used in Ayurvedic cuisine are cumin, coriander (cilantro), ginger, cardamon, hing, ajwan, turmeric, and fenugreek.  Ingesting small amounts on a daily basis helps maintain the health of the digestive fire and entire GI tract. In Ayurveda, foods, drinks and spices are categorized according to their taste, the energetic effect they have on the doshas as well as the post-digestive effect on the tissues.

Before you get overwhelmed, remember that Ayurveda is a strong component of the “go slowly” school of thought. Lifestyles & Integrated Lab, ASP 1, 2010-2011, p. 61.  Remember, what you eat and how you live on a daily basis is your strongest ally in restoring and maintaining health.