Although medicines can cure diseases, who knows prevention is better than cure? The same philosophy underscores the Ayurvedic diet, which considers food as powerful as medicine. A sloka or a verse from the ancient Ayurveda texts highlights the philosophy more precisely – ‘food is medicine when consumed properly’. Ayurveda believes that digestion of food is critical for good health and a strong immune system. Therefore, for digestion’s sake, you must choose your food carefully and include only those in your diet that are easy to digest. To facilitate digestion, you must eat foods that suit your physiology, as every human is unique. It would be wrong to rely on a list of foods without considering what your body can accept.
What is an Ayurvedic diet?
An Ayurvedic diet goes far beyond choosing food according to your physiology. This must receive proper support from a sattvic routine or a lifestyle that facilitates better digestion of foods. Only when you follow a sattvic lifestyle and consume easy-to-digest foods can you claim to follow the Ayurvedic principle of diet selection. Such a diet suits the body and mind and ensures overall well-being. You feel happier, stay healthy, and enjoy true vitality no matter how old you become.
Know Your Dosha Type to Select the Right Food
The question arises about how you would know which foods are easy to digest. Ayurveda believes that every person is unique and, therefore, people’s dietary needs will never be the same. So, when creating a diet plan per Ayurveda, you must adequately understand your body type or Dosha, which also considers your mental health. Doshas are elements of the body and mind. There are three types of Doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These elements of the body and mind govern all aspects of the functioning of the body – the size and shape of the body, the ability to digest foods, and the way we think and speak.
Ayurvedic Guidelines for Choosing Foods
-
Focus on a Vegetarian Diet
Ayurveda believes in the power of organic vegetarian foods and includes whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, spices, herbs, and dairy foods such as milk, paneer, and yogurt. All foods are subject to individual tolerability, and only you know what is best for you to digest easily. You may have to go through some trial and error to choose foods that are right for you.
-
Eat Freshly Cooked Foods
Ayurveda considers processed foods poison, as the body finds it difficult to break down them and extract the nutrients. Junk foods and leftovers are equally harmful to the body and best avoided at all costs. Eat freshly cooked foods only and stay away from the prohibited ones.
-
Have Three Meals a Day
Ayurveda calls for a routine in everything you do, and your eating habits are no exception. Instead of snacking throughout the day, you should have three wholesome meals during the day. Avoid fasting, as it can upset your digestive system. Instead of skipping meals to lose weight, you should follow Ayurvedic diet for weight loss.
-
Have Tasty Meals
According to Ayurveda, you must pay utmost attention to taste when selecting foods because tastes greatly impact Doshas. Focusing on taste when choosing foods will ensure you cover all six tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Each of these affects the Doshas in different ways. A healthy Ayurvedic meal must include all six tastes.
-
Heavy Lunch and Light Dinner
You are most hungry when the sun is above your head, and therefore, Ayurveda suggests that you have a heavy lunch to ensure that your body receives adequate nourishment. Your lunch should be the largest meal of the day, and you should have a light dinner at night. Have your dinner at least three hours before bed so that the body gets ample time for digestion. This is essential to allow the body to go through the rest and repair cycles at night so that you get out of bed in the morning fresh.
In addition to the above, staying hydrated and eating a well-balanced meal by choosing spices wisely should help you get the most from the Ayurvedic diet. To facilitate digestion, you can even fall back upon some herbal digestives.
