You may be familiar with the concept of eating for your Dosha, but the Ayurvedic diet also has an important component that few people are aware of: the eight essential elements that can guide you in creating the ideal Ayurvedic meal.
The phrase “ahaar vidhi visheshayatana” Ahaar Vidhi Visheshayata” (ahaar = food, vidhi = method, visheshayatana = specific aspects/dimensions) is described in the ancient Ayurvedic literature Charak Samhita.
In the earlier period, skilled cooks prepared their meals by considering these eight variables. That is
- Prakriti (Natural Nutritious Qualities)
- Rashi (Quantity)
- Karan (Preparation)
- Desh (Habitat)
- Kaal (Time)
- Sanyog (Combination)
- Upyogsanstha (Usage Directions)
- Upyokta (Consumer)
तत्र खल्विमान्यष्टावाहारविधिविशेषायतनानि भवन्ति; तद्यथा- प्रकृतिकरणसंयोगराशिदेशकालोपयोगसंस्थोपयोक्त्रष्टमानि (भवन्ति) ||२१||
The ideal way to consume food is determined by these eight unique elements.
In this article, we are deeply looking into what are this eight fundamental keys of an ayurvedic diet to follow.
Food Is Perfect Just the way (Prakriti) as per ayurvedic diet
Prakriti refers to the effects of a food substance on the body and how it reacts.
This is a reference to the weight of food, which influences how long it takes to digest.
Prakriti is the Sanskrit word for “nature.” In another meaning word “Prakriti”, is also referred to as mother earth. This phrase is also used to describe body types. However, the food you eat has a personality and a distinct impact on your body!
Ayurveda has a particular view of a balanced diet. It states that each of the six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent—must be present in your meal.
For instance, according to Ayurveda, cheese should not be consumed regularly. It’s wise to do this once a month or every two weeks.
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Don’t Overeat (Rashi) as per the ayurvedic diet
The amount of food consumed is essential for maintaining good health. Even if the food is nutritious and cooked to perfection, Ayurveda recommends that you never overeat.
According to the old saying, only one-third of your stomach should be filled with substantial food. The final third should be filled with liquids. And the final third should be filled with air! This meal item ratio promotes stomach mixing.
At the same time, it ensures that you leave the table with only 80% of your stomach full, rather than being overstuffed!
This practice also protects you from emotional eating and obesity.
Process Food Correctly (Karan)
karan=instrument. In the context of the Ayurvedic diet, Karan refers to how you digest your meals. Furthermore, it is critical.
On the other hand, you should avoid using a microwave to cook or heat food. The microwave cooks food quickly, which may damage its natural nutrients.
Slow cooking is recommended in the Ayurvedic diet, for example. As a result, solar cooking is an excellent choice for Ayurvedic practitioners. Slow cooking on low heat retains the most nourishment.
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Eat regional food (Desh)
Eat food that has been farmed nearby, according to the Ayurvedic diet. The local vegetation follows the same seasonal cycle, therefore this guideline is crucial. Therefore, anything that grows nearby is ideal for you, thanks to mother nature.
Let’s use dates as an example. The dates, which grow in deserts, are said to have a cooling impact on the body naturally. Nature provides for us in accordance with our physiological demands.
Saffron is an additional lovely illustration. Saffron is typically grown in a chilly climate and it warms the body.
Kaal (Time)
Nityag Kaal (Perticularlly Influence of Time)
We all feel the effects of time, such as seasonal changes and changes in daily solar illumination. The body must stimulate metabolism in order to balance the effects of these time-bound events.
According to Ayurveda, the dosha Kapha dominates the first part of the day (after sunrise) and the first part of the night. As a result, serious congestive or respiratory problems may worsen at this time.
As a result, you should avoid eating cold, oily, or heavy foods in the early morning or late evening.
The change of seasons is also important because it causes major metabolic changes in the body.
Ayurveda, for example, prevents the consumption of yogurt during the hot and humid months. According to Ayurvedic diet, the acidity of yogurt causes the body to produce heat.
Yogurt, on the other hand, should be consumed in the winter or in cold climates, according to Ayurveda. As a result, you’ll get toasty!
Avasthik Kaal (Conditional Impact of Time)
An original idea in Ayurveda is the conditional impact of time. According to this, food should supplement the body’s needs at particular times when a condition is in progress.
For instance, if you have a fever, the Ayurvedic diet advises against taking any medications the first day because it will help you identify the precise symptoms of the condition.
Additionally, minor fevers can frequently be treated by the body on its own in the early stages.
Correct Food Combination (Sanyog) as per ayurvedic diet
Sanyog is a combining word. In the ayurvedic diet combination of correct food with positive health effects on the body and mind is mentioned as essential. The science behind meal pairings is one of Ayurveda’s distinctive features. Two foods can have different health effects if their characteristics are different, according to this conventional medical method.
As a result, the Ayurvedic diet also specifies in-depth guidelines for meal combinations known as viruddhahaar.
Avoiding conventionally incorrect meal pairings, as recommended by Ayurveda, may be very helpful if you have food allergies.
For instance, ghee and honey should not be consumed in equal amounts, according to the Ayurvedic diet. This mixture at a certain amount of equality produces poisonous substances. This hazardous mixture could make the body’s natural metabolism more difficult.
Use food for its original intention (Upyogsanstha)
Assume you always have the right kind of food, cooked correctly, in the right amount, and at the right time. However, proper utilization is another factor that can help it even more.
What would you do if you had good quality milk and naturally ripened organic mango juice, for example? According to Ayurveda, mango juice should be consumed first, followed by warm milk for optimal digestion. This is a better way to use these ingredients than the mango shake.
Another example is a banana with green cardamom. According to conventional wisdom, eating green cardamom after eating a banana improves the nutrients in the banana.
Consumer (Upyokta)
Last and final is the Upyokta, or consumer. You may be wondering why this isn’t the most important factor. After all, Ayurveda places a lot of strain on different body types.
This is done so that when certain foods are consumed correctly, everyone benefits. Furthermore, no one ever eats alone. As a result, proper cooking, combining, and other general factors are more important for everyone’s benefit.
However, the user, or Upyokta, is just as important. Some of the most important factors are as follows:
Type of Body
The Vata, Pitta, and Kapha body types are the three core concepts of Ayurveda. These doshas, or metabolic processes, make up the various Ayurvedic body types. Each body type also has certain food and lifestyle requirements.
For example, if you have a Vata body type, oily food might be healthy for you. The same meal will cause health problems for a Kapha person, though.
According to the Life Stage Ayurveda, there are three stages of life:
The Kapha-dominated phase of childhood.
The period of puberty when Pitta is dominant.
The phase of age-related Vata dominance.
Each of these periods has a different optimal food and lifestyle according to Ayurveda. For extremely young children, for instance, eating too much cold, heavy, and oily food may result in recurrent colds and coughing. However, these are the best foods for young people who generally have a pitta-dominant diet.
The Nature of Our Health
Another important factor to consider is the individual’s current health. Youth, for example, can eat a lot of food because pitta dominance causes superior digestion. If you have indigestion, you should avoid eating heavy and greasy foods, even if you are a young adult.
Mind
According to Ayurveda, a person’s mental state has a significant impact on their overall health. As a result, how you feel while eating is extremely important.
In modern science, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are discussed. The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for emergencies by putting it into fight-flight-fright mode. The body, on the other hand, becomes relaxed when it is in the calming parasympathetic mode. As a result, the parasympathetic mode is also referred to as the feed and breed mode or the rest and repair mode.
The sympathetic nervous system redirects blood flow away from vital organs such as the gastrointestinal and excretory systems and toward the muscles. As a result, if you are concerned, your intestines will become constricted and unable to process and absorb food.
As a result, Ayurveda strongly advises against eating when stressed, afraid, angry, or experiencing any other negative emotion. So, what exactly is the benefit? You will not absorb the nutrients properly. In fact, eating this type of food may cause pollution and hormonal imbalances in the body.
As a result, the prayer before meals is extremely important, perhaps even more so than the food itself. Sincere gratitude for the food induces deep relaxation and a sense of security. You need the parasympathetic nervous system to activate the rest and repair mode!
A variety of factors can have an impact on your health. However, keep in mind that the tastiest and healthiest cuisine is that which is prepared with care and love. When you eat anything while feeling content, grateful, and at peace with yourself, your body is naturally blessed with health and longevity. Begin by eating mindfully and gratefully. And, as time passes, you'll notice how each subsequent element just falls into place on its own!
People also ask about ayurvedic diet or ayurvedic nutrition
What is my Ayurvedic diet?
Despite having specific recommendations for each dosha, the Ayurvedic diet promotes the consumption of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. This can significantly improve your health due to the abundance of important nutrients in these foods.
What are the 3 body types of Ayurveda?
In Indian Ayurveda, there are three body types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The doshas are defined as biological energy that exists in all parts of the body and mind. Because of the laws that govern its bodily and mental functions, each living thing has a unique blueprint for health and fulfillment.
What should we eat for breakfast as per Ayurvedic diet?
You can have the following recipe for breakfast as per the ayurvedic diet.
Simple Ayurvedic breakfast porridge recipe
Brown your preferred cereal (for example, oats, spelled, buckwheat) in coconut oil, ghee, or other fat (recommended cereals for Kapha types: rye, spelled, buckwheat, millet/for Pitta types: spelled, wheat, oat, barley/for Vata types: wheat, quinoa, rice, oat)
Who was the father of Ayurveda?
Charaka is known as the “Father of Ayurveda.” In his book ‘Charaka Samhita,’ he mentioned about 340 plant and 200 animal species. Dhanvantari is another important god as per Ayurveda and an expert from all medical perspectives.
Is an Ayurvedic diet vegetarian?
Ayurveda is an Indian treatment that also follows a vegetarian diet. It’s not that Ayurveda disallows non-vegetarian diets, but there is no doubt that it prefers vegetarian diets. People nowadays take their health for granted because they are too preoccupied with their lives.
What is Ayurveda cleanse?
An Ayurvedic cleanse removes toxins from the body while also drawing excess Vata, pitta, and Kapha from the tissues into the digestive tract to be eliminated. As a result, the channels are unblocked and balance is restored. Panchakarma, which literally means “five actions or procedures,” refers to this cleanse.