Ayurvedic Diet
Ayurveda, or Ayur-Veda, is a traditional system of Indian Vedic medicine, named for one of the holy books, formed as a result of the merging of the cultures of the Aryans and Dravid’s. Ayur-Veda can be translated as “knowledge of life,” “knowledge of long life,” or even “science of life.” Five thousand years ago, humanity was thinking about how and how much to eat and what products are combined with each other and which are not. The Indian sages prescribed the rules of nutrition in their treatises.
Their works concerned not only food intake, but also other processes that maintained human health and gave him longevity. This is a science of life and was called Ayurvedic diet, whose supporters believe that if you follow all the rules prescribed in the treatises, you can change yourself both externally and internally. In Ayurvedic diet treatises, there are answers to almost all questions related to nutrition: how to cook dishes, how to avoid a dangerous combination of products, how to combine products, how to get rid of health problems with food.
In the Ayurvedic classification, there are only six flavours that must be present at every meal.
Sweet
According to Ayurvedic theory, this taste includes honey, white bread, rice, milk, sour cream, fish, cucumbers, potatoes, apples, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon. These sugary foods boost vitality. They should be consumed in moderation since excessive consumption of these products can lead to colds and the appearance of oedema.
Salty
The most insidious taste, stimulating digestion in small doses, and in large doses, can lead to vomiting. The use of saline negatively affects the kidneys, increases blood pressure, and contributes to the appearance of premature wrinkles and baldness.
Sour
Products with this type include cheese, yoghurt, grapes, lemons, oranges and tomatoes, which stimulate appetite and improve digestion. Supporters of Ayurveda believe that these products enlighten the mind. Excessive consumption of acidic foods leads to heartburn and ulcers.
Acute
This taste includes onions, garlic, radishes, mustard, eggs and black pepper. You need to use these products very carefully because the prevalence of a sharp taste in food can affect reproductive function since this taste is detrimental to sperm and egg cells.
Astringent
This taste includes pomegranates, cranberries, broccoli and beans. Excessive consumption of these products may cause sexual problems, as the astringent taste does not contribute to sperm formation and reduces sexual desire.
Bitter
The bitter taste in small doses improves metabolism and purifies the blood, relieves temperature, strengthens muscles. But, if you do not know the measure, the bitter taste can cause dizziness and even lead to loss of consciousness. Turmeric and coffee are among the bitter flavours.
Ayurveda is based on the principle of three doshas, or energy forces, which determine the character, constitution of a person and even an individual set of products: Vata, Pitta and Kapha, the presence of which is more or less in every person. The ratio of energy forces can change with age. In childhood, a person is under the influence of Kapha, in the middle years – Pitta, in old age – Vata.
External factors can disturb the balance of the three doshas, and then one begins to prevail over the other: due to excessive consumption of sweets, Kapha increases, due to lack of sleep – Vata, due to aggressive moods – Pitt. To balance all the processes in the body, you need to know when to feed what or that dosha.
For breakfast, vata.
Vata is the most important of the three doshas, literally meaning air and space. She is responsible for movement throughout the body, including breathing, palpitations, and stretching of the skin. If Vata fails, the other two doshas will also be in imbalance. In order not to disrupt the interaction of the three energy forces, you must have breakfast before 6 in the morning. Before eating, you need to drink a glass of warm water. Vata is not against sweet, sour and salty tastes. The basis of the diet is buckwheat. It is also beneficial to eat nuts, dates, dairy products and freshly squeezed juices. It is not recommended to eat rice, cranberries, apples, broccoli, dried fruits and black pepper.
For lunch, Pitt.
At lunchtime from 10.00-14.00 Pitta time comes, which controls metabolism, maintains body temperature, monitors the appetite of a person, and regulates complexion. For lunch, it is advisable to eat cereals and legumes, dairy products, chicken. As seasonings, you can use dill, cinnamon, mint. From fruits you need to choose pomegranates, grapes, bananas, oranges. Bad food for Pitta is peanuts, almonds, chocolate. Red meat is strictly contraindicated.
For Kapha dinner.
Kapha is one of the most difficult doshas, giving strength to perform physical exertion, responsible for puberty, healthy offspring and affecting body weight. The Kapha period lasts from 18 to 22 hours. Dosha Kapha permits astringent and pungent tastes and categorically forbids sweets. With Kapha, the main part of the diet should be fresh vegetables and herbs. You can also eat sour fruits. Ayurveda specialists offer boiled water for dinner and only occasionally a little coffee. In no case should you eat ice cream, millet, milk, butter products?
Eating according to the rules of Ayurveda, one must take into account not only the recommendations on the set of products for the three doshas but also the compatibility of the components, on which the digestion of food depends. Ayurveda experts do not recommend putting raw and boiled foods on one plate. Milk is considered a very capricious product, which in no case can be combined with acidic fruits and citrus fruits, since milk is digested for a long time, and the action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach will cause it to curl. Also, milk does not combine with any proteins. One of the most harmful vegetables is potatoes since nothing contributes to the formation of toxins, like this fruit.
In order not to disturb the harmony of the three energy forces (doshas), eight general rules must be observed:
When eating, it is important to keep your thoughts clean, as the food we eat takes energy from our thoughts.
The meal should take place in a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Chew food thoroughly and get pleasure from what is eaten.
Eat should be moderate; everything should be a measure.
Dishes should be natural and straightforward.
Food should please the eye, nose and tongue.
Do not drink food with water. Better before the meal, allow yourself a cup of tea.
Immediately after eating, you can not begin the vigorous activity; you can not go to bed and even think.
