Ayurveda is wisdom that has stood the test of time and its principles have only reinforced by the passage of time. It is a science through its sheer emphasis on observation and its methodical validation of hypothesis. It has also seen the problems through the centuries. In the course of its evolution, it has covered diversities in our food, culture, society, mindsets and so on. It has adapted for an individual based on the individual’s lifestyle, seasonal and geographical requirements. It’s not magic.
Ayurveda emphasises preventative and healing therapies along with various methods of purification and rejuvenation. Ayurveda is a science and an art of appropriate living that helps to achieve longevity and improving the quality of life. It can guide every individual in the proper choice of diet, living habits and exercise to restore balance in the body, mind and consciousness, thus preventing disease from gaining a foothold in the system.
A small intro to the principle of Ayurveda: Every human being is a unique phenomenon of cosmic consciousness manifested through the five basic elements—Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These five elements are classified based on the unique properties of each element exhibits known as Gunasin Sanskrit. For example, flowing air increases dryness property, whereas water moistens, binds. Fire heats and convert matter to different products and so on. In short each element shows its own unique set of qualities that total to forty-one Gunas. These qualities are taken in different permutation combination and made into three groups for a concept called Dosha. These doshas are first Vata- a combination of space and air, second, Pitta- a combination of fire and water, and third Kapha-a combination of water and earth. These are the three humors or the three organizations of the body, which are also derived from consciousness.
Each individual constitution or psychosomatic temperament is determined by the relative proportions of these three doshas at the time of fertilization and influenced by development.
Every individual constitution has its own unique balance of Doshas according to its own nature. This original balance of is the natural order. When this doshic balance is disturbed, it creates an imbalance, which is disorder. Health is order; disease is disorder. Within the body there is a constant interaction between order and disorder, thus once one understands the nature and structure of disorder, one can re-establish order. Ayurveda believes that order lies within disorder. When the balance of these systems is disturbed, the disease (disorder) process begins.
The wrong diet, habits, lifestyle, incompatible food combinations (e.g., milk and fish, melons and grain, yogurt and meat or eating cooked honey, etc.), seasonal changes and stress factors can all act either together or separately to change the balance of Doshas This in turn affects the agni (metabolic fire) and produces Ama (toxins), which is the beginning of disease.
To stop the further production of toxins, Ayurvedic literature suggests putting the person on a corrective diet with appropriate lifestyle, habits and exercise, and administering a proper cleansing program such as cleansing through Panchakarma that is a set of five therapies belonging to a class of cleansing procedures called shodana. There is also a group of milder techniques called Shamana for those not strong enough or not fit for shodana.)
The deliverance of Shamana or alleviating treatments can be classified into three. They are medication, food and activities. Here, we shall discuss a little more about interesting subject –The food, which is our primary necessity and unfortunately at times it is the least cared-for and misunderstood necessity
If someone asks a question, when will you eat food? The answers vary, some will say, “when I get time”, “when my work is over”, “when I see food” or “when hungry”. Apart from the “When”, there are also more pertinent questions like “what”, “how”, “how much”, etc. Generally we overlook these questions. Moreover, these questions are not easy to answer. Most of us do not get enough time to understand the necessity, relevance, and implications of food (Aahara in Sanskrit) due to our fast paced life or ignorance.
When you should eat?
The simplest answer will be when hungry, but it is not the answer, since it is under the influence of various factors like mood, food, environment, upbringing, etc. As per Ayurvedic daily routine, it is said the first thing you need to check soon after you get up is whether the food you ate yesterday has digested or not. Depending on the individual, the first thought of food should come after proper evacuation of bowels, exercise, and shower.
If one had a late night or a heavy dinner, the next day morning mostly will feel heaviness and tiredness in our body and our appetite is also very less. It is suggested to avoid breakfast then and drink some ginger water to improve the digestion. If there’s burping or acidity, it is indication from the food is not digested properly. Then, it is best to give some time to our stomach to digest the food properly.
The answer for when to eat mainly focus on your appetite and feeling hunger, but it should be taken care to sync with biological rhythm, so as to set our body’s hunger clock. That is, if feel hungry for brunch, then eat light enough so that you feel hunger by lunch. It is equally important to differentiate psychological and physiological hunger.
What to eat?
“What to eat?” is in fact a difficult question as there are multiple considerations to be taken care of. Here we are not considering the ingredients we are looking at the principles in choosing the ingredients. Most of us are eating food according to our convenience like availability. Our one time meal just satisfies our hunger for that time being. It is here; we need to find out the short term and long term effects of food. We need to look globally and locally as to one’s physiological condition then, for the day, for the season, for the age and what’s available. The healthy food is that food which complies with the above requirement.
For example, if a Pitta predominant person catches common cold, he cannot take anything sweet and cold as it aggravate the imbalance of his Kapha which is manifested as common cold. Then he/she must eat something warm or hot potency till the excess of Kapha is balanced. Once his common cold is over, it may not be recommended to take the same hot food as it aggravates the inherent Pitta qualities. Ayurveda believes in individual medicine, individual food, individual lifestyles also as per his / her health and environment. What is healthy for one person, need not be healthy for another person
Food requirement varies according to our digestion status, age, disease, climate, season, dosha, physique and psyche, individual preferences, ethnicity and most importantly Agni, the digestive capacity of an individual, so based on one’s digestive capacity, we select the ingredients, method of preparation and the quantity of ingredients.
Generally digestive capacity or Agni will be changing on a diurnal basis. It is on prime by midday and it weakens again by evening. If a person is having high Agni, that person should take food that needs more time to digest and in fairly large quantity. If the digestive capacity of the person is less, then he/she should select easily digestible food in smaller quantities. Some people have a good appetite but their physical output is less, in such cases the person need more filling type and low calories foods.
One also needs to change food as per age, seasons and geographic locations. You observe this choice when you notice most of the people in the tropics prefer comparatively lighter food and those in the cold countries prefer rich food. In Ayurvedic seasonal regime, one needs to avoid alcohol in summer and one can have some alcohol in winter with restrictions. This geographical and climatic selection can be demonstrated in the cultural differences of the people from cold countries, for cold countries alcohol is a social drink and in the tropics, mostly alcohol is a taboo.
How to eat?
While you are eating; your entire concentration should be on eating.
Prior to taking food, wash your feet, mouth, and hands prior to having food. Have it in a pleasant and relaxed mood. We should avoid unnecessary talk and avoid distractions like electronic devices while eating. The food is to be prepared by a trustworthy person in a clean and private space. Use your hands for eating. This is possibly because the senses of sight and touch signal the brain that in turn signals to the stomach what we are about to eat. The fingers relay the message that you are about to eat, including the temperature of the food, texture, consistency that helps the body to prepare for proper digestion by releasing digestive juices and enzymes in a timely manner. Chew properly and eat food at a moderate pace. Pay attention to the movements inside abdomen.
How much?
Then the next question is how much quantity you should eat. As per the modern dietetics, we have a generalized calorie value for a person according to their height, weight, age, and work. However, Ayurveda calculates the person’s capacity to digest the food and other parameters mentioned earlier, and then decide the food. One need to fill half the capacity of stomach filled with solids, one fourth with liquids and rest kept empty for the free movement of body doshas. If you listen to the eructation while eating, this signals the time to stop eating. By observing the gas movements you can assume that you are leaving a quarter of stomach with air.
Drinking water before food makes a person leaner and drinking after food helps the person to gain weight. One who drinks water in the middle or along with food will neither be too thin not too fat. Drinking too much water is not good for those affected with weakness in digestion. Generally, drinking warm water is recommended as in this condition. There are times when room temperature water is preferred as it pacifies fainting, vomiting, heat, burning sensation, bleeding etc.
Method of cooking
Ayurvedic texts describe various methods of cooking like steaming, frying, roasting, baking, clay oven preparation etc. and in different contexts. Food Quality and bioavailability change with different methods of preparations. It also changes with the type of vessel and fire.
The Ayurvedic dietary guidelines consider human beings as a part of nature. Its guidelines are with an intention to have a balanced input in the appropriate method and time to achieve an optimum balance inside the body in accordance to the external environment.
Prepared by
Dr. Poornima Sreelal
BAMS, M.Sc. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics.
www.ayurdiet.in
Green gram is one of those ingredients in Ayurveda which can be taken everyday without health issues. Some ingredients like yogurt, certain meat, certain combinations are not recommended to be taken regularly. 
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