Ayurveda is the ancient Indian medicine system based on the belief that the overall well-being of an individual depends on the balance between the spirit, body, and mind. Ayurveda is about treating a not only a particular illness but the entire body holistically.
Are you thinking of implementing an Ayurvedic diet for holistic well-being? Then this blog is for you, as here we will discuss the principles of Ayurvedic nutrition. These principles will help you nourish your body and promote a healthy lifestyle.
So, let’s find out the important Ayurvedic nutrition principles!
- Food according to dosha type
In Ayurveda, no two people have the same body types and require the same dietary needs. In Ayurveda, there are three body types or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. Every person has a combination of these two types, with one dominating the other. An imbalance in any combination can cause certain problems and health issues. Therefore, the doshas can be balanced by implementing the various Ayurvedic dietary principles. You can apply the following for balancing your dosha through food:
- Vata dosha (air+ether) – People with Vata dosha can have balance by eating warm foods regarding temperature and spices. You can have healthy fat-rich food, such as organic cream, avocados, ghee, olive oil, etc. Hydrating soups and healthy comfort foods is also a great way to reduce body imbalance.
- Pitta dosha (fire+water) – Eating cooling and astringent foods can be consumed to balance the pitta dosha. You can eat cucumber, cilantro, peppermint, beans, legumes, green tea, etc.
- Kapha dosha (water+earth) – People with kapha dosha possess cool, oily, heavy, and smooth qualities. Imbalance in the kapha dosha can be reduced by eating warm, light, and dry foods, like beans, vegetables, etc.
- Largest meal at lunchtime
If you want to know the Ayurveda diet principles, you must also follow this one. According to Ayurveda, the sun is at its highest during noon, and the inner fire in your digestive system is also very high. The inner fire can easily break down, assimilate, and digest all kinds of food, especially heavier or difficult-to-digest ones. Hence, your lunch meal should be the heaviest.
- Stay hydrated
One of the major Ayurvedic diet principles is always staying hydrated. You can stay energized, active, and nourished by consuming adequate water daily. You can have water or water at room temperature, which is apt for cleansing. Besides water, you can also have buttermilk, lassi, or herbal tea. You can also have a delicious and healthy cup of Damaulik Organics CTC tea, which will help you rejuvenate your body and mind.
- Eat food in silence and without distractions
It’s common for people to have meals when watching TV, reading a book, checking messages, watching videos on phones, etc. But, as per Ayurveda, having your meal in a peaceful and quiet environment without any distractions is recommended.
Instead of doing other things while eating, you can be silent and focus on your food. Notice the colors of the food, the taste, and feel the energy of the food. By eating in silence and comforting surroundings, your food will nourish both your body and mind.
- Eat till you’re satisfied, not full
Ayurveda recommends that instead of overeating or eating till you are full, you should eat until you are satisfied but not full. Overeating can lead to weight but also increases the production of free radicals in the body, which further leads to speed in aging. By eating a proper portion of food and avoiding overeating, your body will be able to digest the necessary nutrients and not have to digest unnecessary food and calories.
- Include six tastes in every meal
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes: sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, salty, and astringent. According to Ayurveda, you must consume foods with all six tastes for nourishment. This is because all the tastes together constitute a bio-diverse energetic plate. Each taste provides specific effects on the body, such as:
- Sweet– Nourishing and strengthening
- Sour– Purifying and cleansing
- Pungent– Stimulating and warming
- Bitter– Mineralizing and detoxifying
- Salty– Regulating and balancing
- Astringent– Cooling and anti-inflammatory
Try to include all six tastes in tiny portions in all your three meals, which is best to stay nourished and healthy, according to Ayurveda.
- Have three meals a day
Having a routine is considered to be very good in Ayurveda. And so, it’s essential to train your inner fire to receive and digest three proper meals in a day. It’s better than having snacks in between or overeating, which can burden your digestive system, or skipping a meal that will create an imbalance for your digestive system. It is one of the important Ayurveda nutrition principles to follow.
- Have dinner at least three hours before sleep
According to Ayurveda, you must eat a lighter dinner at least three hours before bed. Every night during your sleep, your body goes through a rest and repair cycle. Your body heals and repairs while your mind gets busy digesting experiences and thoughts of the day.
If you eat a heavy dinner, your body focuses on digesting the food and less on the mental digestion and the repair and rest cycle. For this reason, it’s best to have a light meal at dinnertime so that your body and mind can focus evenly on the repairing and digestion process.
- Eat organic and fresh food
Ayurveda emphasizes consuming whole, organic, and fresh food, like organic grains, organic spices, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. Not only food but also prana is also responsible for nourishing your body. It is responsible for creating health, energy, and vitality. To increase ojas or the supplier of life force, you must increase your prana.
To increase prana, you can consume food derived from the earth. Prana in the food starts reducing the moment the food is picked up. Hence, you must consume the vegetables, grains, etc., that are freshly harvested. Food items harvested a long time ago don’t have abundant prana. You can shop for quality, organic, or fresh food items to follow the Ayurveda diet.
- Avoid eating snacks
Digestion in your body is completed in three steps, as per Ayurveda. After your meal, you will feel heavy and full as the kapha energies are dominant. After a few hours, pitta energies dominate; during this time, the hydrochloric acid increases, and the meal is transformed into sustenance. The third step occurs after 4-5 hours; when vata is dominant, your body feels light-weighted, and your appetite increases.
An interrupted or incomplete digestion can lead to increased toxins in the body, which may cause some symptoms. Hence, having three meals a day without snacks in between is important.
These principles for Ayurvedic nutrition and diet will help you stay healthy and happy. These rules will help you understand how to eat the food. Make sure to take your time to enjoy your meals and also be grateful for your meals.
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