{For a happy gut & strong digestion as per Ayurveda}
Written by Shay Maclean, the co-founder of the Ayupōtheca Retreat, a Modern Ayurveda & Yoga retreat, for self healing & self realisation.
All rights reserved.
Convenience is a lifestyle designed to always leave us dissatisfied and hungry for more. And quite often our desire for more means we've lost sight of why we do anything at all anymore. It's easy to get stuck in a perpetual cycle of cooking just because it's time to eat. Rather than seeing it as an opportunity to honour & energize this vessel which enables us to lead a vibrant life. He who wishes for more happiness and harmony must first begin by changing his daily habits and letting go of conveniences; an appetite for instant gratification can never bring lasting satisfaction.
Ayurveda has long used diet as a principal means of creating health within the body and mind. Hundreds of years before Hippocrates instructed, “Let food be thy medicine,” Ayurveda defined principles for making that advice practical. Ayurveda even goes beyond this to say that "we aren't what we eat, we are what we digest!". Ayurveda states that the season/weather, living environment, current state of health, digestive strength, age of a person, food selection, meal timing, and state of awareness during meals all have the ability to either increase Ojas (vitality & energy) or Ama (toxicity) in the individual.
A well- balanced diet which includes consuming antioxidants from whole foods will vary according to the individual's constitution (Vata, Pitta or Kapha body type) & their energy requirements (in-put vs out-put). An emphasis on eating foods that are light and easy to digest, such as fresh, whole & mostly vegetarian foods eg. organic fruit and vegetables, raw unpasteurised milk & white cheeses & grass-fed ghee, whole grains, split lentils, nuts & dried fruits etc consumed daily nourishes the body & mind. Avoidance of processed foods, excessive sour/salty/pungent tasting foods, as well as being mindful of overeating, will help to maintain optimal energy levels & overall health.
Following a Sattvic diet is considered to be vegetarian, light, soothing, satisfying, easy on digestion, includes a balance of all 6 tastes, is made from fresh organic food & clean water, promotes a restful sleep & also enhances one's ability to meditate. A Carnivorous diet, however is also applicable in cases where one has certain needs or energy requirements due to their athletic lifestyle or physically demanding work, bearing in mind that meat is considered Tamassic which influences the mind toward ignorance/inertia (to politely put it a more earth based animalistic way of living) so those on a spiritual path are best to avoid. Meat is best consumed in small portions during lunchtime meals or in the cooler months when digestion is strongest. Meat should always be grass-fed & humanely slaughtered and fish is best eaten white, wild-caught & eaten immediately (not after being frozen).
The following dietary principles will serve as a guide for tapping into the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda (nature's way) and using it to create health, vitality, and energy through the food we consume.
We have created the Ayupōtheca retreat to offer more knowledge on incompatible food and combinations to avoid, factors that lessen the ill-effects of consuming incompatibles and all useful tips to aid digestion.
TEN PRINCIPLES OF A WHOLESOME AYURVEDIC DIET
1. Food should always be warm, warm like the body's temperature.
2. Food should always be unctuous, akin to the internal environment of the gut.
3. Food should be eaten whole, seasonal & prepared fresh daily wherever possible.
4. Food should be consumed in the right portion for the individual; not too little, nor too much (2 handfuls per meal is aplenty).
5. Food should not be consumed when: - the person has low appetite/Agni - the person is suffering from fever or constipation - the person is still digesting the previous meal - the person is rushing, distracted or multitasking - the person is preoccupied with worry/stress or is eating in bad company - the person has just bathed/showered (within 1hr) - the sun has not yet risen or it's well set - within 3hrs of bedtime/sleeping/napping
6. Snacking should be avoided between the three meals.
7. Food should only be consumed in compatible combinations.
8. Meals should include all 6 tastes: - sweet (grounding, nourishing, strengthening/anabolic) - sour (cleansing, purifying) - salty (balancing, regulating) - bitter (detoxifying, mineralising) - astringent (anti-inflammatory, cooling) - pungent (warming, stimulating)
9. Food should be consumed separately from fluids (especially within 1hr of consuming alcohol or cold beverages).
10. Food should always be tasty, chewed well (at least 10 chews per mouthful) & above all it should always be enjoyed!
All about Ayurveda wholistic health, beauty & body care to be continued in the next article..
Images & words by Ayupōtheca.
All rights reserved.
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